https://www.jcsicsa.ir/ Iranian Journal of Curriculum Studies en daily 1 Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:00 +0330 Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:00 +0330 https://www.jcsicsa.ir/article_243825.html Introduction Contemporary environmental challenges—including biodiversity loss, climate disruption, and ecosystem degradation—demand transformative educational approaches that extend beyond cognitive knowledge transmission to cultivate deep emotional bonds with the natural world. Traditional environmental education curricula, particularly within Iran's general education system, have predominantly emphasized cognitive domains while neglecting affective and behavioral dimensions essential for fostering pro-environmental attitudes and actions (Chawla, 2020: 45). This knowledge-centric paradigm has proven insufficient in generating the empathic connection and ethical commitment required for sustainable environmental stewardship. Concurrently, children's diminishing direct experiences with nature—termed "nature-deficit disorder" by Louv (2021: 112)—pose significant risks to their psychological development and capacity to form meaningful relationships with ecological systems. Research indicates that emotional affinity toward nature, rather than environmental knowledge alone, serves as the strongest predictor of pro-environmental behavior in adulthood (Liefländer et al., 2023: 78). Therefore, reconceptualizing environmental education through an ethics-of-care lens becomes imperative. This study addresses this gap by designing a comprehensive curriculum model titled "Kindness to Nature" specifically tailored for elementary school students, positioning kindness not merely as an outcome but as a pedagogical pathway for nurturing empathic, responsible relationships with all natural entities. Methodology This applied qualitative research employed a thematic synthesis approach to develop a theoretically grounded curriculum framework. The statistical population comprised peer-reviewed studies published between 2010–2024 (1389–1403 SH) retrieved from Iranian databases (Noormags, Civilica, Magiran) and international repositories (ERIC, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar). Systematic searches utilized keyword combinations including "kindness to nature," "children-nature connection," "elementary environmental curriculum," and their Persian equivalents. Initial screening identified 3,031 documents; after applying inclusion criteria (empirical focus, curriculum relevance, methodological rigor) and excluding duplicates and non-empirical works, 27 high-quality studies formed the final analytical sample. Data analysis followed Roberts' (2022: 204) six-stage thematic synthesis protocol: (1) needs identification, (2) systematic retrieval, (3) critical appraisal and selection, (4) conceptual framework development, (5) iterative coding and theme generation, and (6) model construction. MAXQDA-18 software facilitated inductive coding, yielding 106 initial codes subsequently organized into seven curriculum components: foundational assumptions, objectives, content, pedagogical strategies, learning experiences, learning environments, and assessment mechanisms. Trustworthiness was ensured through investigator triangulation (dual independent coding with 92% intercoder reliability), constant comparative analysis, and theoretical saturation achievement. Results The synthesized model presents an integrated, child-centered curriculum framework grounded in five core assumptions: (1) children's innate biophilic tendencies require nurturing through direct nature experiences; (2) socio-emotional development constitutes the foundation for environmental ethics; (3) kindness toward nature is teachable through intentional pedagogical design; (4) place-based, culturally responsive content enhances relevance; and (5) joy and wonder serve as catalysts for sustained environmental engagement. The model articulates tripartite objectives: cognitive (understanding ecological interdependence, recognizing environmental challenges); affective (cultivating empathy for living beings, developing positive emotional bonds with nature, experiencing awe and wonder); and behavioral (demonstrating care practices toward plants/animals, engaging in age-appropriate conservation actions, resolving human-nature conflicts compassionately). Curricular content is designed as experiential, interdisciplinary, and developmentally appropriate—integrating ecological concepts with ethics, arts, and local ecological knowledge. Pedagogical strategies prioritize active, embodied learning: nature exploration, sensory immersion activities, nature-based storytelling, role-playing ecological relationships, project-based conservation initiatives, and reflective journaling. Learning environments extend beyond classrooms to include school gardens, urban green spaces, and natural areas—designed as emotionally safe, sensorially rich contexts fostering autonomy and discovery. Assessment adopts a formative, qualitative orientation focused on observing children's spontaneous acts of kindness toward nature, reflective narratives, and behavioral changes rather than standardized testing. Discussion This curriculum model represents a paradigmatic shift from conventional environmental education by positioning kindness as both process and outcome—a relational ethic rather than instrumental behavior. The framework aligns with contemporary theoretical developments, particularly Barrett's (2021: 67) theory of constructed emotion, which posits that prosocial emotions like kindness are cultivated through repeated experiential learning rather than being purely innate. Furthermore, the model resonates with Kals' (2022: 134) emotional affinity toward nature theory, demonstrating how affective bonds precede and motivate conservation behavior. Critically, the model addresses a significant limitation in existing Iranian curricula: the fragmentation of environmental content within science