Review of Educational Research

Given the importance of conversation practice in language learning, chatbots, especially ChatGPT, have attracted considerable attention for their ability to converse with learners using natural language. This review contributes to the literature by examining the currently unclear overall effect of using chatbots on language learning performance and comprehensively identifying important study characteristics that affect the overall effectiveness. We meta-analyzed 70 effect sizes from 28 studies, using robust variance estimation. The effects were assessed based on 18 study characteristics about learners, chatbots, learning objectives, context, communication/interaction, and methodological and pedagogical designs. Results indicated that using chatbots produced a positive overall effect on language learning performance (g = 0.484), compared to nonchatbot conditions. Moreover, four characteristics (i.e., educational level, language level, interface design, and interaction capability) affected the overall effectiveness. In an in-depth discussion on how the 18 characteristics are related to the effectiveness, future implications for practice and research are presented.

Universal formal education is a major global development goal. Yet hunter-gatherer communities have extremely low participation rates in formal schooling, even in comparison with other marginalized groups. Here, we review the existing literature to identify common challenges faced by hunter-gatherer children in formal education systems in the Global South. We find that hunter-gatherer children are often granted extensive personal autonomy, which is at odds with the hierarchical culture of school. Hunter-gatherer children face economic, infrastructural, social, cultural, and structural barriers that negatively affect their school participation. While schools have been identified as a risk to the transmission of hunter-gatherer values, languages, and traditional knowledge, they are also viewed by hunter-gatherer communities as a source of economic and cultural empowerment. These observations highlight the need for hunter-gatherer communities to decide for themselves the purpose school serves, and whether children should be compelled to attend.

The role of social media in the global society and economy has increased substantially over the years across different populations, age groups, and contexts. Using social media can be both beneficial and risky. People’s ability to navigate it safely and effectively largely depends on their social media literacy skills, which has significant implications for individuals and society. Drawing on the critical literacy and affordances-in-practice frameworks, we explore the concept of critical social media literacy (CSML) through a systematic literature review to determine whether and how its components—users’ goals, use context, inquiry, reflection, and action—have been addressed in the literature. Twenty out of the 50 publications identified reflected all the components of the CSML framework at different levels. We focused on empirical studies to identify instructional approaches and recommendations to support the development of CSML skills. Implications for research and practice, including curriculum connections, are also discussed.

This meta-analysis included 27 empirical studies to explore the effectiveness of robot-assisted language learning (RALL) as well as the moderating effects of a number of variables. The comparison of 64 effect sizes from 2,637 participants indicated significant variability between the independent samples. The overall results showed that the combined linguistic and affective gain of RALL was significant. The results of moderator analysis showed that most moderators, including place of the study, type of robot, publication type, instructional level of the learners, design of the study, time points of assessment, learning setting, second language (L2) proficiency level, type of assessment, language domain, and the non-RALL condition had no significant effects on learning outcomes. However, the moderating effect of the participants’ age was significant as RALL was found to be more effective for elementary school students (7–12 years old). The findings provide insights into the design of effective robots for second language acquisition (SLA) that support learners with certain characteristics.

Many technological interventions have leveraged physical activity (PA, i.e., activities that involve whole-body movements) to provide young people with active and productive learning experiences. However, there is a lack of systematic understanding of how PA can serve as a learning medium—for example, how PA can support learning and how to design technologies to support PA-based learning. This paper conducts a systematic literature review (N = 141) of PA-based, technology-mediated learning experiences for young people with a focus on how PA supports learning, what technologies are involved, and the associated challenges. Through content analysis, we identified four approaches of how PA and learning were combined (i.e., PA embodied learning content, served as a functional input method for learning tasks, guided learners through different learning sites, and generated data for learning activities) and supporting technologies like full-body interaction learning environments and mobile apps. However, many challenges might arise, such as balancing learning and PA, as well as the scalability and reliability of technologies. We conclude with a discussion and reflection on design implications for more PA-based learning experiences and technologies. Overall, this paper provides a systematic overview of the different ways to design physically active learning experiences for young people and can serve as a reference for future designs of physically active learning experiences and technologies.

Teachers’ beliefs influence their teaching practices. Given the U.S. Secretary of Education’s push to increase multilingualism, this systematic literature review examines teachers’ beliefs about language diversity and multilingual learners in relation to teacher experiences, teaching practices, and external factors. Using 17 search terms, we searched seven databases for empirical, peer-reviewed studies that examined K–12 teachers’ language beliefs. We analyzed 63 studies that met our criteria using a framework of teacher beliefs. Our findings indicate that researchers use myriad terms to capture the participating teachers’ beliefs. These terms could be grouped into dominant language, subtractive, additive, and pluralist beliefs. We also found connections between teachers’ beliefs on one side and their life experiences, instructional practices, and external factors, such as high-stakes tests and school contexts, on the other side. We added teachers’ beliefs about families, content and knowledge, and diversity to the framework, as well as external factors.

A growing amount of educational research employs participatory methods in which young people actively gather and analyze data in collaboration with the investigators. Considering the diverse use of the label “participatory,” we examined participatory studies with young people to understand how researchers justify using this approach and conceptualize its purposes and goals, as well as these studies’ contributions to scholarship and youth’s civic learning. We conducted an interpretive meta-ethnography of 95 studies, identifying four distinct types of participatory studies with youth: technical, capacity building, justice-oriented, and transformative. We conclude that research that labels itself “participatory” but does not benefit the participants and their communities puts the approach’s credibility at risk. To challenge structural inequalities and power relations between participants and researchers, academic studies should better align with the transformative approach that has the potential to support youth in becoming agents of change by engaging them in self-directed civic learning and activism.