Journal of Curriculum Studies Research

Curriculum as Compliance, Not Competence: Epistemic Fragmentation in Indonesia’s Underserved Schools

Farihen Farihen, Ahmad Nuh, Fakhrurazi Fakhrurazi, Muhammad Misbakul Munir — Sun, 05 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0300

This study examines how curriculum implementation in Indonesia’s underserved frontier, outermost, and disadvantaged (3T) schools is shaped more by compliance with centralized mandates than by the development of pedagogical competence. Drawing on curriculum studies and epistemic justice perspectives, this condition is conceptualized as epistemic fragmentation, in which teachers are positioned as procedural implementers rather than as epistemic agents. Using a qualitative research design, the study draws on semi-structured interviews with national-level education experts and senior teachers working in 3T regions. Data were analyzed using thematic coding, supported by NVivo, to examine the epistemic, affective, and instructional dimensions of curriculum enactment. The findings show that rigid curricular standardization, assessment-driven accountability, and credential-oriented policy logics marginalize local knowledge and contextual pedagogical judgment. Rather than strengthening instructional capacity, curriculum compliance fosters adaptive practices that prioritize administrative compliance over meaningful learning. This condition weakens teacher agency and undermines curriculum coherence in structurally constrained contexts. This article contributes to curriculum studies by highlighting the unintended consequences of compliance-oriented governance and by advancing a context-sensitive understanding of curriculum reform in marginalized education systems.

Metaverse in Education: Prospects and Its Impact on History Teaching - A Systematic Review

Ulfatun Nafiah, Sariyatun Sariyatun, Deny Tri Ardianto — Sun, 05 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0300

Research on the metaverse has largely focused on general technological development and its application in education. However, systematic reviews specifically examining the use of the metaverse in history education remain limited. This study aims to examine the directions, strategies, and reported impacts of metaverse development in history education. A systematic literature review was conducted using the framework proposed by Petticrew and Roberts, consisting of seven stages: refining the research question, determining inclusion and exclusion criteria, conducting a literature search, assessing study quality, synthesizing evidence, exploring study heterogeneity and potential sources of bias, and disseminating the findings. The review followed PRISMA guidelines, with literature searches conducted in the Scopus and ScienceDirect databases for studies published between 2019 and 2024. From 119 identified articles, 10 studies met the inclusion, relevance, and quality assessment criteria and were selected for in-depth analysis. The findings indicate that research on the metaverse in history education has employed development, qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods approaches. The reviewed studies show that metaverse-based history education has the potential to enhance students’ engagement, motivation, historical understanding, and historical thinking skills through immersive, interactive, and contextual learning environments. The metaverse can support history learning by presenting historical spaces, events, and narratives in ways that encourage inquiry, interpretation, contextualization, and critical reflection. However, the reviewed studies varied in research design, learning context, platform, participants, and outcome variables, making a statistical meta-analysis unsuitable. Therefore, this review provides an exploratory thematic synthesis of current research trends and highlights future directions for the development of metaverse-based history education.

The Effectiveness of an AI-Supported Neurolinguistic Strategy in Developing Functional Vocabulary and Reducing Digital Fatigue Among Non-Native Learners of Arabic

Sun, 05 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0300

When teaching Arabic to speakers of other languages, novice learners face challenges in acquiring practical vocabulary and in dealing with pressures associated with digital learning environments. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effectiveness of an AI-supported neurolinguistic approach in enhancing functional vocabulary and decreasing digital fatigue among these learners. The research employed a quasi-experimental design involving two groups of learners: an experimental group and a control group, each comprising 30 learners. The strategy incorporated elements of multi-sensory contextual learning, mental activation through auditory and visual stimuli, collaborative communicative tasks, and immediate feedback via ChatGPT integrated into Google Sites. Data were collected and analyzed to compare the performance of both groups across all dimensions of functional vocabulary, including recognition, comprehension, and production, as well as levels of digital fatigue (physical, cognitive, emotional, and social-sensory). The results showed that learners in the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group in all aspects of functional vocabulary while experiencing less digital fatigue. These findings show that integrating neurolinguistic principles with AI-supported interactive learning to develop functional vocabulary and enhance learner motivation within digital contexts. Based on these results, we recommend incorporating AI-supported neurolinguistic strategies into Arabic language teaching for non-native speakers to create more effective and supportive learning environments.

