International Journal of Education Sciences

The rapid advancement of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has revolutionized digital pedagogies, reshaping modern education by improving accessibility, learner engagement, and academic outcomes. This review critically explores the psychological ramifications of digital learning environments while assessing the effectiveness of ICT tools in fostering inclusive and sustainable education. By integrating insights from contemporary research, this paper examines the impact of digital pedagogies on cognitive function, emotional health, and social interactions among students.

The integration of predictive analytics into higher education has significantly transformed institutional decision-making processes. However, prevailing implementations remain predominantly performance-centered, focusing on dropout prediction and grade forecasting rather than holistic developmental outcomes. Concurrently, higher education systems worldwide are confronting escalating concerns regarding student mental health, disengagement, career uncertainty, and labor market volatility. These intersecting challenges necessitate a broader theoretical reconceptualization of predictive analytics—one that integrates psychological well-being and long-term occupational success as central educational outcomes.

E-learning has increasingly established itself as a vital mode of education in the digital era, where information is widely accessible. This study provides an analytical perspective on the effectiveness of e-learning practices across diverse academic and professional settings. Drawing upon a broad body of literature, the paper examines how e-learning influences learner engagement, knowledge retention, skill development, and overall academic performance. Key factors shaping its effectiveness—such as instructional design, technological infrastructure, learner characteristics, and teaching strategies—are evaluated in detail.

The very fast adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in education has transformed contemporary teaching and learning ecosystems driven by advances in immersive technologies and the growing engagement of global technology leaders with virtual environments. AI-powered educational platforms enable adaptive and personalized learning pathways by dynamically adjusting content, pace and instructional strategies to learners’ preferences, abilities and learning styles by improving engagement, retention and academic outcomes. Deep learning models and predictive analytics are further reshaping pedagogical practices by supporting data-driven decision making, early identification of learning difficulties, and targeted interventions while simultaneously raising critical concerns related to ethics, data privacy, equity and long-term sustainability.

School communities in under-resourced rural settings face a disproportionate burden of health-related disasters, including outbreaks, water and sanitation failures, food insecurity and compound events that disrupt learning and wellbeing. Yet school based disaster risk reduction (DRR) evidence in Southern Africa is  uneven with limited empirically  guidance tailored to the organisational and infrastructural realities of disadvantaged schools. Drawing on the Comprehensive School Safety Framework and the World Health Organization's Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management (Health EDRM) Framework as an analytic lens, this study developed context-specific pillars for health-disaster risk reduction (HDRR) in socio-economically disadvantaged secondary schools in Thulamela Local Municipality, Limpopo Province. A sequential exploratory mixed-methods design was guided the study. In Phase 1, semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, observations and document review were undertaken with 33 purposively selected stakeholders. Qualitative insights informed a structured questionnaire which was administered in Phase 2 to 308 respondents across three schools and relevant district offices.

This paper investigates the integration of ChatGPT, a generative AI language model developed by OpenAI, into modern educational environments with a focus on its role in learning and assessment. ChatGPT’s ability to understand and generate human- like responses positions it as a powerful tool for enhancing personalized learning experiences, supporting students through interactive tutoring, and assisting educators in administrative and academic tasks such as content creation and automated grading. The study explores how ChatGPT facilitates critical thinking, provides immediate feedback, and helps in language learning, making it a versatile companion in both traditional and remote learning settings.