Open Access

Article

Article ID: 4265

Transition to first employment: A survival analysis of university graduates from five cohorts

by Nam Hoang Tran, Thuy Thi Hong Dang, Van Hong Nghiem

Forum for Education Studies, Vol.4, No.2, 2026;

Graduate employability research often evaluates whether graduates obtain jobs, but the duration required to secure the first job is an equally important indicator of labor market transition. This study applies survival analysis to examine time-to-employment among graduates of a public university in languages, social sciences, and humanities in Vietnam. Using graduate tracer survey data from five cohorts, Kaplan–Meier estimation and Cox proportional hazards regression were employed to analyze the timing of first employment and factors associated with faster labor market entry. The outcome variable was time from graduation to first employment, measured in ordered intervals, with unemployed graduates treated as right-censored observations. Among 657 graduates, 607 (92.4%) had obtained first employment by the time of the survey. Most graduates entered the labor market rapidly: 526 (80.1%) obtained their first job within less than three months after graduation, and the median time-to-employment category was the earliest interval. Kaplan–Meier comparisons showed no statistically significant subgroup differences by sex, supplementary training, job–major alignment, or cohort. However, the adjusted Cox model identified a significant cohort effect: compared with the 2020 cohort, the 2022 cohort had a lower hazard of first employment, indicating a slower transition into the labor market (HR = 0.695, 95% CI: 0.532–0.908, p = 0.0076). Other factors, including sex, job–major alignment, supplementary training, knowledge suitability, and skills suitability, were not statistically significant. This study advances Vietnamese graduate employability research by shifting the focus from static employment status to the timing of first employment and by demonstrating the value of survival analysis for examining cohort-sensitive school-to-work transitions when overall employment rates are high.

Open Access

Article

Article ID: 4090

Assessing social work students’ satisfaction with educational transitions within reasonable adjustments

by Paula Beesley, Ged McGurn, Anna Walkden

Forum for Education Studies, Vol.4, No.2, 2026;

Transitions in social work education constitute the process of change when starting a new university, course, year, module and placement. It is important that transition planning work is embedded in the support provision for professional students and is well-coordinated to enable students to engage effectively with all learning opportunities. This research was funded by Leeds Beckett University Teaching Excellence Project with the aim of exploring barriers and good practice to understand optimal transition support to enhance engagement and positive outcomes for students requiring a reasonable adjustment. The data was collected through completion of a mixed-methods survey in the form of a written questionnaire or an interactive interview based on the questionnaire, with 19 social work students from one English university responding. The data was thematically analysed and the themes of ‘preparation’, ‘staff understanding’ and ‘student coping strategies’ emerged. It is recommended that teaching staff, tutors and practice educators receive specific training on localised reasonable adjustment policy and on the impact that being neurodivergent, having a physical disability, physical health or mental health issue has on students’ ability to engage with learning opportunities. In addition, teaching staff should provide reasonable adjustment-friendly practice, where tutors and practice educators take time at the start of working with a student to familiarise themselves with the individual student’s reasonable adjustment needs and support students in developing coping strategies that enable them to be prepared for transition.

Open Access

Article

Article ID: 4171

Influence of psychosocial predictors and school counseling interventions on female secondary school students’ learning outcomes in science

by Akilu Ismail, Adamu Umar Mohammed, Halimat Bashir Ibrahim, Olatunbosun Mujidat Lukman

Forum for Education Studies, Vol.4, No.1, 2026;

Efforts to address gender disparities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education remain limited in many developing countries, particularly where psychosocial barriers and inadequate school counseling systems intersect. This study examined the combined influence of psychosocial predictors and school counseling interventions on female secondary school students’ learning outcomes in science. A quantitative correlational survey design was employed involving 360 female senior secondary school students and 30 school counselors drawn from 30 public schools with functional counseling units. Data were collected using standardized instruments measuring psychosocial factors, counseling access, and science achievement records. Findings of the study indicate that psychosocial factors significantly predict science learning outcomes, with self-efficacy emerging as the strongest positive predictor, while internalized gender stereotypes exert a significant negative influence. Furthermore, higher levels of counseling access were associated with greater science self-efficacy, interest, and achievement among students. Among counseling strategies, self-efficacy enhancement workshops were rated as the most effective intervention. The results provide evidence for the integrated influence of psychosocial factors and school counseling interventions in explaining gender disparities in science education. It indicates that strengthening gender-responsive counseling systems may support improved confidence, engagement, and achievement among female students in science.

