Supporting learning through context, interaction, assessment, and institutional support

Abstract

This editorial reflects on five studies that examine educational quality across preschool, primary, secondary, and university settings in Ethiopia and Cambodia. Despite their diverse contexts and methodologies, the studies converge on the importance of interconnected pedagogical, cultural, interpersonal, and institutional conditions for meaningful learning. The first study identifies multilevel barriers to developmentally appropriate preschool assessment, while the second demonstrates the positive effects of a dynamic assessment on primary students’ reading comprehension and self-efficacy. A third study shows that integrating indigenous knowledge into ecology instruction enhances grade 8 students’ engagement, highlighting the value of culturally responsive pedagogy. The fourth examines directive speech acts in an Amharic classroom, emphasizing language as a mechanism for organizing interaction and participation. The final study links university students’ research motivation to institutional support, academic environment, faculty mentorship, and research skills. Collectively, the studies underscore that effective education requires supportive systems, responsive teaching, meaningful interaction, and context-sensitive practice.