Reconceptualizing the Role of Instructors in Liberal Arts Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: A Theoretical Construction of Pedagogical Presence in Response to the Diffusion of Adaptive Learning Systems (ALS)
Jun 2026· The Korean Association of General Education· 0 citations· 45 references
TL;DR
It is argued that the role of human instructors in liberal arts education is not rendered obsolete by technological advancement, but becomes more foundational as the irreplaceable agents of educational functions that algorithmic systems are structurally incapable of performing.
Abstract
This study examines the structural tensions between Adaptive Learning Systems (ALS) and the essential learning experiences of liberal arts education, as the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence has driven the widespread diffusion of ALS across educational settings, posing fundamental challenges to the role of instructors. Adopting a theoretical design research methodology through critical review of literature in adult learning theory, educational technology, and philosophy of education, the study finds that the optimization mechanisms of ALS structurally conflict with the conditions of transformative learning identified by Mezirow (1991) and Hoggan (2016), systematically foreclosing the experiences of uncertainty and disorientation necessary for learners to critically reconstruct their existing frameworks of thought. In response, this study critically reinterprets the Community of Inquiry model (Garrison et al., 2000) to propose the concept of pedagogical presence, constituted by three attributes: the design of transformative learning, the facilitation of discourse, and relational responsiveness. Drawing on Biesta's (2010) three-dimensional framework of educational purpose and Hoggan's (2016) criteria for transformative learning, the study delineates a complementary framework in which ALS and pedagogical presence operate in concert. This study ultimately argues that the role of human instructors in liberal arts education is not rendered obsolete by technological advancement, but becomes more foundational as the irreplaceable agents of educational functions that algorithmic systems are structurally incapable of performing.
This research aims to explore in depth the pedagogical transformation of teachers and subjective experiences of students in the implementation of the Pancasila Student Profile Strengthening Project (P5) at Senior High School (SMA) Muhammadiyah Kota Kendari. Using qualitative approaches and thematic analysis, the research reveals how curriculum flexibility triggers a shift in the role of teachers from conventional teachers to more creative facilitators in designing contextual learning. The findings identified that P5 projects effectively create a "safe to fail" learning environment , which significantly improves agency, active collaboration, as well as student learning independence. Despite facing serious structural obstacles in the form of low input dimensions of digital means and the instability of technological infrastructure in non-metropolitan areas, the school demonstrated outstanding organizational resilience through adaptive pedagogical improvisation strategies. The integration of Islamic values, such as the ethos of Man Jadda wa Jada, has proven to be a crucial compensatory factor that strengthens the intrinsic motivation and disciplined character of students in the midst of limited physical facilities. The autonomy of teachers in designing projects that are relevant to local wisdom is the main key to the success of this educational transformation. The research concludes that synchronization between independent curriculum policies and equitable infrastructure support is very urgent to ensure the fairness of the quality of national education
Pahenra A. Nongko, Hasmira Said, Yaman La Ndibo et al.· Research Journal on Teacher...· 0 citations
Educational philosophy plays a crucial role in shaping the aims, processes, and quality of learning, particularly at the primary education level, which forms the foundation of students’ holistic development. However, previous studies indicate a persistent gap between philosophical discourse and its practical application in classroom learning. This study aims to examine the urgency of educational philosophy as a foundation for designing meaningful learning in primary education. Using a qualitative literature review approach, this study analyzes selected empirical and theoretical studies related to constructivism, humanism, and progressivism in primary school learning contexts.The findings reveal that these philosophical perspectives contribute significantly to the development of student-centered, contextual, and reflective learning designs. Constructivism supports active knowledge construction, humanism emphasizes emotional well-being and personal development, while progressivism promotes experiential and problem-based learning connected to real-life contexts. The analysis further shows that the integration of these philosophical principles aligns with the implementation of the Merdeka Curriculum, particularly in promoting differentiated instruction, project-based learning, and the development of the Pancasila Student Profile. However, the literature also indicates that limited philosophical literacy among teachers often results in procedural and administrative-oriented teaching practices. This study concludes that strengthening teachers’ understanding of educational philosophy is essential to ensure the effective design of meaningful learning in primary education. By grounding instructional practices in philosophical reflection, educational processes can move beyond administrative compliance toward more holistic and transformative learning experiences.
Nurbaiti Nurbaiti, Afdhal Ilahi· IJORER : International Journ...· 0 citations
Instructional and pedagogical methods play a significant role in enhancing creativity, critical thinking, innovation and meaningful learning of students for developing the competencies needed for a competitive and globalized world. In the context of Nepal, the most practiced instructional pedagogy is traditional teacher-centered, unidirectional with rote memorization and standardized testing since long which are unable to promote the 21st century core skills that are essential for students to address and adjust in the digitally advanced and complex world. The main aim of this study is to explores the transformative learning by integrating the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains of learning into the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework. This research examines how these methodologies can bridge the gap between knowledgeable understanding and expressive engagement with meaningful skills by explicitly converging Art-Based Pedagogy and the STEAM approach along with these domains.