textbooks without dedicated attention to emotional and ethical dimensions. By embedding kindness practices across multiple subjects and daily school routines, the framework enables holistic integration rather than compartmentalized instruction. Practical implications include providing curriculum developers with a research-based blueprint for redesigning elementary environmental education, offering teachers concrete strategies for fostering nature connectedness, and establishing assessment protocols that value qualitative behavioral change over knowledge recall. Limitations include the model's theoretical nature requiring empirical validation through pilot implementation studies. Future research should investigate longitudinal impacts on children's environmental identity formation and behavioral trajectories. Ultimately, this "Kindness to Nature" curriculum model offers a culturally responsive, developmentally appropriate pathway for nurturing the next generation of empathic environmental stewards—individuals who protect nature not from obligation alone, but from genuine care and emotional connection. https://www.jcsicsa.ir/article_244267.html The escalating environmental crises and the growing imperative to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals have placed educational systems under increasing pressure to cultivate environmentally responsible, informed, and committed citizens. Accordingly, the present study aimed to design and validate an environmental education curriculum based on sustainable development indicators and citizenship education for secondary school students within the framework of Fullan's approach. This study was conducted using a qualitative research design based on the research synthesis approach. The research domain comprised literature related to Fullan’s approach to environmental education, from which 42 sources were purposively selected for analysis. To validate the proposed curriculum, 10 experts in the fields of curriculum planning and environmental education from Isfahan, Iran, were purposively recruited to evaluate the program. The results showed that this program was designed with the general goal of creating a global perspective on the issue of the environment and sustainable development and the specific goals of teaching environmental literacy, creating ethical norms, strengthening the culture of environmental protection, respecting international laws, and cooperating to solve problems. The content of this program included interest, environmental knowledge and skills, ethical norms, and conscious commitment. The learning-teaching strategies section covered student-centeredness, effective teaching methods, and the role of the teacher. This was followed by how to evaluate, group, resources and facilities, and educational times and places. The validated curriculum provides a practical framework for integrating environmental education, sustainable development, and citizenship education into secondary school curricula. https://www.jcsicsa.ir/article_248450.html This study aimed to analyze the nature of power in the classroom from the perspective of the hidden curriculum. The theoretical framework was grounded in French and Raven’s typology of power, which identifies five powers: legitimate, reward, coercive, expert, and referent power. An explanatory mixed-methods design was employed. The research population consisted of lower secondary schools in Esfarvarin city during the 2022–2023 academic year. In the quantitative phase, data were collected through a questionnaire using a survey method and random sampling. In the qualitative phase, the Delphi technique and purposeful sampling were applied, and data were gathered through semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that teachers most frequently relied on expert power, legitimate power, and reward power in classroom settings. These results highlight the critical role of teachers’ professional knowledge, expertise, and ability to reinforce desirable behaviors through rewards in effective classroom management. In contrast, referent power and coercive power were used less frequently, indicating their comparatively limited influence on classroom management practices. https://www.jcsicsa.ir/article_248449.html The purpose of the upcoming research is to analyze the perception of curriculum stakeholders about the "right to choose the curriculum". The discourse of the present research is interpretative-participatory. For this purpose, the perceptions of the four main groups of curriculum activists about who has the right to choose school curricula have been analyzed using the emergent-type grounded theory method. Participants in this research (parents, managers, professors and teachers) were selected through theoretical sampling and theoretical saturation approach. The findings of the research showed the different opinions of the activists about who is more entitled to choose the curriculum. Based on the analysis of the interviews, a total of 344 events, 91 concepts, 35 categories or core codes and 4 fundamental or theoretical codes were extracted, including the popular curriculum, the public sphere curriculum, people of the land of curriculum and the non-popular curriculum. At the end, a conceptual framework for popular curriculum was presented. Based on the findings, the researcher believes that all activists have the right to choose curricula, and failure to respect the rights of various activists, including parents and teachers, as the most entitled groups, causes the failure, distrust and lack of legitimacy of curricula. https://www.jcsicsa.ir/article_248446.html The aim of the present study was to identify the dimensions and components of the curriculum based on the ethics of care in primary schools in Yazd. The study was conducted with a qualitative approach using thematic analysis and the Atride-Stirling thematic network, and the components were extracted inductively. The participants included 9 university faculty members and 10 elementary school teachers in Yazd, who were selected based on criterion-based purposive sampling until theoretical saturation was achieved, a total of 19 people. