International Journal of Educational Narratives

Digital Storytelling and STEM Identity: A Narrative Inquiry of Female High School Students in Japan

Kaito Tanaka, Riko Kobayashi, Haruka Sato — Sun, 20 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0700

Background. Despite Japan’s global reputation for technological innovation, female representation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields remains disproportionately low. Cultural expectations, gender norms, and limited role models contribute to the underrepresentation of young women in STEM pathways.

Purpose. This study explores how digital storytelling can serve as a transformative pedagogical tool to support the development of STEM identity among female high school students in Japan.

Method. Using a qualitative narrative inquiry approach, the study engaged 15 female students aged 16–18 from three urban high schools. Participants created and reflected on personal digital stories that connected their lived experiences with STEM-related aspirations, interests, or challenges.

Results. Data were collected through digital artifacts, in-depth interviews, and reflective journals, then analyzed thematically. Findings reveal that digital storytelling enabled participants to articulate their evolving sense of agency, challenge internalized gender stereotypes, and envision themselves in future STEM careers. The process fostered increased confidence, self-recognition as potential STEM contributors, and a sense of belonging in scientific discourse.

Conclusion. This study demonstrates the potential of narrative-based, multimodal learning tools in reshaping STEM identity formation for underrepresented groups. It contributes to feminist pedagogy and STEM education research through the intersection of narrative, identity, and digital media.

Education in Times of War: Narrative Accounts of Displacement and Continuity in Ukrainian Schools

Dmytro Ivanov, Natalia Holub, Oleg Solovey — Sun, 20 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0700

Background. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has disrupted the educational landscape, displacing students, teachers, and families while threatening the continuity of learning across the country. Amidst the instability of war, Ukrainian schools have demonstrated remarkable resilience, adapting pedagogical approaches and redefining the meaning of education under crisis.

Purpose. This study explores how educators and students experience and respond to displacement, loss, and continuity in war-affected regions of Ukraine. Using a qualitative narrative methodology.

Method. the research draws on in-depth interviews with 18 teachers and 12 students from internally displaced and frontline communities. Participants shared stories of interrupted schooling, digital adaptation, emotional trauma, and communal support.

Results. The findings reveal that while infrastructural damage and psychological stress hinder formal instruction, educators and learners have found ways to preserve educational values through flexible delivery methods, psychosocial initiatives, and community-driven learning spaces. Schools emerged not only as academic institutions but as emotional anchors and symbols of national identity.

Conclusion. The study highlights the importance of narrative as a tool for documenting lived experiences and advocating for education continuity in conflict zones.

Ethical Dilemmas in the Classroom: A Narrative Approach to Professional Ethics in Indian Teacher Education

Aditi Verma, Karan Singh, Meera Gupta — Sun, 20 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0700

Background. Professional ethics is a critical yet often underexplored dimension in teacher education, particularly in contexts where cultural, institutional, and systemic challenges intersect. In India, where educators regularly face value conflicts in classrooms—ranging from caste discrimination to gender norms and curriculum constraints—there is a growing need to address how ethical dilemmas are experienced and navigated by pre-service teachers.

Purpose. This study explores ethical decision-making in teacher education through a narrative inquiry approach, focusing on the lived experiences of student-teachers across four Indian teacher training institutes.

Method. A total of 28 participants engaged in reflective journaling and semi-structured interviews, recounting ethical tensions encountered during practicum or coursework. Thematic narrative analysis revealed recurring dilemmas related to authority, bias, institutional silence, and cultural contradiction.

Results. Participants often expressed uncertainty, emotional distress, and conflict between personal values and institutional expectations. However, the process of narrating these experiences also served as a reflective tool, enabling critical ethical reasoning and professional growth.

Conclusion. The study concludes that narrative reflection can be a transformative pedagogical strategy in teacher education, fostering ethical sensitivity and professional identity development in complex educational environments.

Narratives of Inclusion: Story-Based Reflections on Special Education Practices in Finnish Primary Schools

Juha Laaksonen, Heidi Korhonen, Antti Vainio — Sun, 20 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0700

Background. Inclusive education in Finland has long been recognized as a global model for equity and student-centered practices. However, less is known about the lived experiences of teachers, students, and families within these systems.

Purpose. This study aims to explore the dynamics of inclusion in Finnish primary schools through narrative inquiry, focusing on story-based reflections that illuminate the practical realities of special education implementation.

Method. Using a qualitative approach, we conducted in-depth interviews and collected reflective journals from 12 educators and 5 special education coordinators across three municipalities in Finland. The narratives were analyzed thematically to uncover both enabling conditions and challenges in daily inclusive practices.

Results. Findings reveal a strong commitment to inclusion supported by multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS), yet tensions remain in workload management, inter-professional collaboration, and cultural diversity responsiveness. Participants’ stories underscore the importance of empathy, flexibility, and sustained professional development in cultivating inclusive classrooms.

Conclusion. This study contributes to the broader discourse on inclusive education by emphasizing the role of personal and professional storytelling as a medium for reflective practice and policy insight. The research highlights the significance of listening to practitioners’ voices in shaping meaningful, context-sensitive inclusive education strategies.

Use of Demonstration Experiments in Teaching Molecular Physics in General Secondary Schools

Dehqonova Dehqonova, Yakubova Yakubova, Alisherova Alisherova — Sun, 20 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0700

Background. The topics of the molecular physics department study the main fundamental demonstration experiments that confirm the existence of atoms and molecules and their movement.

