International Research-Based Education Journal

Gandong School Management for Interfaith Collaborative Learning

Lifia Meiliza Wiyono, Rudolf Kempa, Paul Arjanto, Seng Tong Chong — Sat, 30 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Religiously diverse schools require management models that transform difference into collaborative learning rather than merely maintaining formal tolerance. This study analyzes Gandong School Management as a locally grounded model of interfaith collaboration implemented by SMA Kristen Rehoboth Ambon and SMA Al-Hilaal Ambon. The study employed a qualitative multi-site design involving principals, teachers, administrative staff, students, and parents selected through snowball sampling. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, participatory observation, and documentation of programs, meeting notes, student reflections, and the interschool memorandum of understanding. The data were analyzed using constant comparative analysis supported by thematic coding. The findings show that Gandong School Management was initiated through reflective leadership, cross-cultural religious literacy, and a formal interschool agreement. It was then institutionalized through task distribution, teacher coordination, student reflection, shared religious-cultural activities, collaborative projects, and stakeholder support. The program strengthened students' openness, tolerance, empathy, and intergroup interaction, while also improving teachers' collaborative professionalism and the inclusiveness of school services. The study concludes that Gandong School Management functions as a contextual form of collaborative school management that integrates local wisdom, interfaith literacy, and whole-school governance. The study implies that culturally rooted interschool partnerships can serve as a practical strategy for peace education and multicultural school leadership.

The Skill Mismatch and Economic Returns of STEM vs. Non-STEM Degrees in Cambodia

Sam Ean Lay, Vuddneath Som, Sothearak Lum — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This article examines the relationship between skill mismatch and the economic returns to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) versus non-STEM degrees in Cambodia. Using an integrative literature review grounded in human capital theory, signaling theory, and the assignment model, it synthesizes evidence from national labor surveys, international development reports, and emerging Cambodian scholarship. The review finds that STEM graduates earn a modest wage premium in formal employment, but that a large informal sector, a narrow industrial base, and weak quality assurance compress this premium well below theoretical predictions. Non-STEM graduates, especially in education, law, and the social sciences, face severe overeducation and horizontal mismatch yet continue to enroll. The article concludes that reform must simultaneously address graduate supply and the economy’s absorptive capacity, and offers recommendations for the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, universities, and private-sector stakeholders.

Challenges and Opportunities in Inclusive Animation Education to Improve the Skills of the Deaf

Sat, 06 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Today's universities are required to provide a fair and diverse learning environment, including providing equal opportunities for people with disabilities to access higher education. One group facing significant obstacles is the deaf, who have a strong interest in creative fields but lack adequate access to education and technology. Furthermore, many university instructors still do not understand the need for inclusive education, resulting in students with disabilities often attending regular classes with the same teaching approach as other students. This situation creates a learning gap and prompted a study to develop a new approach to teaching inclusive 2D animation for the deaf community in Malang City. Participants in this activity were 12 deaf survivors aged 20–30 years from GERKATIN. The activity was implemented using a participatory, project-based learning approach through five stages: (1) observation, (2) intensive animation workshop, (3) interviews, (4) evaluation, and (5) designing a sustainability strategy through the formation of a deaf animation learning community. The results of the activity showed an increase in the participants' abilities, although a number of obstacles remained in the implementation of inclusive animation learning. These findings can be input for the development of inclusive education and provide contributions through animation teaching models that have the potential to be applied in various contexts.