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. In order to ensure the accuracy and robustness of the findings, common criteria for validating qualitative research were used, and the reliability of data coding in two stages using the Holst method was 94%. The results of data analysis led to the extraction of 135 basic themes, 16 organizing themes, and 4 overarching themes, which include the goals, content, teaching-learning methods, and evaluation of the curriculum based on the ethics of care. https://www.jcsicsa.ir/article_248448.html the study aims to identify the components of a love-based curriculum. This article introduces the concept of love, its theoretical foundations, and the components of a love-based curriculum. The present study was conducted by systematic review. In order to find the published articles electronically, were used valid databases include Scopus،Proquest،Emerald، Science direct ,Iranmedex Magiran,،Normagez،Irandoc، SID. The search was performed using Persian and Latin keywords. A total were obtained 132 articles. In the next stage, were deleted 93 articles (due to content unrelated to the subject of the present article); Finally, 39 articles were synthesized by systematic review method after selecting the appropriate articles. CVR was used to determine the content validity. Based on data analysis were identified, 8 components for love, including loving in God; fatherland; fellow-creature; spouse; Family; Nature; Self and learning. A love-centered curriculum is an educational approach that emphasizes students' emotional development, including compassion, empathy, and responsibility. https://www.jcsicsa.ir/article_248569.html IntroductionContemporary schools are compelled to reassess their curricula to align with the distinct needs and characteristics of the emerging student population. Today’s learners belong to Generation Alpha, defined as those born between 2010 and 2025—a cohort that has been immersed in digital technologies from birth. For this generation, technology represents a primary conduit for resolving communication challenges, accessing information, shaping career trajectories, navigating daily life, and addressing practical concerns. Consequently, they integrate digital tools across diverse domains, including education, recreation, sports, and social interaction (McCrindle, 2014). The primary education system, therefore, requires fundamental restructuring to adequately support the developmental and educational needs of Alpha generation children. Such reforms must be systematically embedded across multiple dimensions: institutional policies, program design, structural frameworks, curriculum development, pedagogical strategies, and assessment methodologies. In designing curricula for this generation, technology must be integrated in a tangible and prominent manner, ensuring that individual differences and learner characteristics are respected while enabling personalized learning pathways for all students. The main goal of this study is to identify the defining characteristics of the elementary school curriculum for Alpha Generations. In light of rapid technological advancements and children’s ubiquitous access to digital tools, the curricula for this developmental stage must be shaped by profound technological and pedagogical transformations, necessitating corresponding changes in educational structures and programs. Considering that Iranian children currently have access to numerous social networks, digital games, video and text databases, augmented and virtual reality environments, and artificial intelligence chatbots, this study aims to identify and articulate the key features of six core curriculum components: educational objectives, learning content, learning activities, interaction and feedback methods, instructional strategies, and assessment approaches. To achieve this aim, a qualitative mixed systematic review method was employed.MethodologyThis research was conducted in two sequential stages. In the first stage, a systematic review was performed to identify and analyze articles pertaining to "Generation Alpha students." In the second stage, a qualitative approach was adopted, employing semi-structured interviews with 20 experts. Following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, a systematic search was carried out across the following databases: Elsevier, ScienceDirect, IEEE, Google Scholar, and domestic Iranian scientific repositories. The search employed the following keywords and their Persian equivalents: "Alpha generation," "Alpha generation learning," "Alpha generation teaching methods," "Alpha generation assessment methods," "Alpha generation learning content," and "Alpha generation learning activities." Explicit inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied during the article selection process.Participants in the second stage consisted of 20 experts specializing in e-learning, educational technology, curriculum studies, educational management, and philosophy of education. Participants were selected based on the logic of purposive sampling, specifically using a criterion-based sampling method. The inclusion criterion for interviewees was the authorship of at least two peer-reviewed scientific articles in the field of ICT-based learning at the elementary school level. The interview protocol addressed two main areas: (a) the characteristics of Generation Alpha students, and (b) curriculum elements, including educational objectives, learning content, activities, interaction and feedback mechanisms, and evaluation methods. The collected qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis, following the seven-step procedure.ResultsThe findings of this study reveal a distinct profile of Alpha generation learners and corresponding implications for curriculum design across six key elements. Alpha students were