ECNU Review of Education

📣Congratulations to Aaron Benavot @BenavotAA & colleagues on two new books exploring how education can build key competencies and support more resilient futures. Read more: 1⃣link.springer.com/book/10.1007/9… 2⃣nissem.org/news-and-event…

Most AI talk tries to fit new tech into old school rules. This ROE study by Prof Yong Zhao @YongZhaoEd says: stop that. Imagine education built around student-driven learning and real problems instead. No more one-size-fits-all.

Smart classrooms promise better learning, yet this ROE study by Yahui Chang et al. finds a hidden cost @SNNUChina @waynestate. Constant digital monitoring can make students perform, crush real interaction, and silence their voices. Technology isn‘t always a friend to curiosity.

Can training preschool teachers in social-emotional learning make a difference? Yes, says this ROE study by Lasi and colleagues from @AKUGlobal and @BallState. In Pakistan, kids showed fewer peer problems and more prosocial behavior, and classrooms became more supportive.

How does GenAI really help people write in a second language? This ROE review of 55 studies breaks down the roles of tools, rules, and teamwork, by Mi Rong & Yuan Yao. Turns out, AI can be a great partner—but it comes with tricky side effects too.

Students don't let AI do all the thinking. Haoming Lin @haoming_lin, Wei Wei @weiweiresearch & Fulan Liu find that when revising critical reports, learners focus on key areas like research quality and evidence—showing smart, selective use of AI tools, not blind trust.

What's next for job training? Shanshan Guan, Hui Jin & Xiaoyong Tian @SISUShanghai highlight ten big shifts in vocational education—from AI in classrooms to green skills and stronger school-industry ties. These changes show how job training is evolving for a new economy.

Even top-performing education systems like Finland and Hong Kong struggle with student stress. This ROE study by Xiya Feng and colleagues @PhilipL66006643 @FEHD_EdUHK @EPL_EdUHK maps the research and calls for better ways to compare well-being across different school cultures.

China’s "double reduction" policy limits homework and tutoring to ease student stress. Licui Chen & Shuangmu Lin @ZJU_China look at its promise and challenges in this ROE study. Can it truly balance quality and equity?

Meritocracy sounds fair but Prof. Yong Zhao @YongZhaoEd and Ruojun Zhong @EducationYee say it actually harms learning. Ranking kids by narrow tests ignores jagged talents. Time to move toward human interdependence and real collaboration.

AI is moving faster than our rules and laws. Yilei Shao @ECNUER calls it a “legitimacy gap” in this ROE research. The fix? A dual reconfiguration of education to build trust in human–machine society. Read how in ROE.

So why does so much education research have little impact? This ROE study points out seven big problems, by Yong Zhao @YongZhaoEd, Neal Kingston & Rick Ginsberg @RickGinsberg @KUSOEHS. It says AI can help revive research—if we rethink old habits.

In the AI age, a new ROE study says curriculum doesn’t have to be uniform, by Ruojun Zhong @EducationYee & Yong Zhao @YongZhaoEd. The double-helix model gives everyone basic skills plus room to grow their own strengths. Curious? Find it in ROE.

Your research. Our platform. No fees. ECNU Review of Education (ROE) invites submissions on educational experiences, policies, and innovations from around the world. FREE at every step—submission, publication, and download.

China's "double reduction" policy cuts homework and tutoring to reduce student stress. But teachers are feeling the pressure. An ROE article by Licui Chen & Shuangmu Lin @ZJU_China explores the promises and challenges.

Congrats to Minyi Li @BNU_Official & team on the 2026 OMEP ESD Award! Their project on children's agency & rainwater buckets fits perfectly with our 2019 special issue "Building a Sustainable Future for Young Children in China & Nordic Countries". Dive into the articles: journals.sagepub.com/toc/roea/2/4

New to umbrella reviews? This ROE article walks you through the process step by step, by Monica Fontana @Mfontanaabad, & Celia Camilli Trujillo @unicomplutense. Using digital diaries as a real example, it shows what to watch out for and how to get it right.

Evaluating research quality can be tricky. This ROE study offers a new checklist for quantitative, qualitative & mixed-methods studies—a handy tool for better reviews, by Xin Tang @sjtu1896, Zixin Zeng @HKUniversity, Haoyan Huang @helsinkiuni, & Jennifer Symonds @ucl.

How is ChatGPT changing the way we teach writing? A new ROE review explores its dual role as both assistant and assessor, and highlights the challenges we still need to tackle, by Feiwen Xiao @feiwen_xiao, Siyu Zhu @HongKongPolyU & Wen Xin @UnivOfKansas.

Too much teacher training goes to waste. This ROE study by Grover Williamson McDiarmid @UNC looks at micro-credentials as a better way—giving teachers more choice and control, but only if systems actually support them.