Advanced Education

RESEARCH INTEGRITY IN THE AGE OF AI: POLICIES, PRACTICES, AND CHALLENGES

2025-08-26T14:49:43+00:00

This editorial addresses the evolving ethical challenges in scholarly publishing, particularly concerning artificial intelligence (AI), plagiarism, self-plagiarism, excessive self-citation, data fabrication, multiple submissions, and authorship practices. While AI can enhance research communication by refining language and improving efficiency, its misuse can affect transparency and accountability. Traditional threats, such as plagiarism, redundant publication, and citation manipulation, continue to weaken the credibility of research, while new risks are emerging from AI-generated content and fabricated findings. Drawing on guidance from COPE and major publishers, including Elsevier and Springer Nature, this article underscores the need for clear policies, transparent disclosure, and rigorous editorial review. It argues that research integrity depends on the shared responsibility of authors and editors, supported by both technological tools and critical human judgment. Preserving the credibility of scholarship requires not only firm measures against misconduct but also reinforcement of the core principles of integrity, transparency, validity, and accountability.

MONITORING MACHINE-TRANSLATION DEPENDENCE IN THE ONLINE TRAINING OF FUTURE PHILOLOGISTS

2024-08-06T19:52:36+00:00

The objective of this article is to examine the most effective and expedient methods for identifying instances of hidden machine translation (MT) usage by student translators in their translation assignments and examinations. Additionally, the article aims to propose a system of incentives to reduce students' reliance on MT. This initiative was prompted by the recognition that the advancement of students' translation proficiency necessitates the balanced development of both their technological competence and their creative abilities. Method. A mixed-methods study was conducted with 34 undergraduate philology students at the V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. The study was part of a course on legal translation. Throughout the semester, the students' translation assignments and examinations were evaluated using a computer program designed to identify indications of MT. The extent of MT was considered in the assessment of the aforementioned translations, using a scale developed specifically for this purpose. Findings. The results substantiate the assertion that the proposed methodology serves to curtail students' reliance on MT, while simultaneously fostering the growth of their creative abilities within the context of translation. By the conclusion of the semester, the proportion of matches between the majority of the students' target texts and their MT counterparts had decreased to levels typically observed in texts translated without the use of MT. Implications for Research and Practice. The proposed methodology has the potential to be employed in online translation courses with the objective of reducing students' reliance on MT. Further research could be conducted to investigate the applicability of this methodology in different educational settings.

THERE IS A VERSE FAR AWAY: TEACHERS' COGNITIVE STRUCTURES ABOUT THE METAVERSE

2024-10-18T22:39:10+00:00

The main purpose of this research is to determine teachers' cognitive structures about the Metaverse. It is a descriptive research in a survey model. The research participants consist of 93 teachers working in public schools in the 2023-2024 academic year in Malatya, Türkiye. First, a stratified purposive sampling method was used to identify the types of schools according to the research questions. Then, convenience and snowball sampling methods were used to select the participants. The research data was collected using the word association test. Content analysis was used to analyse the research data. As a result, the themes of "form of Metaverse", "economic order", "evolution of the Internet", "Metaverse technology", "education", "possible dangers", "space", "social Metaverse" and "fallacy" were found. At the end of the research, it is recommended that studies be carried out to eliminate teachers' misconceptions and that Metaverse technologies be introduced into the education system in small steps.

FROM POSTS TO BONDS: UNCOVERING ADOLESCENTS’ FRIENDSHIP ON FACEBOOK THROUGH LANGUAGE USE

2025-02-02T09:52:20+00:00

Social media, such as Facebook, is used not only as a communication tool but also as a space to maintain friendships and expand friend networks, particularly among adolescents. In response to this phenomenon, the current study investigates friendship dynamics among teenagers by analyzing the language used in their Facebook posts. To accomplish the objective of the study, a corpus analysis was employed to identify patterns of friendship expression. Data were collected using a Facebook feature called Virtual Advertising Operations (VAO), resulting in 1,243 posts related to the theme of relationships. Among these, the most prominent sub-theme was bonding and bridging with friendship as the primary topic. To analyze the data, we used categorization and the detection of textual information. The study underscores Facebook's importance as a key platform where youth build and strengthen friendships. Examining how they use language highlights themes like loyalty, emotional sharing, and social connection that shape their interactions on the platform. These insights emphasize that adolescents use Facebook not just to communicate but to actively shape and express their social relationships. The study also discusses implications for language education from social media content to cultivate students’ pragmatic competence and to provide meaningful and real-world communication practice. Future studies are encouraged to explore other modes of digital interaction, such as images and multimedia.