found to exhibit the following characteristics: independence, collaborativeness, active engagement in learning, self-evaluative capacity, curiosity, critical thinking, creativity, and a sense of responsibility. The curriculum goals for this generation should prioritize the development of critical thinking, problem-solving skills, participation and interaction, digital literacy, and self-development. The learning content appropriate for Generation Alpha includes video and visual materials, cut-scenes, clear and vivid animations, infographics, interactive videos, games, narrative content, and augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR) experiences. Recommended curriculum learning activities comprise game creation, project-based work, AR/VR experience reporting, community projects, multimedia storytelling, podcast production, animation, stop-motion video, story creation, design activities, as well as choice-based and peer-based teaching approaches. Alpha Generation learners require interactions that are technology-mediated, social, experiential, and personalized. Feedback should be delivered through individual, teacher-centered, systemic, and peer-based mechanisms. This generation favors instructional methods that are problem-centered, project-centered, conceptualization-oriented, self-cultivation-based, socially exploratory, innovative, and concept-mapping-based, over traditional teacher-centered methods. To evaluate Generation Alpha learners effectively, the following methods are recommended: portfolios, expository tests, self-assessment, participatory assessment, collaborative assessment, and adaptive assessment. Additionally, assessment should emphasize continuous, multiple, and triangles archiving approaches. Conclusion Alpha children are born into a technological ecosystem and are inherently engaged in interacting, communicating, and living within it. Consequently, the elementary school curriculum must be revised to align with both the prevailing technological-social conditions and the distinctive characteristics of this generation. The findings of this study can be articulated around two central axes. The first axis concerns the technology-centric nature of the elementary school curriculum for Alpha generation. The results indicate that Alpha students represent the most natively technologically fluent generation to date, as they receive and exchange a substantial portion of their daily lives, play, communication, and content through technological means. The second axis emphasizes student-centeredness, realized through the provision of personalization, activity, interaction, choice, and the cultivation of curiosity, critical thinking, and creativity. Within the Generation Alpha curriculum, student agency is manifested by prioritizing the development of critical thinking and the role of participation. Thus, it can be concluded that technological advancements have reshaped the individual characteristics, social attributes, and learning styles of Generation Alpha children. A curriculum appropriate to the characteristics of this generation should focus on two fundamental pillars: understanding the capabilities of learning technologies and fostering learner agency. https://www.jcsicsa.ir/article_244268.html IntroductionThe rapid advancement of digital technologies is fundamentally reshaping learning environments, with generative artificial intelligence (AI)emerging as one of the most transformative forces in education. Unlike traditional AI, generative AI possesses the unique capability to create new content, design dynamic learning pathways, and provide adaptive feedback, thereby challenging the conventional paradigms of curriculum development and1 the traditional roles of teachers (Kaban, 2023; Kaplan-Rakowski et al., 2023). Globally, leading educational technology institutions are leveraging generative AI to move away from the 'one-size-fits-all' curriculum model toward personalized, data-driven learning trajectories (Chen et al., 2023; UNESCO, 2023).Despite these immense opportunities, the integration of generative AI into educational systems presents profound challenges. These include algorithmic bias, data privacy concerns, the widening digital divide, and the urgent need for comprehensive teacher retraining (UNESCO, 2023; Kamalov et al., 2023). In the context of Iran, the post-COVID-19 era has highlighted a critical need for targeted professional development to help teachers effectively integrate new technologies. While existing research has explored AI in education, a significant gap remains in systematically identifying the specific components through which generative AI will influence the future of curricula and educational systems, particularly from a future-studies perspective. Therefore, this study aims to address the following research questions: (1)What is the role of generative AI in designing and developing future curricula? (2)What are the impacts of generative AI on the role of teachers in future educational systems? and (3)How can generative AI personalize learning for students in future educational systems? MethodologyThis study employed a systematic review method following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines to identify and synthesize key components influencing the future of educational systems and curricula under the influence of generative AI. A systematic search was conducted across reputable international databases (Google Scholar, Scopus, IEEE Xplore)and national databases (Noormags, Magiran)using relevant keywords, including "generative AI," "curriculum," "educational futurology," and "ChatGPT," covering the period from 2015 to mid-2025.The initial search yielded 530 articles. After removing duplicates, 510 articles underwent a two-stage screening process. In the first stage, based on title and abstract review, 418 articles were excluded for not meeting the inclusion criteria (e.g., not focusing on generative AI and future-oriented curriculum planning). In the second stage, the