This study primarily uses narrative inquiry to underpin how conventional instructional pedagogy in present context become worthless over transformative and modern instructional pedagogy in this contemporary situation of education system that observed in both private and government schools in Nepal. The key findings of this study indicate that the meaningful and effective integration of arts such as drama, drawing, poem and storytelling promotes the critical thinking, creativity, innovation and transformative and meaningful learnings of the students. Such integration promotes students’ participation, engagement, collaboration and critical reflection that is indeed of holistic development of the students. From this study, it is need of time to reimagine TPACK framework and integration of art-based methods under STEAM approach of learning. Such integration with spiritual intelligence empowers students to step beyond the just transmission of knowledge but leap into the meaningful, sustainable, and transformative learning experiences. This research contributes to the educational discourse by providing a comprehensive strategy for nurturing well-rounded individuals who are scholastically skillful, emotionally intellectual, and communally responsible.
Basanta Lal Lamichhane· International journal of res...· 0 citations
The development of Higher-Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) is an important agenda for 21st-century education, but pedagogical mechanisms explaining how HOTS develops in junior high school classroom practices, particularly in mathematics learning, are still limited. This qualitative study explores the role of transformative learning in mediating students' HOTS development through critical reflection, epistemic dialogue in the classroom, and the meaning of learning experiences. The study used an interpretative-constructivist paradigm with an instrumental qualitative case study design. Data were collected through learning observations of 77 students (grades VII = 27; VIII = 25; IX = 25), in-depth interviews with three teachers (G1-G3), semi-structured interviews with 15 students, and analysis of learning documents. Thematic-reflective analysis resulted in four themes: (1) the gradual and contextual development of HOTS across levels, (2) critical reflection as the main trigger for analysis and evaluation, (3) epistemic dialogue as a space for testing and assessing arguments, and (4) the transformation of learning orientation from a focus on answers to the quality of thinking processes and justification. The findings suggest that HOTS develops through a spiral trajectory influenced by the intensity of reflective scaffolding, norms of classroom dialogue, and a classroom culture that is safe for experimenting and revising reasoning. This study contributes by mapping the mechanisms of how and why transformative learning facilitates HOTS in a junior high school context while also offering practical implications for the design of sustainable reflective and dialogic learning.
The cultivation of Higher-Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) has emerged as a fundamental priority in modern education, particularly in the context of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning. Educational discourse increasingly emphasizes the need for learners to develop analytical, evaluative, and creative capacities that extend beyond the acquisition of linguistic knowledge. Within this framework, deep learning, conceptualized as a pedagogical approach that prioritizes meaningful understanding, inquiry, and active knowledge construction, is widely regarded as an effective pathway for enhancing cognitive engagement. Despite its theoretical appeal, empirical examinations of how deep learning facilitates HOTS in real classroom environments remain relatively scarce, especially when viewed through the lens of teachers’ experiences. This study adopted a qualitative descriptive methodology to investigate the enactment of deep learning practices in an EFL classroom at SMA Negeri 7 Denpasar. Data were obtained through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews with an English teacher, and analysis of instructional documents. Thematic analysis was employed to interpret recurring instructional patterns and cognitive processes. The findings reveal that deep learning strategies, including student-centered activities, inquiry-based questioning, collaborative interaction, and contextualized tasks, were associated with the development of HOTS. These results underscore deep learning’s potential to foster cognitively rich and reflective language learning experiences
Luh Putu Adi Sastrawati, L. Artini, D. P. Ramendra· International Journal of Edu...· 0 citations
Student disengagement in Indian higher education has reached a critical threshold. This article examines the nature, dimensions and structural roots of disengagement in Indian commerce and business classrooms, arguing that the crisis stems not from student apathy but from a pedagogical model misaligned with the cognitive, social and motivational realities of contemporary learners.
This viewpoint article draws on a critical synthesis of established educational research, cognitive science and the author's decade of pedagogical practice in Indian commerce education, using frameworks from Freire (1970), Fredricks et al. (2004), Bloom et al. (1956) and Mark (2023), among others, to diagnose the conditions producing disengagement and propose a principled pedagogical response.
Three observable patterns characterise disengagement – selective wakefulness, the comprehension-performance paradox and the disappearance of curiosity – traced to five failures: the transmission model, examination-driven curricula, inadequate teacher preparation, unabsorbed digital disruption and an institutional accountability vacuum. The article proposes the ARC Model of Responsible Pedagogy – Activation, Relevance and Connection – as a theoretically grounded and practically implementable response.
The ARC Model provides faculty and policymakers with an immediately actionable framework for addressing student disengagement in Indian commerce education, applicable within existing institutional constraints.
This article makes an original contribution by theorising compliant disengagement as a distinctive Indian higher education phenomenon and advancing the ARC Model as a structured pedagogical framework with direct implications for faculty, institutional leaders and policymakers.