Author Guidelines

Submissions

Authors are required to register and log in to the journal system before submitting a manuscript. All submissions must be made through the online submission system of the Journal of Innovative Teaching Strategies in Primary Education (JITSPE). Manuscripts submitted by email will not be processed unless specifically requested by the editorial office.

Submission Preparation Checklist

As part of the submission process, authors must confirm that their manuscript complies with all of the following requirements. Submissions that do not meet these requirements may be returned to the authors before peer review.

1. The manuscript is original, has not been previously published, and is not under consideration by another journal, conference proceeding, book chapter, or other publication outlet.
2. The manuscript is relevant to the focus and scope of JITSPE, particularly in the areas of innovative teaching strategies, primary education, classroom pedagogy, literacy and numeracy, educational technology, learning media, assessment, inclusive education, curriculum implementation, classroom management, and teacher professional development.
3. The manuscript has been prepared according to the JITSPE author guidelines and uses the journal template when available.
4. The manuscript file is submitted in an editable format, preferably Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx).
5. The manuscript has been anonymized for double-blind peer review. Author names, affiliations, acknowledgements, institutional identifiers, and other identity-revealing information must be removed from the main manuscript file.
6. All author information has been entered correctly in the submission metadata, including full names, affiliations, email addresses, and ORCID IDs if available.
7. The manuscript title, abstract, keywords, main text, tables, figures, references, and declarations are complete and formatted consistently.
8. All sources cited in the manuscript are listed in the reference list, and all references listed at the end of the manuscript are cited in the text.
9. The manuscript follows APA 7th edition style for in-text citations and references.
10. The manuscript does not contain plagiarism, fabricated data, manipulated findings, false references, duplicate publication, or other forms of academic misconduct.
11. If the study involves human participants, including pupils, teachers, parents, school principals, or school communities, the authors have obtained appropriate permission, informed consent, and ethical clearance where required.
12. The privacy and dignity of child participants, teachers, schools, and educational institutions have been protected. Identifiable names, photographs, school identities, interview transcripts, classroom observation data, and assessment results must be anonymized unless explicit written permission has been obtained.
13. Tables, figures, photographs, learning media, instruments, and other supplementary materials included in the manuscript are original or have obtained proper permission for use and publication.
14. Any use of Generative Artificial Intelligence tools has been disclosed clearly in the manuscript. AI tools must not be listed as authors or co-authors.
15. The authors agree to follow the journal publication ethics, peer review policy, copyright policy, open access policy, and GenAI policy.

Author Guidelines

1.      General Information

The Journal of Innovative Teaching Strategies in Primary Education (JITSPE) publishes scholarly articles on the development, implementation, and evaluation of innovative teaching strategies in primary education. The journal welcomes manuscripts that contribute to improving teaching effectiveness, classroom practice, learning outcomes, and professional knowledge in primary education.

JITSPE accepts manuscripts related to, but not limited to:

• Innovative instructional strategies in primary education;
• Teaching methods and classroom pedagogy;
• Literacy and numeracy education;
• Digital learning and educational technology integration;
• Learning media and instructional materials;
• Classroom assessment and evaluation;
• Inclusive education and differentiated instruction;
• Curriculum implementation in primary schools;
• Classroom management and learning environments;
• Teacher professional development in primary education.
• Submitted manuscripts should present clear research problems, appropriate methodology, valid data analysis, strong discussion, and meaningful contribution to primary education theory, practice, or policy.

2.      Types of Manuscripts

JITSPE accepts the following types of manuscripts:

1. Original Research Articles. Empirical studies using qualitative, quantitative, mixed-method, classroom action research, design-based research, research and development, or other appropriate educational research designs.
2. Literature Review Articles. Critical, systematic, or integrative reviews that synthesize current research and provide clear implications for primary education.
3. Educational Innovation Articles. Articles reporting the design, implementation, and evaluation of innovative teaching strategies, learning media, classroom interventions, digital learning tools, or assessment practices in primary education.
4. Teacher Professional Development Studies. Studies examining teacher learning, instructional reflection, pedagogical competence, professional collaboration, or school-based professional development in primary education.

3.      Language

Manuscripts should be written in clear academic English. Authors are responsible for ensuring that the manuscript is grammatically correct, coherent, and readable before submission. Manuscripts with serious language problems may be returned to the authors before review.

4.      Manuscript Length

The recommended manuscript length is between 4,000 and 7,000 words, excluding references, tables, figures, and appendices. Literature review articles may be longer when necessary, provided that the structure and argument remain focused.

5.      Manuscript Format

The manuscript should be prepared using the following general format:

• Paper size: A4;
• Font: Times New Roman;
• Font size: 12 pt for main text;
• Line spacing: 1.15 or 1.5;
• Margins: 2.5 cm on all sides;
• Page numbers: included consecutively;
• File format: Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx).

Tables and figures should be placed near the relevant text, not only at the end of the manuscript.