full texts of the remaining 92 articles were assessed, leading to the exclusion of 44 more articles due to lack of direct relevance, inaccessible full text, or insufficient methodological quality. Ultimately, 48 articles were deemed eligible and included in the final analysis. Data extraction and analysis were conducted using thematic coding in MAXQDA software. The quality of the selected studies was independently assessed by two researchers using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP)checklist to ensure methodological rigor. The final synthesis organized the findings into 4 main themes and 19 sub-components, providing a comprehensive framework for understanding the transformative role of generative AI in future education. ResultsThe analysis of the 48 selected studies yielded comprehensive answers to the three research questions. For the first question on curriculum development, generative AI’s role is defined by four main components: personalization of curriculum (35%), creation of impactful learning experiences (25%), educational justice and equality (20%), and continuous quality improvement (20%). The findings indicate that generative AI acts as an intelligent design partner, moving beyond static curricula to create dynamic, responsive, and highly customized learning pathways based on individual learner data (Zhang & Aslan, 2024; Bozkurt, 2024).Regarding the second question on the role of teachers, the results reveal a fundamental shift. The traditional role of teacher as sole knowledge transmitter is transforming into five key areas: transformation in instructional design (25%), change in educational assessment (20%), specialization of data-driven educational support (20%), continuous professional development (18%), and strengthening of the nurturing role (17%). This indicates that rather than replacing teachers, generative AI will elevate their role to that of facilitators, learning experience designers, and cultivators of irreplaceable human skills like critical thinking and creativity (Ertmer & Ottenbreit-Leftwich, 2010).For the third question on personalized learning, the synthesis identified five primary mechanisms: customized educational content production (30%), design of flexible learning pathways (25%), immediate and constructive feedback (20%), difficulty level adaptation (15%), and 24/7 comprehensive support (10%). The results show that generative AI creates a unique learning journey for each student by analyzing their cognitive and emotional profiles, adjusting the pace and content in real-time, and ensuring that instruction remains within each learner’s zone of proximal development, thereby enhancing both academic outcomes and intrinsic motivation. ConclusionThis systematic review concludes that generative AI is not merely an incremental technological tool but a fundamental catalyst for a new educational paradigm. The findings demonstrate that the future of curricula depends on an intelligent synergy between teachers' professional judgment and the generative capabilities of AI. This synergy promises a transition from standardized, rigid systems to dynamic, personalized, and equitable learning ecosystems. Generative AI empowers the creation of adaptive curricula, transforms teachers into high-level facilitators and mentors, and personalizes learning in unprecedented ways, fostering deeper engagement and lifelong learning.However, realizing this transformative vision requires addressing significant challenges, including algorithmic bias, ethical concerns, the digital divide, and the necessity for substantial teacher retraining. The study concludes that successful implementation is contingent upon three critical prerequisites: (1)investment in robust data infrastructure and technological resources, (2)development of strong ethical and governance frameworks at the national and institutional levels, and (3)fundamental redesign of teacher professional development and pre-service training programs to cultivate digital and analytical competencies. Ultimately, the future of education lies in a human-AI partnership where technology serves the goal of cultivating creative, critical, and ethical citizens, making collaborative investment from policymakers, educational leaders, and researchers indispensable. https://www.jcsicsa.ir/article_248447.html Introduction One of the principal goals of educational systems is to create conditions under which students can acquire academic concepts in a deep, meaningful, and enduring manner and apply what they have learned across a variety of contexts. Mathematics, in particular, poses considerable challenges for many elementary school students because of its abstract, hierarchical, and conceptually demanding nature. The use of traditional, teacher-centered instructional methods, in which students primarily assume the role of passive recipients of information, may lead to superficial learning, reduced academic engagement, and limited retention and recall of mathematical concepts.Explicit instruction is a structured instructional strategy in which learning objectives are clearly articulated, instructional content is divided into small and manageable units, and the teacher systematically guides students’ learning through direct explanation, modeling, guided practice, continuous feedback, and formative assessment. By contrast, cooperative learning emphasizes purposeful interaction among students, individual and group accountability, the exchange of ideas, collaborative problem-solving, and active participation in the learning process. The integration of explicit instruction with cooperative learning may therefore combine the clarity and systematic organization of teacher-guided instruction with the cognitive and social benefits of active student participation. Accordingly, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of explicit instruction integrated with a cooperative learning approach on sixth-grade elementary school students’ learning and retention of mathematical concepts. Method