Development of Scientific Competencies in Future Biology Teachers Through Field Practice: The Case of Tian Shan Mountain Ash (Sorbus Tianschanica)

Sun, 05 Jul 2026 20:00:59 +0300

This study investigates how educational field practice can foster research competencies in future biology teachers, using the Tian Shan mountain ash (Sorbus tianschanica Rupr.) as a regionally significant object of inquiry. A quasi-experimental design was implemented during one academic semester (2024–2025) with second-year undergraduates enrolled in the 6B01508 Biology program: a control group (n = 21) and an experimental group (n = 31). Both groups followed the same curriculum, while the experimental group engaged in a research-based instructional approach that integrated field sampling, cytohistological preparation, microscopy, quantitative biometry, and the interpretation of rooting experiments. Plant material consisted of annual shoots collected from maternal plants of different ages in the Zhetysu Alatau; cytohistological analyses were conducted in the Laboratory of Bioresources of the Research Institute of Biotechnology and Ecology at Zhetysu State University named after I. Zhansugurov. Biological results indicated a diffuse-porous wood structure with predominance of uniseriate rays, supporting a moderate rooting potential that increased significantly under growth regulators (ANOVA: p < .001; Kruskal–Wallis: p < .001). Pedagogical assessment employed a three-component model (motivational, cognitive-content, and activity-based) across three measurement stages. At the final assessment, the distribution of research competence levels differed significantly between groups (χ² = 16.16, df = 2, p < .001) with a large effect size (Cramér's V = .56); no students in the experimental group remained at the low competence level. The findings suggest that integrating authentic anatomical and histological research on endemic flora into undergraduate biology teacher education can strengthen students' motivation, conceptual understanding, and independence in scientific inquiry, providing a scalable model for practice-oriented curriculum design.

Enhancing EFL Learners’ Pronunciation: A GenAI-Powered Approach to Weak Forms for Students at Arab Open University

Shaimaa Mohamed Helal, Hassan Saleh Mahdi, Yousef Houssni Zrekat — Sun, 05 Jul 2026 20:22:32 +0300

Pronunciation is an important aspect in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning. However, language learners face difficulties in mastering pronunciation. Language instructors use technology to enhance pronunciation. The advent of Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has created several opportunities to improve pronunciation. This study aims to examine the effect of using GenAI on the learning of weak forms among 54 Saudi EFL learners. The study used a quasi-experimental design to achieve its aims. The participants were divided into two groups: the control group and the experimental group. The experimental group used ChatGPT as the primary GenAI tool to practice weak forms pronunciation. The results indicate no significant differences between the control and experimental groups in post-test scores. This finding suggests that while GenAI tools may support learning, their effectiveness in teaching weak forms does not appear to surpass that of traditional methods.

Developing a Stakeholder-Informed Competency-Based Curriculum: A Structural Alignment Model in Teacher Education

Sun, 05 Jul 2026 20:53:38 +0300

This study aims to develop a program-level structural alignment model by integrating stakeholder analysis, Outcome-Based Education (OBE), and quality assurance mechanisms within the AUN-QA framework to address misalignments among learning outcomes, course structures, and assessment systems. The research uses a higher education music teacher education program as an empirical case to develop and examine the proposed model. A sequential mixed-methods design was adopted, involving data collection from 82 stakeholders and a systematic analysis of existing curriculum documents. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative data were examined through content analysis. The findings reveal a discernible gap between stakeholders’ competency expectations and the program’s perceived attainment levels, indicating structural misalignment at the program level rather than isolated deficiencies at the course level. Based on these findings, an integrated competency framework was synthesized, and a structural model was developed to translate stakeholder expectations into measurable program learning outcomes, coherent course mapping, and evidence-based assessment practices. The study argues that stakeholder-informed alignment can function as a structural governance mechanism for curriculum design by systematically linking curriculum architecture with quality assurance processes. The findings contribute to program-level curriculum theory by demonstrating how contextual responsiveness and standards-based legitimacy can be integrated within teacher education.

Implicit Transdisciplinary Affordances in Indonesia and Malaysia’s National Curricula: Where Does Art Education Stand?

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 03:30:40 +0300

Transdisciplinary pedagogy has gained increasing attention in curriculum studies as education systems respond to complex social, cultural, ecological, and technological challenges. However, national curricula do not always explicitly name transdisciplinarity, even when they contain structures that may support cross-disciplinary knowledge integration. This qualitative comparative case study examines how transdisciplinary affordances are articulated in Indonesia’s Kurikulum Merdeka and Malaysia’s Kurikulum Kebangsaan, with particular attention to the positioning of art education. Drawing on official curriculum documents, policy frameworks, learning outcome statements, and pedagogical guidelines, the study uses thematic document analysis to identify references to cross-curricular learning, project-based learning (PjBL), knowledge integration, creativity, and the arts. The findings show that neither curriculum explicitly adopts the term “transdisciplinary” ; however, both contain implicit affordances through mechanisms such as Indonesia’s Projek Penguatan Profil Pelajar Pancasila (P5), learning phases, flexible subject choices, and Malaysia’s Elemen Merentas Kurikulum (EMK), Pendekatan Bersepadu, higher-order thinking skills, and thematic integration. The comparison also reveals an important asymmetry. Indonesia positions art education more visibly as a site of interdisciplinary integration, whereas Malaysia distributes integrative expectations more broadly across cross-curricular and competency-based structures. The study argues that art education can serve as a generative epistemic space for transdisciplinary curriculum work, yet it also risks being instrumentalized if its intrinsic artistic, cultural, and critical value is subordinated to broader curriculum agendas.