Purpose. These experiments make it possible to determine physical quantities such as the size, mass, speed and concentration of atoms and molecules. The existence of atoms and molecules is no longer just a hypothesis, but is concrete evidence confirmed by the experimental and practical activities of people.

Method. In school conditions, it is an important educational task to provide new knowledge using experimental methods with the help of available tools and equipment to form these facts in the minds of students.

Results. Also, experiments are important for a deeper explanation of the theory in topics such as hydrostatic pressure and pressure transmission in liquids.

Conclusion. The article deepens the theoretical foundations of molecular physics and hydrostatic pressure, highlights the role of demonstration and laboratory experiments in teaching these topics, and provides information about modern experiments.

Developing Moderate Islamic Education: Special Reference to Al-Daghasyi’s Thought and Its Contextualization in Indonesia

Sabarudin, Mahmud Arif, Zainudin, Akhyak, Mirna, Rafidah — Sun, 20 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0700

Background. One of the main agendas for promoting a harmonious life in a diverse society strengthening religious moderation, which has become a priority program of the government. The agenda for enhancing religious moderation should receive widespread attention from intellectuals in this country as part of their commitment to addressing the serious threat of intolerance and extremism: radicalism and liberalism.

Purpose. This study tries to contribute to the reinforcement of religious moderation through literary explorations concerning the concept of moderate Islamic education. Considering that many similarities in the context of the dynamics of actual problems in this country with those, national and global as reflected in al-Daghasyi’s thoughts

Method. This research was a study of al-Daghasyi’s educational thoughts through literary explorations which were then positioned as a dialogue partner to formulate the significant concept for the development of moderate Islamic education. The thoughts were contextualized with the reality in Indonesia.

Results. According to al-Daghasyi, when education is based on moderate Islam, it will play an important role in preventing deviant attitudes and behaviours, such as intolerance and extremism, namely al-ifr?th and al-tafrîth (liberalism and radicalism). al-Daghasyi states that issues in Islam that cause differences of opinion among Muslims and do not trigger conflict and hostility can be considered religious issues.

Conclusion. This study has significant implications for instructional practices in The real endeavor does not involve weapon confrontations but fundamentally deals with preventing warfare and injustice through peaceful means, especially moderate Islamic education.

Curriculum Management in the Political Education Program of Islamic Political Parties: An Analysis of the PKS Party Training System

Kusnan Imran — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0700

Background. Curriculum management in political training (DIKLAT) plays a crucial role in sustaining ideological orientation and leadership regeneration within political parties. In the context of Islamic political parties in Indonesia, particularly Partai Keadilan Sejahtera (PKS), the curriculum must align with the mandates of the Party Law and Government Regulations to ensure consistent cadre development.

Purpose. This study aims to analyze the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the PKS political training curriculum. It further seeks to understand the implications of such a structured and tiered curriculum on cadre competency, ideological resilience, and leadership preparedness.

Method. A qualitative descriptive method was employed by analyzing official documents and conducting interviews with key organizational stakeholders responsible for political education within PKS. Data were interpreted through thematic content analysis.

Results. The findings show that PKS employs a structured curriculum through three main programs: coaching, training, and education. The implementation is conducted in stages—weekly and monthly—while evaluation follows a continuous monitoring and feedback model. This systematic approach supports the quality and sustainability of member development.

Conclusion. The structured and evaluative nature of the PKS curriculum reflects a strategic effort to maintain ideological integrity and leadership quality. Future improvements are suggested through optimizing coaching techniques, reinforcing practical training modules, adopting merit-based progression systems, and strengthening internal feedback mechanisms.

Development of an Islamic Values Based Education Quality Management Model at Muhammadiyah Kalabahi Senior High School, Alor Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province.

Abdullah R.S., Irwan Prayitno, Andry Priharta — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0700

Background. Preliminary observations indicate that SMA-MK has not yet fully implemented AIK (Al-Islam and Kemuhammadiyahan) values. The AIK learning process does not yet adhere to Muhammadiyah guidelines; reference books are not specifically tailored to AIK content; AIK teachers are not Muhammadiyah cadres; the facilities and infrastructure supporting AIK learning are inadequate; and various other issues remain unresolved.

Purpose. This study aims to examine the outcomes of developing a model, its feasibility, and the effectiveness of a quality management model based on Islamic values in SMA Muhammadiyah Kalabahi, Alor Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province.

Method. This research employed the Research and Development (R&D) method using the ADDIE model approach (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation).

Results. The findings of this study conclude that: (1) The development of a Quality Management Model based on Islamic values at SMA Muhammadiyah Kalabahi integrates the seven principles of quality management from ISO 9000 and the ten principles of Total Quality Management (TQM) by Goetsch & Davis (1994). This integration produces a final model consisting of five key dimensions: (a) focus on service quality; (b) engagement of all relevant stakeholders; (c) continuous improvement processes; (d) scientific approaches and proactive policies; (e) harmonious leadership and teamwork.

Conclusion. Pragmatically, the model has brought about improvements in supporting facilities for AIK quality management, empowered AIK teachers, initiated and activated school-based Muhammadiyah autonomous organizations (such as IPM and HW), integrated AIK values with the multicultural values of the Alor community, and encouraged stronger school leadership commitment to AIK development as a means of institutionalizing Muhammadiyah culture and ideology in the school environment. The development of the Quality Management Model based on Islamic values at SMA Muhammadiyah Kalabahi achieved a feasibility score of 70.3%, indicating it is appropriate for implementation; The model demonstrated an effectiveness rate of 78%.