This study was applied in purpose and employed a quasi-experimental research design. More specifically, a pretest–posttest design with an experimental group and a control group was used. The statistical population consisted of sixth-grade elementary school students. From this population, 50 students were selected through convenience sampling and were subsequently assigned randomly to the experimental and control groups. Efforts were made to ensure that the two groups were as comparable as possible with respect to variables relevant to the study. Data were collected using a mathematics learning achievement test designed to assess students’ learning at the pretest and posttest stages. In addition, students’ performance was assessed in terms of retention in order to determine the extent to which the acquired knowledge was maintained over time. Prior to the implementation of the instructional intervention, both groups completed the pretest.Students in the experimental group received instruction through an explicit instruction strategy integrated with cooperative learning over 12 instructional sessions. In contrast, students in the control group were taught the same content through the conventional instructional method. In the control condition, the teacher assumed the primary role in presenting the instructional content, while opportunities for structured student participation were more limited than in the experimental group. Upon completion of the instructional sessions, both groups completed the posttest, and their performance was compared. Data analysis: was conducted at both descriptive and inferential levels. At the descriptive level, indices such as the mean and standard deviation were calculated. At the inferential level, analysis of covariance was employed to compare the performance of the experimental and control groups in learning and retention while controlling for the effect of pretest scores. Findings The findings indicated that, after controlling for pretest scores, there was a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups in their posttest mean scores for both learning and retention. In other words, students who were taught through explicit instruction integrated with cooperative learning demonstrated superior performance in learning mathematical concepts compared with students who received conventional instruction. Moreover, the experimental group exhibited higher levels of retention and recall than the control group.These findings suggest that the systematic organization of instructional content, the clear communication of learning objectives, the step-by-step presentation of concepts, guided practice, and immediate feedback, when combined with students’ active participation in cooperative group activities, can foster deeper understanding and more effective consolidation of learning. Interaction among students may also have enabled them to examine concepts from multiple perspectives, articulate and justify their answers and solution strategies, and identify and correct errors with the support of their peers and teacher. Such processes may enhance cognitive processing, improve attention and concentration, and facilitate the transfer of information into long-term memory. Conclusion Based on the findings of the present study, the integration of explicit instruction with cooperative learning can be regarded as an effective instructional model for improving elementary school students’ learning and retention of mathematical concepts. By establishing a balance between direct teacher guidance and active learner participation, this approach provides the structure required for conceptual understanding while simultaneously engaging students more actively in the learning process.Within this instructional framework, the teacher is not merely a transmitter of information but serves as a guide, facilitator, and provider of constructive feedback. Students, in turn, move beyond a passive role and actively participate in the construction and consolidation of knowledge through collaboration, dialogue, problem-solving, and shared responsibility. It is therefore recommended that elementary school teachers, particularly those involved in mathematics instruction, implement this strategy in a planned and systematic manner and adapt it to students’ cognitive and academic characteristics. Curriculum planners and educational authorities are also encouraged to provide professional development opportunities through which teachers can become familiar with the principles and practical stages of explicit instruction and cooperative learning. The informed and purposeful application of this integrated approach may substantially contribute to improving instructional quality, enhancing student engagement, deepening learning, and promoting the long-term retention of academic content. https://www.jcsicsa.ir/article_243823.html IntroductionMathematical modeling provides an authentic context in which students can explore mathematical concepts through real-world phenomena. When combined with digital technologies, modeling activities can promote conceptual understanding by allowing students to investigate patterns, visualize mathematical relationships, and perform calculations that would otherwise be difficult. Among widely available educational technologies, Microsoft Excel offers a simple yet powerful environment for constructing mathematical models, generating recursive sequences, and analyzing numerical data.This study investigates the effectiveness of an Excel-based mathematical modeling activity in improving secondary school students' understanding of three fundamental mathematical concepts: recursive patterns and sequences, rate of change, and reasoning with large numbers. The instructional activity was designed around a population-growth modeling problem that required students to formulate recursive relationships, identify emerging patterns, and interpret exponential growth using spreadsheet calculations and visual representations.MethodologyThe