ENHANCING LEARNING OUTCOMES IN WRITTEN PRODUCTION BY IMPLEMENTING WRITING STRATEGIES AND USING AI WRITING TOOLS

2025-05-31T23:05:03+00:00

Today’s workforce is more interconnected because information technology and the Internet have transformed the workplace. Communicating clearly and effectively has never been more important than it is today. Life-changing critical judgments about writers are made solely on the basis of their writing abilities. Messages travel fast to distant locations, reaching massive audiences with minimal expense and effort. Companies tend to have a diverse workforce, and team members collaborate even when physically apart. In such a hyperconnected world, writing matters more than ever. Digital media require more written communication, and employees’ skills are always on display. As a result, employers seek workers with a broader range of skills and higher levels of knowledge in their field. Research indicates that many graduates enter the workforce with insufficient business skills. The University of Economics in Bratislava and Trnava University in Trnava are determined to contribute to an educated workforce prepared for a fast-paced global economy. Research employs both quantitative and qualitative methods. Student assignments were collected via Moodle, then briefly analysed and screened for AI use. Based on the outcomes of communicative language activities done in the courses in English for Specific Purposes and English for Academic Purposes, the paper aims to find out if 79 students made progress, considering their study results. Using a t-test, their pre-test and post-test results show that the differences are statistically significant. Findings have also revealed that while some students rely heavily on AI tools during writing, others do not. In practice, students need to be taught how to use them to avoid resorting to plagiarism. Future research should be focused on investigating what AI tools they use to help them improve their career prospects.

UKRAINIAN TEACHERS' BELIEFS ABOUT THE NATURE OF CREATIVITY

2025-05-12T19:23:29+00:00

Creativity is one of the top skills in today’s flat and global society, so creativity development should be one of the priority goals of education. In formal education, the effectiveness of creativity development significantly depends on teachers' beliefs about creativity. This study surveyed 394 Ukrainian teachers to explore their beliefs about creativity. The findings revealed that creativity development is insufficiently integrated into Ukrainian teacher education, with over one-third of respondents reporting no mention of creativity during their pre-service training. Although Ukrainian teachers reported high creative self-efficacy and expressed generally positive attitudes toward creativity and its development, they also demonstrated common misconceptions, such as underestimating the importance of usefulness as a criterion for a creative product and exhibiting a certain degree of Art Bias. Teachers' perceptions of creativity are influenced by gender, teaching subject, and work experience. Male teachers demonstrate less positive attitudes towards the ideas of fostering creativity compared to their female counterparts. Teachers of primary education and humanities subjects exhibit a higher interest in developing creativity than those in other disciplines. Additionally, educators with greater teaching experience tend to be more skeptical about initiatives aimed at promoting creativity. Our study revealed that participating in creativity training programs positively influences teacher creative self-efficacy; however, they have little or no impact on creativity beliefs and sharing common misconceptions. This finding highlights the importance of assessing the effectiveness of existing and future creativity training programs in altering teachers' creativity beliefs. Furthermore, there is a critical need to develop valid and reliable measures of teachers' creativity beliefs to consistently evaluate changes over time and determine the efficacy of such training programs.

FOSTERING PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION AND TOLERANCE IN PROSPECTIVE TEACHERS THROUGH PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT

2025-03-14T13:56:38+00:00

This study explores how civic engagement influences the development of professional communication and tolerance among prospective teachers. Employing a mixed-method approach, the research engaged 75 students from Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University (TNPU) in the social project “You Can Give a Child a Celebration!” conducted between 2022 and 2023. Quantitative data from surveys and Pearson’s chi-square analysis revealed a strong correlation (r = 0.73, p < 0.05) between participation and improved communication skills, with 69% of participants expressing readiness for future involvement. Qualitative data from interviews and reflections indicated a 25% increase in tolerance levels, especially in interactions with children with special needs. These findings highlight the effectiveness of integrating civic engagement into teacher education to develop essential professional competencies. The study suggests that such initiatives can effectively bridge theoretical knowledge and practical skills in preparing educators.

MULTILEVEL REGRESSION ANALYSIS OF LEARNING DISTRACTIONS AMONG HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS

2025-02-16T16:26:30+00:00

Learning distractions, both internal and external, disrupt students’ focus and academic performance. Understanding these distractions is crucial for developing effective strategies to mitigate their effects and enhance learning outcomes for university students. Little literature is available on assessing students' learning distractions in Ethiopian universities. The current study aims to identify learning distractions of university students and their correlates using a multilevel regression analysis. A cross-sectional survey with a self-administered questionnaire, quantitative approach grounded in postpositivist and connectivism philosophies, is used to collect data from a sample of 1,380 students at the Addis Ababa Science and Technology University. The data are analyzed using SPSS version 27.0, Winsteps version 5.7.1.0, and R version 4.3.2. The multilevel model with random intercept and random-fixed slopes is used to analyze the learning distraction score of the students. The results show that the average learning distractions score is 33.70 out of 100, indicating moderate learning distraction levels among the students. Most (79.20%) students are in a good state, and 5.07% are academically resilient. About 15.44% of the students need help facing academic problems, and 0.29% require urgent university assistance due to early burnout. A significant portion (51.86%) of the variation in distraction score is due to differences between students’ years of stay at the university. Factors affecting learning distraction score include gender, age, income, time spent on social media, and academic resilience. Female students experience lower learning distraction as compared to males. Learning distraction score decreases with an increase in age. An increase in monthly income increases their learning distraction. Student learning distraction increases as the time spent on social media daily increases. Higher academic resilience reduces their distraction score. Interventions based on behavioral, cognitive, and social cognitive learning theories and self-regulated strategies are crucial for managing learning distractions at the university. The intervention may include well-planned training and awareness creation programs for the university students.