Teacher-centered pedagogical practices seem insufficient for promoting students’ active learning in semester-based teaching. Therefore, we argue that integrating participatory pedagogy as a strategy to the teacher-centered pedagogical practices contributes to the existing semester-based teaching, learning, and assessing practices. Inspired by living educational theory, we engaged with nine students of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics (STEAM) in the Participatory Action Research (PAR) course/class living our shared value, respect, in the process of facilitating for six months (February-July 2020). Considering each class, a cycle (i.e., of planning, action, observation, and reflection design) and adapting dialogue as a research method, we generated and analyzed information in a participatory way. We discussed how participatory pedagogy created a respectful learning environment and influenced our students, us, and the PAR curriculum. Journal entries, students’ blog writings, students’ assignments, arts and designs, and curriculum hold the evidence of curriculum improvement through pedagogical inventiveness, empowerment, enhancement of criticality, and reconceptualization of the curriculum. Finally, we shared how the participatory pedagogy becomes a context-responsive pedagogy that exhibits hope for a better world in the diverse educational contexts, including (post) COVID-19.

Despite an effort to improve English education in upper secondary school, the pass and failure rate of English subjects from the Bac II Examination is considerably low compared to others. According to MoEYS, only 28.17 percent of students passed the English examination. This study aims to design a school-based English curriculum for Cambodia’s uppers secondary school to enhance students’ English competency and intellectual skills. The Backward Design approach is known for its focus on students’ learning and authentic understanding; therefore, it can be used as a framework for school-based English curriculum development for upper secondary school. An interview with four Cambodian teachers was conducted to learn more about the problems of the current curriculum. This study used analyzed data from the interview and literature studies to develop a school-based English curriculum.

John Dewey has been one of the most influential philosophers and educational reformists in the Philippines to date. His educational philosophy and teachings are still active and evident in the Philippine educational setting. In this essay, we first discuss the views of John Dewey regarding science. Dewey regarded science as a method of thinking which is directly associated to society. From this perspective, we consider Dewey’s thoughts in relation to how science is utilized in education as a method of thinking and in what process it can be meaningful to Philippine schools. In a Deweyan classroom, science is a form of social activity wherein the students recognize themselves as active participants of learning activities leading them to greater societal engagements and experiences. The challenges in the current educational setting can be reflected in the curriculum as shown in student’s activities and works, in instruction as demonstrated by teacher’s competence, and in learning resources directed to learning facilities provide significant limitations toward achieving the maximum level of country’s scientific literacy. Lastly, this research examines what Philippine education can learn from Dewey to help students to become better Filipino citizens and strengthen its democratic society.

Responding to students’ writing is one of the most demanding tasks for language teachers, especially for Peer-English teachers in IB schools in China. This study used a phenomenographic approach to examine Peer-English teachers’ conceptions of feedback on writing in second language classrooms where the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP, English B High level) is adopted. The research questions are: (1) What conceptions of feedback are held by teachers teaching English in IBDP classrooms? (2) How do teachers’ conceptions of feedback influence their written feedback practices? The primary data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 22 Peer-English teachers who are local non-native speakers from 11 international schools in Beijing. Four increasingly inclusive categories emerged from the interview data, showing that teachers’ conceptions of feedback were multilayered. Teachers conceptualized feedback as a dispensable part of writing assessment, a means of informing students of assessment results, a means of improving writing performance, and a means of empowering students to become autonomous writers. The instructional power of feedback depended heavily on teachers’ perceived priorities in writing assessment. Changes in the focus of writing assessment led to differing approaches to feedback. Findings of this study suggest that peer-teachers teaching the IB curriculum in different educational contexts may possess various levels of understanding of feedback. It seemed to peer-teachers that responding to students’ writing is a very goal-oriented endeavor. Teachers’ approaches to feedback determined the extent to which students take ownership of the process of writing assessment.