Open Access

Article

Article ID: 2387

Teacher self-efficacy and principal support: Key factors in retaining Ohio educators during the Great Resignation

by Ariel A. Hayes, Karen H. Larwin

Forum for Education Studies, Vol.4, No.1, 2026;

Teacher retention continues to represent a significant challenge for educational systems in the United States,particularly following the disruptions associated with COVID-19 and the Great Resignation.This quantitative study examined the relationship between teacher self-efficacy, perceptions of principal support, and educators’intentions to remain in the profession among 146 public and community school teachers in Ohio.Participants completed the Teachers’Sense of Efficacy Scale and an adapted Principal Efficacy Scale,along with demographic and retention-related survey items. Results indicated that the pandemic and broader workforce instability substantially influenced educators’professional outlooks,with many respondents reporting consideration of career changes or departure from PreK–12 education. Teachers who reported stronger self-efficacy beliefs, particularly in student engagement,instructional strategies,and classroom management,were significantly less likely to consider leaving the profession. Similarly, educators who perceived higher levels of principal support, especially in instructional and moral leadership domains, demonstrated stronger retention-related attitudes. Significant grade-level differences also emerged,with secondary educators reporting lower perceptions of principal support than elementary educators. Although most respondents endorsed higher salaries and retention incentives as beneficial, financial considerations alone did not emerge as the strongest predictors of retention intentions. Findings suggest that improving teacher retention requires comprehensive strategies that extend beyond compensation and address leadership quality,professional support systems,workplace conditions,and opportunities for teacher growth and efficacy development.

Open Access

Article

Article ID: 4033

Experiential learning, employability, and entrepreneurial intentions in Indian higher education: A systematic review and policy perspective

by Nisha Suryavanshi, Sumita Srivastava, Shweta Khemani, Hans Kaushik

Forum for Education Studies, Vol.4, No.1, 2026;

This systematic literature review synthesizes evidence from 30 scholarly publications to examine the intersection of experiential learning, employability skills development, and entrepreneurial intentions within Indian higher education. The review reveals that experiential learning approaches—including internships, live projects, industry partnerships, and hands-on entrepreneurship programs—significantly enhance both employability outcomes and entrepreneurial intentions among Indian students. Key findings indicate that experiential learning positively influences entrepreneurial intention (β = 0.042), with entrepreneurial self-efficacy serving as a critical mediator that amplifies this effect (β = 0.090). Collectively, experiential learning, self-efficacy, and entrepreneurial attitude explain 89.6% of the variance in entrepreneurial intentions. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 emerges as a transformative framework emphasizing skill-based experiential learning across all educational levels, aligning the curriculum with industry requirements, promoting vocational training, competency-based education, and lifelong learning. However, significant implementation gaps persist, including inadequate funding, limited industry-academia collaboration, insufficient mentorship infrastructure, and challenges in faculty preparedness for experiential pedagogy. The review identifies critical policy imperatives: establishing comprehensive entrepreneurship ecosystems within universities, enhancing faculty entrepreneurial experience and training, creating institutional start-up funds, strengthening university-industry partnerships, and addressing gender-specific barriers to entrepreneurship. These findings provide evidence-based guidance for policymakers, educational administrators, and curriculum designers seeking to transform Indian higher education into a catalyst for employability and entrepreneurial capacity building in alignment
with national development goals.

Open Access

Article

Article ID: 3881

AI in Iranian higher education: A mixed-methods study of ethical tensions and L2 learning challenges

by Hossein Isaee

Forum for Education Studies, Vol.4, No.1, 2026;

This mixed-methods study examines how artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are reshaping English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning and teaching within Iranian higher education. Drawing on survey data from 46 students and semi-structured interviews with six EFL instructors and six students, the study explores (1) the extent of students’ AI use, (2) their motivations for using AI, (3) instructors’ attitudes toward AI integration, and (4) perceived risks related to ethics, equity, privacy, and academic integrity. Descriptive findings indicate that more than 85% of students regularly use AI tools (most commonly ChatGPT, Bard, Quillbot, and Grammarly) for idea generation, language refinement, task structuring, and grade maximisation. Interview data demonstrated a clear “assisted learning” orientation among students but also highlighted ethically problematic practices involving plagiarism, overreliance, and strategic paraphrasing to avoid detection. Instructors expressed marked scepticism, with the majority viewing AI as a catalyst for academic dishonesty and a threat to creativity, deep learning, and assessment validity. Despite recognising AI’s potential benefits, both students and instructors voiced substantive concerns regarding data privacy, job displacement, inequity, and algorithmic bias. Collectively, the findings reveal a complex landscape in which AI is simultaneously valued, distrusted, and inadequately regulated. The study concludes by outlining implications for ethical governance, AI literacy integration, and the development of context-sensitive EFL pedagogies in Iranian universities.