Fostering Figurative Thinking Through Motivated Vocabulary Instruction: A Case Study in Northern Kazakhstan

Aigul Zhakupova, Ilyas Mukhamejanov, Olga Obdalova, Yelena Yurina — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 07:59:04 +0300

In the contemporary educational setting, foreign language acquisition is increasingly viewed as a driver of cognitive and creative development. An essential component of this process is figurative thinking, that is, the capacity to establish metaphorical and associative links between diverse phenomena. Although theoretical research on lexical motivation and conceptual imagery is extensive, the systematic integration of these frameworks into school-level English Language Teaching (ELT) remains underexplored, particularly within bilingual settings. This study sets out the methodological foundations for fostering figurative thinking and develops an instructional system of exercises designed to strengthen the associative-figurative interpretation of metaphorically motivated lexis among school students. The research used a psycholinguistic experiment and a pedagogical intervention with a pretest-posttest design. The study included bilingual and monolingual students (N = 64). The experimental group (N = 32) completed a six-stage instructional program centered on the "inner form" of English words, while statistical significance was tested using Independent and Paired Samples t-tests, Cohen’s d, and Pearson correlation analysis. Baseline assessments showed a statistically significant advantage for bilinguals in perceiving the inner form of words (p = 0.004, d = 1.49). After the intervention, the experimental group showed a substantial increase across all figurative-thinking indicators, with the largest growth in motivational reflection (Δ = +1.9, p < 0.01, d = 1.60). Correlation analysis revealed a strong positive relationship (r = 0.68, p < 0.01) between awareness of a word's inner form and the creative quality of metalinguistic utterances. The findings support the efficacy of the motivological approach in ELT. The results indicate that systematic work with motivated vocabulary not only expands the lexicon but also reshapes cognitive interpretative strategies, strengthening metalinguistic reflection and cognitive flexibility in bilingual educational contexts.

Transforming Geometric Thinking Through a Flipped Semi-Concrete Model: A Van Hiele and Cognitive Load Theory Perspective in Coastal Elementary Education

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 08:14:09 +0300

Geometric learning among coastal elementary students in Indonesia is often constrained by limited access to learning resources and difficulties in visualizing three-dimensional concepts. Grounded in Van Hiele theory and Cognitive Load Theory, this study examined the effectiveness of the Flipped Semi-Concrete Geometry Model (FSC-GM), which integrates flipped learning with locally sourced semi-concrete media from coastal contexts. Using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, the study involved 19 fifth-grade students in a coastal elementary school in Cirebon Regency. Quantitative data were analyzed using one-sample t-tests and correlation analysis, followed by qualitative content analysis of student interviews and classroom observations. The results showed that students' geometric thinking scores significantly exceeded the minimum mastery criterion (KKM = 60) following the intervention (t = 3.269, p < 0.05, d = 0.76), indicating a medium-to-large practical effect, while self-efficacy gains were not statistically significant (t = 1.143, p = 0.268) and exhibited a weak correlation with geometric thinking (r = 0.237). Qualitative findings revealed that the use of semi-concrete coastal objects reduced extraneous cognitive load, supported students’ progression across Van Hiele levels, and enabled meaningful connections between geometry and everyday coastal experiences. The findings suggest that cognitive and affective outcomes follow distinct developmental trajectories, highlighting the need for sustained and culturally responsive instructional approaches in coastal and resource-limited contexts.

Practices of Play Adaptation of Children with Special Educational Needs in Preschool Organizations in Kazakhstan: Results of a Qualitative Study

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 08:23:22 +0300

This study examines game-based adaptation practices for children with special educational needs in preschool organizations in Kazakhstan, focusing on organizational conditions, teachers' professional readiness, and play-based methods employed, from the perspectives of administrators, preschool teachers, and specialized professionals. A qualitative study was conducted in the second half of 2025 across three preschool organizations in Taraz, Kazakhstan, differing by institution type (public/private) and level of resource provision. The following methods were employed: (1) interviews with administrators, (2) focus groups with preschool teachers and specialized professionals, and (3) a research diary. Purposive sampling included 29 participants: 3 administrators, 20 preschool teachers, and 6 specialized professionals. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Significant differences in inclusive education implementation practices were identified across organizations, attributed to staffing resources, material and technical infrastructure, and availability of specialized professionals. Teachers demonstrated high motivation to work with children with special educational needs; however, they reported a shortage of methodological materials, limited specialized training, and unequal access to specialist support. The central role of play activities — cognitive games, physical games, and pretend play — was established as a tool for adaptation and social integration between children with special educational needs and their peers. The findings highlight the need to strengthen teachers' professional development in inclusive education, develop methodological guidelines for game-based adaptation, and ensure equitable conditions for implementing inclusive education across preschool organizations of varying types.