study employed a one-group pretest–posttest design involving 33 secondary school students from grades 9 to 11 with different educational backgrounds. The instructional intervention was implemented during two mathematics enrichment programs.Before instruction, students completed a researcher-designed pretest assessing their understanding of recursive sequences, rate of change, and large numbers. After participating in the modeling activity using Microsoft Excel, they completed a parallel posttest measuring the same learning objectives.Students' written responses and Excel files were analyzed using a binary scoring procedure. Minor computational or spreadsheet-entry mistakes that did not reflect conceptual misunderstanding were treated separately from genuine misconceptions. Since the paired score differences did not satisfy the normality assumption, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare pretest and posttest performances.ResultsThe results demonstrate a statistically significant improvement in students' mathematical understanding after the instructional intervention. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test revealed a significant difference between pretest and posttest scores (p < 0.05), indicating that the spreadsheet-based modeling activity positively influenced students' conceptual learning.Students showed notable improvement in recognizing recursive patterns, interpreting rates of change, and reasoning about very large numbers generated by exponential processes. The proportion of students achieving completely correct solutions increased substantially from approximately 18% in the pretest to nearly 70% in the posttest.Additional analyses indicated positive learning gains across different school types, grade levels, and previous modeling experience, although students with prior exposure to mathematical modeling achieved higher overall performance. DiscussionThe findings suggest that spreadsheet-supported mathematical modeling can effectively strengthen students' conceptual understanding of fundamental mathematical ideas. Rather than emphasizing routine calculations, Excel enabled students to focus on identifying mathematical structures, exploring recursive relationships, visualizing growth processes, and interpreting numerical results.The modeling context encouraged students to connect abstract mathematical concepts with meaningful real-world situations while reducing the computational burden associated with large numerical calculations. Furthermore, the visual and interactive features of spreadsheets appeared to enhance students' engagement and confidence in solving complex mathematical problems.Overall, this study provides empirical evidence that integrating mathematical modeling with accessible digital tools such as Microsoft Excel offers a practical and effective instructional approach for secondary mathematics education. Future research may investigate the long-term retention of conceptual understanding and compare spreadsheet-based modeling with other technology-enhanced learning environments. https://www.jcsicsa.ir/article_252322.html This qualitative case study was conducted to analyze students’ cognitive modeling routes based on their mathematical thinking styles. The participants were 23 tenth-grade students from a school in Iran, six of whom were selected after their mathematical thinking styles had been identified and assigned to three pairs, each representing a different thinking style, for an in-depth analysis of their cognitive modeling routes. Data were collected using three mathematical tasks designed to identify students’ mathematical thinking styles and one mathematical modeling problem. The data were analyzed using the performance characteristics associated with the steps of Borromeo Ferri’s cognitive modeling cycle. The findings revealed that students’ cognitive modeling routes differed according to their mathematical thinking styles. These differences were evident in the sequence in which they moved through the steps of the modeling cycle and in the types of representations they used during problem solving. Moreover, focusing on key information, eliminating irrelevant information, selecting appropriate representations, and engaging in ongoing validation contributed to greater accuracy and efficiency in the modeling process. These findings may inform the design of mathematical modeling activities in mathematics curricula. https://www.jcsicsa.ir/article_253697.html This study explored students’ lived experiences of design thinking-based instruction in social studies and examined how these experiences were connected to national identity. A qualitative descriptive phenomenological design was used. Participants were 14 sixth-grade female students from Shazand, Markazi Province, selected through criterion-based purposive sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, participatory observations, student artifacts, and researcher reflective notes. Data were analyzed inductively using Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic analysis with MAXQDA. Five themes were generated: tangible understanding of abstract national-identity concepts; transformation of belonging and national responsibility; creativity and cultural re-creation; empathy and understanding of others as a basis for collective identity; and contradictory experiences and gradual development. These themes were mapped onto cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions of national identity, with some overlap across dimensions. Students described hands-on activities, empathy, collaboration, cultural representation, and reflection as experiences through which meanings of homeland, belonging, responsibility for cultural heritage, and respect for cultural diversity became more concrete. Given the phenomenological design, the findings should be interpreted as participants’ perceived experiences and meaning-making processes rather than as evidence of a causal effect or statistically generalizable impact.