American Journal of Educational Research

Student Experiences with AI-Assisted Chemistry Learning in Public Secondary Schools

Katherine Joy G. Reyes, Maria Teresa M. Fajardo — 2026-05-22

This qualitative descriptive study explored secondary students’ experiences of chemistry learning and AI-assisted academic support in selected public schools in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon, Philippines. Data consisted of 78 coded student excerpts drawn from a student qualitative response matrix organized across 14 semi-structured prompts; these excerpts were analyzed thematically following Braun and Clarke and interpreted through constructivist learning theory. Findings are organized around four analytic areas. First, students’ cognitive and representational difficulties intensified when lessons shifted from recall to application, particularly in equations, problem-solving, balancing reactions, formula substitution, and use of the periodic table. Second, teacher explanation remained the primary trusted scaffold because it offered step-by-step clarification, local language mediation, examples, feedback, and verification. Third, AI and digital tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Bing, Copilot, PhET simulations, and selected productivity tools were used unevenly as supplementary aids for explanations, examples, reports, and clarification. Fourth, students valued AI when it made complex topics faster, clearer, or more relatable, but questioned it when responses were inaccurate, lengthy, not step-by-step, English-heavy, or constrained by weak internet and limited device access. The findings suggest that AI can support chemistry learning when it is guided, localized, verified, and integrated with teacher-mediated instruction rather than treated as a replacement for classroom explanation.

Beyond "Worker-Only" Integration: An ESP–Sustainability Intervention Model for Employability and Civic Outcomes in Saudi TVET

Abdullah M.A. Alhomaidan — 2026-05-29

Research on vocational–academic integration consistently highlights a risk of narrowing integration towards labor-market content, often at the expense of democratic and civic education. Building on these discussions, this study investigates whether an English for Specific Purposes (ESP)-mediated sustainability intervention can achieve employability gains without perpetuating civic exclusion by embedding democratic "voice" and ethical reasoning within workplace-relevant sustainability tasks. A mixed-methods intervention, spanning 8 weeks and involving 60 Saudi Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) students, operationalized the ESP–Sustainability Employability Framework (ESEF) through task-based projects grounded in SDG-aligned workplace scenarios. Quantitative outcomes, including communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, and civic awareness, were measured pre- and post-intervention and analyzed using paired t-tests, Cohen's d, and 95% confidence intervals. Qualitative evidence, derived from 18 focus groups and 120 reflective journal entries, was subjected to reflexive thematic analysis. The findings revealed significant improvements across all outcomes from pre- to post-test: communication (d = .84, 95% CI [.59, 1.11]), critical thinking (d = .82, 95% CI [.54, 1.03]), problem-solving (d = .79, 95% CI [.45, .90]), civic awareness (d = .79, 95% CI [.47, .92]), and authentic performance task scores (d = .98, 95% CI [2.56, 4.38]). Qualitative themes further indicated: (1) strengthened vocational identity through language-for-work genres; (2) sustainability as a motivating "real problem" context; (3) expanded civic agency via rights/voice discourse embedded in workplace cases; and (4) implementation constraints necessitating differentiated scaffolding. This study advances integration theory by offering an intervention-based alternative to purely diagnostic accounts of exclusion. It specifies a replicable pedagogy (ESEF), introduces a Dual Integration Model (DIM) to prevent democratic "dropout," and provides empirical outcome evidence alongside student perspectives. The implications suggest that TVET systems can effectively integrate employability, green skills, and civic competence through ESP tasks, thereby supporting broader workforce preparation aligned with national reforms and international Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) agendas.

Psychological Capital as a Mediator between Gender Identity Expression and English Achievement among Secondary School Students

Palash Majumder, Nimisha Beri, Parimal Sarkar — 2026-06-01

This study investigates the role of psychological capital (PsyCap) as a mediator between gender identity expression and English academic achievement among secondary school students in India. Using a cross-sectional quantitative design, data were collected from 320 secondary school students (ages 13–17) from government-sponsored schools in West Bengal through stratified random sampling. Gender identity expression was assessed using the newly developed and validated Gender Identity Expression Questionnaire (GIEQ; 10 items, 4-point Likert scale), PsyCap was measured using a standardized assessment scale, and English achievement was evaluated through a curriculum-aligned test. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to test the proposed mediation model. The GIEQ demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .946) and strong construct validity confirmed by EFA (single factor; eigenvalue = 6.733; variance explained = 67.33%; KMO = .966) and CFA (χ²(35) = 36.388, p = .404; CFI = .999; RMSEA = .011). SEM results revealed that gender identity expression significantly predicted PsyCap (β = .911, p < .001) and PsyCap significantly predicted English achievement (β = .905, p < .001). The direct effect of gender identity expression on English achievement was non-significant (β = −.004, p = .951), while the indirect effect through PsyCap was significant (standardized indirect effect = .824, p < .001), indicating full mediation. These findings underscore the importance of inclusive, strength-based educational environments that support the psychological well-being of all learners.

A Systematic Review of the Comprehension and Retention Level of STEM Subjects among Secondary School Students

2026-06-01

This systematic review comprises a synthesis of 204 empirical studies published in 2025, examining how secondary school students comprehend and retain knowledge across STEM disciplines. The analysis of the selected articles concerning comprehension was based on an interpretative framework, distinguishing between knowing why (conceptual) and knowing how (procedural) understanding. The review identified asymmetries among students’ comprehension. While students exhibit strong procedural fluency, their conceptual reasoning appears to be fragmented. Regarding retention, only four studies examined it, indicating that procedural knowledge persisted while conceptual understanding decayed in the absence of iterative reflection. Most of the identified difficulties were clustered around STEM topics such as energy transformations, chemical bonding, cellular respiration, and mathematical abstraction, underscoring conceptual fragility in representationally complex domains. The synthesis calls for longitudinal research to trace meaningful STEM learning over time to identify the ideal practices that promote iterative and reflective reconstruction of comprehension and retention.