Journal of Advanced Research in Education

EFL Motivation of College Engineering Students in China in the Era of AI

Jing Hou, Tao Tao — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Based on Gardner’s theory of L2 motivation and Dörnyei’s L2 motivational self-system (L2 MSS model), this study, using the questionnaire survey method, investigates the English learning motivation of 76 freshmen majoring in engineering in China. The findings reveal that: (1) The English learning motivation of engineering students is dominated by instrumental motivation, with academic requirements (72.4%) and career development (68.4%) being the most prominent initial motivations; (2) Learning motivation shows a declining trend over time, with 63.2% of students reporting a decrease in enthusiasm, mainly attributed to the low relevance of course content to their major (average score 3.8/5) and the heavy workload of main courses (average score 4.1/5); (3) The use of AI tools shows the characteristic of “efficiency priority, efficacy in doubt”, with 58% of students using AI to complete English homework weekly, but 64.5% believing that it has limited effect on improving language proficiency; (4) Students have a strong demand for teaching reform, especially expecting material related to their major (efficacy score 4.3/5) and personalized feedback (efficacy score 4.38/5). The research indicates that in the AI era, the EFL learning motivation of engineering students presents a complex situation of “strengthened instrumental rationality and weakened intrinsic motivation”, which requires responses through curriculum integration, AI literacy cultivation, and the reconstruction of teacher-student relationships.

Factors Influencing Female Students’ Perceptions of Their Choice of Science Subjects at Senior Secondary Schools in Makurdi Metropolis, Benue State, Nigeria

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The study investigated female students’ perceptions of selecting science subjects at senior secondary schools in Makurdi Metropolis, Benue State, Nigeria. A descriptive survey design was employed for the research. Two research questions and one hypothesis guided the investigation. The population included all female students in Boarding Secondary Schools (BSS) and Day Secondary Schools (DSS), approved by the Benue State Ministry of Education, with a sample of 1,500 students drawn from 50 schools using stratified random sampling. The Female Students’ Choice of Science Subjects Questionnaire (FSCSSQ), developed by the researchers with a reliability coefficient of 0.80, was validated by two Science Education experts and one in Test and Measurement, and used to collect data. The data were analysed through descriptive statistics such as means and standard deviations to answer the research questions, while an independent sample t-test was conducted to test the hypothesis at a 0.05 level of significance. The results showed that factors such as peer influence, drug abuse, and early marriage, among others, significantly affect female students’ choice of science subjects. There was a significant difference in how female students in BSS and DSS perceived these factors (p<0.05). The study recommended, among others, that the Ministry of Education and other relevant stakeholders should provide well-equipped laboratories, necessary textbooks, and other learning materials to support practical science education in both boarding and day secondary schools to attract more female students to the choice of science subjects. Ensure proper counselling for female students regarding science subject choices, and provide adequate science teachers and facilities in both boarding and day secondary schools to encourage more female students to choose science subjects. Relevant stakeholders should ensure science teachers are competent, enthusiastic, and supportive to make subjects more appealing to female students.

From Knowledge to Competence: Educational Purpose in Competency-Based Education

Nathaniel Everett — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This paper examines the philosophical transformation of educational purpose under the global rise of Competency-Based Education (CBE). It argues that the shift from knowledge to competence represents not merely a reform of pedagogy but a reconfiguration of the normative foundations of education. Traditionally, knowledge occupied a formative and ethical role in shaping persons capable of judgment and reflection. CBE redefines this role through a logic of performance, in which learning is measured by demonstrable outcomes rather than oriented toward understanding. Drawing on the critical theories of Horkheimer, Habermas, and contemporary educational philosophers such as Chappell, Gonczi, Hager, and Waghid, the paper explores how instrumental rationality has narrowed the horizon of educational purpose. Competence, while valuable as a means of organizing learning, becomes problematic when elevated to an educational end. The analysis identifies three structural consequences of this shift: the internalization of purpose within technical systems, the managerial rationalization of learning, and the erosion of reflective and moral formation. In addressing major defenses of CBE—its neutrality, its integration of knowledge, and its pragmatic alignment with societal needs—the paper acknowledges their partial validity while showing that each rests on an implicit instrumentalism. It concludes by proposing a framework for reclaiming educational purpose beyond competence through the restoration of knowledge as a formative good, the cultivation of reflection and uncertainty, and the reaffirmation of education as an ethical encounter. The paper contends that education must remain a human practice oriented toward understanding, not a technical system of measurable performance.

The Comparison of the Effects of Parent-Child and Teacher-Child Relationships on Chinese Preschoolers’ Social Emotional Abilities

Yuqing Li — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study compared the effects of parent-child and teacher-child relationships on Chinese preschoolers’ social emotional abilities. Participants were 211 children from different preschools in a small city of Henan Province, China. Parents rated the parent-child relationships and children’s social emotional abilities at home and teachers rated the teacher–child relationships at school. After controlling for family socioeconomic status, the results showed parent-child relationship was a stronger predictor on preschool children’s social emotional abilities than was teacher-child relationship. Parent-child closeness positively predicted self-management, prosocial behavior and social skills and negatively predicted problem behavior. Parent-child conflict positively predicted problem behavior and negatively predicted self-management, prosocial behavior and social skills. While teacher-child relationships did not significantly predict children’s social emotional abilities. The findings highlight the importance of parent-child closeness in children’s early social emotional abilities.

Douyin Microlearning and Academic Performance: A Critical Reflection on Digital Learning in Chinese Higher Education

Rui Chen — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The rapid digital transformation of Chinese higher education has redefined how students access, process, and value knowledge. Among emerging technologies, Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok) has become a powerful medium for informal learning, merging entertainment with education through its algorithm-driven microlearning environment. This paper examines Douyin’s growing influence on academic culture, exploring its pedagogical logic, ethical implications, and policy significance. It argues that while Douyin democratizes learning by expanding accessibility and engagement, it simultaneously fragments attention and challenges traditional ideals of endurance and moral cultivation rooted in Confucian educational philosophy. Drawing on recent studies and national reports, the analysis situates Douyin within China’s broader Education Digitalization Strategy 2035, identifying both opportunities and risks in the convergence of social media and higher education. The study concludes that the key to sustainable digital learning lies not in rejecting short-video formats but in humanizing them—embedding reflection, integrity, and depth within the accelerating tempo of modern knowledge consumption.