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This study aims to identify factors to be considered when developing Information and Communication Technology (ICT)-integrated classroom models and to suggest a conceptual framework for considering more appropriate classroom models, tailored to the environments and needs of each developing country. In-depth interviews were conducted with experts, yielding many factors to be taken into account when integrating ICT in various educational contexts of developing countries. The factors are categorized into five domains: current status and relevant policies in ICT education, ODA (Official Development Assistance) goals and priority setting, infrastructure and technical challenges, pedagogical methods, and educational resources. Based on the recommendations elicited for the five categories, we suggest a conceptual framework that provides practical guidance on the criteria for selecting classroom models suited to each partner country’s environments and contexts. This study also draws implications from the interviews for classroom design guidelines related to hardware and infrastructure, to improve the sustainability of ICT-integrated classroom projects.

The objective of this study is to foster the sustainability of the higher education enrollment system in developed countries, where declining student enrollment is eminent, by promoting study abroad programs through utilizing service trade strategy. The methodology used in the current study is based on a co-orientation model adopted from the field of psychology. Using the co-orientation theory, this study investigates perceptual gaps (created from services’ intangibility, convergence, and internationalization) between the service provider (university staff) and the customers (international students) for multiple selection criteria. The survey questionnaires were constructed based on co-orientation survey questionnaires and modified using the selection criteria that were indicated from previous studies. In conclusion, it was found that international students and the university staffs in the sample have very different perceptions on most of the international students’ university selection criterion. As an implication, this study shows the factors which have the most significant difference between the perception of international students and the university staffs and offers appropriate actions to amend such gaps.

The Free School Meal Program (FSMP) initiated in 2011 in South Korea allows participating schools to provide free lunches to all students regardless of their household income. This paper examines how universal free school meal programs are associated with student health outcomes. We empirically show that FSMP reduces the share of students with high fitness grades by up to 1.5% of the student population. We also find that expenses for physical education decrease in schools that adopt FSMP. These results suggest that FSMP could crowd out investments in student physical activities, and student fitness could be negatively impacted. The paper sheds light on the importance of budgetary balance between universal welfare programs and other educational programs.

This study aims to explore the relationship between the preparedness, self-efficacy, career motivation, and job satisfaction of Korean teachers with the 2018 data of TALIS (Teaching and Learning International Survey). For this purpose, 1266 Korean middle school teachers were selected, and an analysis of mediating effects was executed by utilizing structural equation modeling and phantom variables. The results are as follows: teacher preparedness had a significant and positive effect on teacher self-efficacy and career motivation. However, it failed to show a significant effect on teacher job satisfaction, which was instead significantly and positively affected by teacher self-efficacy and career motivation. In addition, based on the analysis of the estimate of mediating effects, it was discovered that teacher career motivation had a greater positive effect than that teacher self-efficacy on teacher job satisfaction. Taking these results into consideration, this study accordingly makes suggestions concerning the improvement of sustainable teacher job satisfaction, self-efficacy and career motivation inside teacher education courses. Furthermore, this study will propose measures such as further valuing the Teaching Personality and Aptitude Test and strengthening in-depth interviews in student teacher selection, extending teaching experiences through simulated instruction and peer supervision as well as providing well-organized teaching professional counseling opportunities for student teachers.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of digital learning environments using tablet Personal Computers (PCs) in Korean metropolitan and rural middle schools. After 12 weeks of professional development for six teachers to enhance ICT and instructional design competency, 48 metropolitan and 63 rural students participated in learning with tablet PCs in English, science, and social studies subjects for 12 weeks. As a result, teachers’ various experiences of changes and challenges in digital learning environments were qualitatively analyzed and described. Also, quantitative measurements of students’ self-regulated learning abilities, collaborative learning disposition, and learning satisfaction were conducted and findings indicated that rural students showed significant differences compared to urban students in all three variables. Based on the results, educational implications and suggestions are discussed.

This research introduces a sustainable, metaverse-based vocational preparation program designed to empower adults with disabilities, providing them with the necessary skills to secure and retain employment in a landscape drastically altered by the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the COVID-19 pandemic. After implementing the program with nine adults with disabilities, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to analyze the differences in the pre- and post-tests of the study participants. As a result, the participants’ interpersonal relationships, problem-solving abilities in the workplace, and online interview skills were significantly improved. This study holds significance in its innovative approach to vocational education, adapting to shifts in employment trends and providing interventions in the metaverse that transcend traditional educational settings.

Using a qualitative approach, this study examines ways in which reading global literary texts and communicating with native English-speaking teachers informed a group of Korean university students’ English language learning and intercultural awareness. The students chose the pre-selected illustrative books, created short video clips, produced electronic books, prepared power point presentations, participated in creative writing sessions, and engaged in small group talk. The main data in this study include English group discussions from the Korean students, observation notes of the students’ group discussion and presentations, samples of the students’ work, and individual interviews regarding the students’ perception of their participation with extensive learning through encounters with cross-national discussions and global literary texts. Findings showed that the students were able to gain and sustain knowledge about and respect for various cultures and cultivate a critical understanding of and appreciation for ways local experiences can be impacted by broader global patterns, and vice versa. Reading global illustrative texts and participating in discussion about the texts helped the students in critically reflecting on their own cultures and those of others. The students further gained a deeper interest in global literary texts and developed their English language skills by communicating with native English-speaking teachers. Pedagogical implications for language and literacy educators are provided.

The use of gamification is garnering attention as a method that promotes sustainable learning during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) era. This study investigates the effect that gamified online learning has on student learning and has utilized a gamified online learning program to examine the impact. To determine the program’s effectiveness, a study has been conducted with 140 elementary and middle school students. A previously developed survey instrument was used to measure the results. The study’s findings suggest that gamification in online learning has a positive impact on learner motivation and the understanding of the educational content. Based on the findings, this study proposes that gamification should be used as a sustainable method to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) of ensuring “quality education”.