Vol 13 No S1-April (2025): Innovations and Emerging Trends in Education

The focus of this special issue is on innovation, digital transformation, the development of competencies in students and employability in education systems today. The gathered articles address the challenges of adapting to technological change and changing learner needs at different levels of education.

Various studies are dedicated to implementing digital platforms and educational technologies in the practicum of teaching, art education, and cultural learning, which shows the use of technologies to support the development of classroom observation, creativity and innovation skills. Application-based learning and metaverse research are both part of the new trends in immersive and technology-based learning.

Other notable groups of articles examine student motivation, collaborative problem-solving, inquiry-based instruction, and learning loss. The studies offer empirical information regarding the impact of pedagogical approaches on academic engagement, performance, and applied skills.

Also in the issue, institutional and systemic aspects are discussed such as whole-school development approaches and talent training models to build employability and workforce alignment. The special issue addresses both instructional and structural issues, providing a comprehensive understanding of educational improvement.

The collection of essays provides theory and models for improving education's quality, equity, and relevance in an increasingly global world. The special issue contributes to the ongoing scholarly discussion on the subject of innovation in education and facilitates policy oriented education reforms in line with sustainable development goals.

Editorial Note

Shanlax International Journal of Education is proud to present the April 2025 Special Issue, a compilation of a variety of scholarly contributions that focus on the innovations and transformative practices that are occurring in the field of education today. This issue is an expression of the changes in the teaching and learning, leadership, and institutional development in the school and higher education environments.

The articles examine new areas of research, including digital platforms implementation during teacher practicum, collaborative problem-solving skills, academic motivation, inquiry-based teaching, learning loss, and employability models. The “Digital technologies in education” and the incorporation of the metaverse applications are highlighted in multiple contributions for their role in improving students' engagement and innovation capacity.

One of the highlights of this issue is its international focus, with research undertaken in Thailand, China, and other education context in Asia. The studies collectively show the importance of pedagogical innovations, whole school development strategies and talent training models for better learning outcomes and workforce readiness.

This special issue provides practical recommendations to educators, administrators and policymakers through the empirical investigations and applied research approaches. It is in keeping with the journal's mission of supporting evidence-based learning innovation, technology in learning and sustainable development in line with global priorities for education.

This issue makes a valuable contribution to the continuing debate on quality education, innovation and student-centred learning in the 21st Century.