Introduction: Looking close at the philosophical orientation of institutions and educators allows the examination of whether teaching practice, in this case, higher education, is consistent with the purpose of education. Objective: In the interest of gaining a historical understanding of the role of the Universidad Nacional, Costa Rica (UNA) in…

Undoubtedly, it is every teacher's life quest to find the best way to teach; there are no universal formulas to accomplish that. A committed teacher is a life-long learner, which shows why being an educator is not an easy career. A teacher is indeed like a candle that lights the students' path as it consumes itself. Such abnegation comes at a high…

Within the teacher education literature, international teaching experiences are lauded as opportunities for teacher candidates to develop multiple perspectives and cultural awareness. The purpose of this study was to understand the experience of 12 teacher candidates who engaged in an international teaching experience in Costa Rica. This…

Despite ample research examining second (L2) and foreign language (FL) teacher feedback, research situated in French as a foreign language (FFL) contexts is scarce, in particular studies that examine the beliefs and practices of corrective written feedback (WCF) among FFL teachers. The present study seeks to address this gap by investigating the…

It is widely known that test anxiety (TA) is associated with a decrease in test scores. The objective of this study is to provide evidence of the existence of two paths through which TA affects test scores: an indirect path that is associated with the mediation of the updating efficiency and a direct path moderated by the putting into perspective…

This study examines a short-term study abroad program in Costa Rica. The goals of the study are to (1) investigate the link between high impact learning practices (HIPs) and program learning outcomes and (2) capture the relation between program structure, program facilitation, and student learning networks. The methodology includes ethnographic…

On the centennial of Escuela Normal de Costa Rica (Normal School of Costa Rica), this paper discusses its role and its legacy in teacher training. It is structured in three parts. First, it presents a brief historical background on the origin and profiles of normal schools in several parts of the world. Second, it describes the development of…

Despite the growing body of literature investigating education abroad programs, there remains very limited empirical research examining the perspectives of local community members who interact with visiting students. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to explore the varying perspectives of residents within a community in Costa Rica that…

Engineers provide essential services to society, solving pressing challenges through technological inventiveness. Students new to engineering often cite the lure of creative problem solving as attracting them to the discipline. However, traditional engineering curricula typically focus on a narrow application of fundamentals for solving…

This study examines perceptions of the benefits and barriers to study abroad amongst undergraduate students studying at the Soltis Center for Research and Education in Costa Rica, in 2018 and 2019. A total of 49 students representing five different study abroad programs from three institutions participated in the study. Cost, personal obligations,…

This systematic literature review examines the development of Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) in mathematics education and its impact on teaching. The study analyzed 25 peer-reviewed articles published between January of 2018 and December of 2022 from the Scopus and ERIC databases to answer four research questions. The…

Background: Conflict prevention, respect, tolerance and acceptance of others should be basic outcomes in any educational context. Physical Education (PE) has the potential to be one of the curricular subjects that could help students meet these goals. However, teachers need to use appropriate instructional approaches like Teaching for Personal and…

Mathematics teachers' knowledge for teaching mathematics has been broadly studied in recent years, and many theoretical frameworks and instruments have been created to measure and improve knowledge and competencies to teach mathematics. The knowledge gained from these studies has been crucial in understanding and determining what mathematics…

The study of mathematics at the university level requires logical thinking and strong mathematical skills. Contemporary first-year students are not prepared for these demands and end up failing their courses. This study aims to present an instrument for enhancing mathematics teaching and promoting learning with understanding in higher education by…

Background: Engagement in volunteer activities is an experience that many students may not prioritize due to lack of time and interest. Purpose: This research examines the use of International Service Learning (ISL) as a potential platform to positively change student perceptions of volunteerism. Methodology/Approach: Multiple methods (interviews,…