Prof. Dr. Mustafa Yunus Eryaman

𝗪𝗘𝗥𝗔 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗔 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 "𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀, 𝗖𝗼-𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲: 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻". 15-18 October 2026, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲: 𝟯𝟬 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹. Info: https://tinyurl.com/3rpk6mt2

My time at the Sharjah International Summit on Improvement in Education has been deeply invigorating. In addition to delivering a masterclass and invited speech on AI and academic entrepreneurship, I had the privilege of participating in a high-level panel discussion titled "From the World to Sharjah and from Sharjah to the World."

At the panel, we moved beyond theory to discuss how evidence-informed research can directly support policymakers. The consensus was clear: for education to be "future-ready," we must align our research agendas with policy and practice, creating a reciprocal flow of knowledge between international bodies and local institutions.

It was an honor to represent WERA as a Past President alongside current President Liesel Ebersöhn and our colleagues in Sharjah. With over 10,000 participants from 33 countries, the summit proved that the future of education is collaborative and borderless.

I extend my deepest gratitude to the the entire SEA administration for their outstanding hospitality.

A big thank you to our colleagues at the European Educational Research Association (EERA) for sharing my blog post!

I wrote this piece to highlight the incredible work, activities, and initiatives we undertook at the World Education Research Association (WERA) to build a truly global community of researchers. It was a pleasure to serve as President and to see these efforts recognized.

World Education Research Association: A Global Community of Educational Researchers Professor Dr Eryaman from the World Education Research Association on the activities and initiative of this global community of researchers.

I am honored to announce that I will be speaking at the upcoming Sharjah International Summit on Improvement in Education. This event holds special significance as it is organized by the Sharjah Education Academy, a valued institutional member of the World Education Research Association (WERA).

On February 13, 2026, I will be joining my esteemed WERA colleagues, Liesel Ebersöhn and Joe O'Hara, for a Pre-Conference Masterclass at the Sharjah Education Academy, UAE.

Together, we will be discussing "Advancing High-Quality Research in Education," with a specific focus on standards, rigor, and global perspectives. At the session, I will be presenting on the topic: "Fostering Innovation Across Borders: A Glocal Research Roadmap for AI in Academic Entrepreneurship Education."

In an era where artificial intelligence is reshaping boundaries, adopting a "glocal" approach—bridging global standards with local nuances—is essential for the future of academic entrepreneurship.

It is marvellous to have the opportunity to engage with the research community in Sharjah and beyond, exploring how we can drive meaningful improvement in education systems worldwide.

Looking forward to a day of rigorous debate and insight.

As part of the WERA Executive Committee, I am inviting all my colleagues in the education research community to join us for the WERA Focal Meeting 2026 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan!

We are joining forces with the Taiwan Education Research Association (TERA) for what promises to be an incredible exchange of ideas on international and transnational education.

Save the Dates: Abstracts Due: 30 April 2026
Conference: 15–18 October 2026
Host: National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU), Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Visit the link to submit your papers, posters, or symposia: https://bit.ly/4qZXeKW

I look forward to seeing the diverse perspectives our community will bring to Taiwan.

Excited to share our latest research article, co-authored with my doctoral student, Mehmet Emrah Kuru. Published in the International Journal of Progressive Education, our study, "Reading Comprehension in AI-Supported Storytelling," investigates how 4th-grade students engage with tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot during story creation.

We found that AI-supported storytelling scaffolds comprehension processes. It helps students recognize narrative structures and form strong empathetic connections with characters.

While students excelled in event-focused interpretation, "word consciousness" (vocabulary awareness) remained limited, suggesting that AI tools must be paired with explicit vocabulary instruction.

This research highlights that while AI is a promising pedagogical tool, teacher guidance remains essential for fostering critical engagement and vocabulary development.

Read the full study here: https://ijpe.inased.org/makale/8538

Excited to share that I have joined the Journal of Educational Research for Policy and Practice (ERPP) as an Associate Editor, the official journal of the Asia-Pacific Educational Research Association (APERA)!

ERPP is dedicated to publishing research that generates substantive results of importance for educational policy and practice. In this role, I look forward to engaging with studies that analyze:

- Global forces and regional trends.
- National educational reforms.
- Key issues in teaching, learning, and development.

The Asia-Pacific is the largest and most diverse region in the world, and this journal seeks to address the challenges of learning to live together within that context. We welcome both quantitative and qualitative research that contributes to system-wide reforms.

I look forward to working with the editorial board and reviewing high-impact submissions.

For more information about the journal: https://link.springer.com/journal/10671

Our project team successfully completed the third Transnational Project Meeting for the EARLY-ASD project funded by the European Union Erasmus + Program, graciously hosted by our partners at the Complutense University of Madrid in Spain.

Focusing on "Upskilling Preservice Teachers to Support Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder through Digital Social Stories," our consortium spent productive days advancing our cross-disciplinary goals. Experts in Special Education, Early Childhood Education, and Educational Technologies collaborated to refine the training materials that will soon empower future teachers across Europe.
A special thank you to the Complutense University of Madrid for their hospitality and to all partners for their contributions!

Learn more: https://earlyasd.eu/

I am excited to announce the publication of our new special issue: "The Evolving Landscape of Qualitative Research: Exploring the Potential and Navigating the Challenges of Artificial Intelligence".

I am incredibly proud to have served as the guest editor for this timely and critical collection in the International Journal of Qualitative Methods—one of the top journals in the field (Q1, Impact Factor: 6.2).

This special issue moves beyond speculation to provide tangible frameworks for integrating generative AI into our work. The rapid emergence of AI presents a transformative moment, offering profound opportunities but also raising critical questions about methodological integrity and the role of the researcher.

This collection maps this new frontier, focusing on four key areas:

* Practical, AI-augmented methodological roadmaps (e.g., for thematic analysis).

* The nuanced experience of the human-AI collaboration in data collection and analysis.

* The urgent need for ethical and epistemological guardrails.

* Novel applications of AI in meta-research.

A clear consensus emerged from the contributions: the future of qualitative research with AI is not one of replacement, but of thoughtful and critical augmentation. The qualitative researcher—with their capacity for deep interpretation, ethical judgment, and reflexive engagement—remains indispensable.

I invite all my colleagues, fellow researchers, and students to read the full editorial and dive into this foundational dialogue.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/16094069251400178

My sincere thanks to all the brilliant authors who contributed to this vital conversation.

For more information about the Special Issue:

https://shorturl.at/SynBq

EERA Summer School for international doctoral students. "On Comparison in Education and Educational Research". 15-19 June 2026 in Chemnitz, Germany. Lectures, workshops, peer group discussions and more. Application deadline 15 January 2026. Details: https://tinyurl.com/36z5fa6e