European Journal of Teaching and Education

Quality Assurance for Education and Training systems in Europe

Laura Evangelista — 2026-03-30

Globalization, along with the transitions to green and digital economies, has significantly impacted educational systems, leading to a fundamental shift characterized by a new evolutionary and organizational phase. The increasing use of digital platforms in education and training has destabilized traditional European teaching models and affected the labor market, replacing outdated practices and conventional needs. As a result, updating the skills of teaching and training professionals has become critical to meet labor market demands and remain competitive in the global economy. In this context, the European Commission has strongly recommended that Member States implement national education and training policies to manage this transformation. Competence development is a strategic priority within the EU's policy agenda, and the adoption of the European Skills Agenda for Sustainable Competitiveness, Social Equity, and Resilience (2020) has set ambitious targets for skills improvement and retraining, along with a focus on quality assurance in education and vocational training (VET). Ensuring quality in VET is essential for Europe’s development, serving as a critical tool to fully leverage skills for societal well-being. This article provides an overview of key European education and training policy documents, focusing on the role of the EQAVET network and the tools used to implement quality assurance in education and training at both national and international levels.

A Case Study of Post-Secondary Educators’ and Students’ Perspectives on Skills and Pedagogical Approaches to Foster Greater Academic Resilience

Josephine Ebejer Grech — 2026-03-30

This study explores the views of twelve post-secondary students and twelve educators in a post-secondary school in Malta regarding the skills necessary to manage academic stressors, particularly those stemming from workloads and deadlines. Employing a qualitative, inductive methodology, the research utilised semi-structured interviews and focus groups to identify and categorise these skills within the framework of Lazarus and Folkman’s (1984) Transactional Theory of Stress and Coping. Participants identified problem-focused strategies including time management, problem-solving, adaptability, and self-efficacy, as well as emotion-focused strategies such as emotional regulation and emotional intelligence, cognitive reframing, a growth mindset, and mindfulness. The findings portray the importance of implementing metacognitive skills within the curriculum, thereby equipping students with practical tools to build resilience and navigate academic challenges more effectively. In addition, the study offers practical recommendations for educators and school leaders to foster supportive educational environments that nurture both resilience and wellbeing. These insights contribute to the wider discourse on student support, highlighting how this Maltese post-secondary school might better prepare learners for the rigours of higher education and the professional world. The research concludes by recommending future studies to investigate the long-term outcomes of resilience-building interventions in this post-secondary setting.

Education Reform and School Size: Stakeholder Perspectives on the Shift from Small Independent Not-for-Profit School to a Large Profit-Driven School

Ilze Breedt — 2026-03-30

During apartheid in South Africa, the quality of education varied significantly across cultural and racial groups, resulting in systemic inequality. Following the democratic transition in 1994, the South African government initiated education reform by allowing the establishment of independent schools. Since then, the independent school sector has diversified, giving rise to various models, including both not-for-profit and profit-driven institutions. This study investigates stakeholders’ experiences of the transition from small, not-for-profit independent schools to larger, profit-driven models. A qualitative multiple case study design was employed, with data collected through semi-structured face-to-face interviews. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the data gathered from two independent schools in Gauteng that underwent this transition. Initially, the shift appeared to be beneficial for stakeholders: principals, teachers, parents, learners, and school governors, such as owners, CEOs, and church managers. This study provides insights into the evolving nature of independent schooling in South Africa and contributes to the discourse on education reform by highlighting stakeholder concerns and offering guidance for managing such transitions more effectively.

A Comparative Study Between the Lebanese English Language Curriculum and Objectives at Grade 9 Level with the Common European Framework of Reference

Randa Hasan Naanouh — 2026-03-30

This comparative study evaluated the alignment of the Lebanese Grade 9 English language curriculum with the Common European Framework of Reference(CEFR) 2001 for teaching foreign languages. Using a quantitative content-analysis method, the study tracked the main CEFR principles and descriptors at B2 level within the 1997 Lebanese general principles and curriculum for teaching English by the end of Grade 9 level. Guided by a CEFR-based codebook, official documents were coded and mapped based on conceptual similarity, linguistic complexity, skill domain, and percentage overlap. Inter-coder reliability was verified by testing 20% sample coded by both a human researcher and large language model (ChatGPT Plus) achieving a Krippendorff’s alpha of 0.82. Results have shown broad alignment (81-95%) between the curriculum principles with CEFR, highly represented in the communicative, cultural, and task-based principles but falling short in areas related to plurilingualism, self-assessments, and autonomous learning. As for Grade 9 competencies and objectives, the six domains (reading, speaking, writing, reading, topics, and grammar) were coded. Results have indicated strong and high alignment: listening (93%), reading (93%), writing (83%), Oral communication (95%), topics (92%), and grammar (81%). The findings suggest that the Lebanese curriculum reflects some basic parts in the CEFR principles but still requires revisions to meet the full expectation of the CEFR framework, especially with the integration of the updated components of CEFR 2020.

International School Teachers’ Views on the Role of Action Research within IB MYP and DP Environments: An Exploration of the Benefits and Constraints

Mary Kelly — 2026-03-30

This study examines teachers’ perspectives on action research (AR) within an International Baccalaureate (IB) international school context. Participants, representing diverse cultural and disciplinary backgrounds across the Middle Years and Diploma Programmes, shared their experiences through semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using thematic analysis to explore teachers’ understandings of AR, its perceived benefits and constraints, and its role in advancing professional learning in international education. Findings indicate that AR supports inquiry into themes central to international schooling, including interculturalism, inclusion, mobility, and student wellbeing. Teachers valued AR’s practical and collaborative character, particularly its capacity to bridge theory and classroom practice. However, structural constraints, including time pressures, leadership transience, uneven research literacy, and limited institutional coordination, restricted sustained engagement. The analysis identifies three interrelated institutional priorities emerging from participants’ accounts: leadership coherence, ethical guidance, and long-term sustainability structures. These findings inform the development of a Leadership, Ethics, and Sustainability of Action Research Framework (LESARF), designed to support the embedding of practitioner inquiry within IB and other inquiry-oriented school contexts. Overall, teachers viewed AR as a reflective and solution-oriented practice; its sustained success depends upon distributed leadership, ethical clarity, methodological support, and systemic investment in sustained cultures of inquiry.