6.      Manuscript Structure

The manuscript should generally follow the following structure:

1. Title;
2. Abstract;
3. Keywords;
4. Introduction;
5. Method;
6. Results and Discussion;
7. Conclusion;
8. Acknowledgements, if any;
9. Author Contributions;
10. Funding Statement;
11. Conflict of Interest Statement;
12. Data Availability Statement;
13. Ethics Statement, if applicable;
14. GenAI Use Statement, if applicable;
15.  

For review articles, the structure may be adjusted, but the manuscript must still include a clear introduction, review method, findings or synthesis, discussion, conclusion, and references.

Paper Organization Guideline

1.      Title

The title should be clear, concise, specific, and informative. It should reflect the main issue, method, context, or contribution of the study. The title should avoid uncommon abbreviations and should preferably not exceed 20 words.

2.      2. Author Names and Affiliations

Author names must be written without academic titles or professional positions. Each author's affiliation should include the department or study program, faculty or institution, city, and country.

The corresponding author must be clearly identified and must provide an active email address. Author information should be entered completely in the journal submission metadata. For the double-blind review process, author names and affiliations must not appear in the main manuscript file.

3.      3. Abstract

The abstract should be written as one concise paragraph of 150-250 words. It should briefly present:

• The background or research problem;
• The purpose of the study;
• The research method or design;
• The participants, data, or research context;
• The main findings;
• The conclusion or implication.

The abstract should not contain citations, undefined abbreviations, tables, or figures.

4.      4. Keywords

Authors should provide 3-5 keywords. Keywords should represent the main concepts of the article and support indexing. Keywords should be written in lowercase except for proper nouns or standard abbreviations and separated by semicolons or commas.

5.      Introduction

The introduction should explain the background of the study, the educational problem being addressed, relevant previous studies, the research gap, the novelty of the study, and the research objective. The introduction should be focused and directly connected to primary education.

A strong introduction should include:

1. The educational context or problem;
2. The relevance of the issue to primary education;
3. A brief synthesis of previous studies;
4. The limitation or gap in previous research;
5. The novelty or contribution of the study;
6. The research objective or research questions.

6.      Method

The method section must describe the research process clearly and sufficiently so that readers can understand how the study was conducted. Depending on the research design, this section may include:

• Research design;
• Research setting and context;
• Participants or subjects;
• Sampling technique;
• Instruments or data collection tools;
• Learning intervention or teaching strategy, if applicable;
• Data collection procedures;
• Data analysis techniques;
• Validity, reliability, trustworthiness, or credibility procedures;
• Ethical considerations.

For studies involving primary school pupils, teachers, parents, or schools, authors must explain how permission, consent, confidentiality, and participant protection were handled.

For classroom action research, the method should describe the cycles, planning, action, observation, reflection, instruments, and criteria of success.

For research and development studies, the method should describe the development model, validation process, product trial, participants, instruments, and evaluation procedures.

For qualitative studies, authors should explain the data sources, interview or observation procedures, coding process, theme development, and trustworthiness strategy.

For quantitative studies, authors should explain the variables, instruments, validity and reliability, statistical procedures, and interpretation criteria.

7.      Results and Discussion

The results and discussion section should present the findings clearly and interpret them in relation to the research questions, previous studies, theoretical framework, and educational practice.

Results should be presented in a logical order. Tables and figures may be used to summarize important data but should not duplicate information already explained in the text.

The discussion should explain:

• The meaning of the findings;
• How the findings answer the research questions;
• How the findings relate to previous research;
• The contribution of the findings to primary education;
• Practical implications for teachers, schools, curriculum, assessment, or learning media;
• Limitations of the study.

Qualitative excerpts, classroom observation notes, or interview quotations may be included when relevant, but participant identities must be anonymized.

8.      Conclusion

The conclusion should provide a concise answer to the research objective or research questions. It should highlight the main findings, contribution, implication, and limitation of the study. The conclusion should not simply repeat the abstract or results.

Authors may include recommendations for future research, teaching practice, curriculum development, learning media design, or teacher professional development.

9.      Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements are optional. Authors may acknowledge individuals, institutions, schools, teachers, pupils, funding bodies, or other parties that supported the research but do not meet the criteria for authorship.

Acknowledgements must be removed from the anonymized manuscript during initial submission and may be added after the manuscript passes the double-blind review stage.

10.  Author Contributions

Each manuscript should include an author contribution statement before publication. The statement should briefly describe each author's contribution to the study, such as conceptualization, methodology, data collection, data analysis, writing, review, editing, supervision, or project administration.

11.  Funding Statement

Authors must disclose all sources of funding that supported the research or manuscript preparation. If the study received no funding, authors should state:

“This research received no external funding.”

12.  Conflict of Interest Statement

Authors must disclose any financial, professional, institutional, or personal relationships that could influence the research. If there is no conflict of interest, authors should state:

“The authors declare no conflict of interest.”

13.  Data Availability Statement

Authors should provide a statement explaining whether the research data are available. For studies involving children, schools, or sensitive educational data, authors may state that the data are not publicly available due to privacy, ethical, or institutional restrictions.

Example:

“The data supporting the findings of this study are not publicly available due to ethical and privacy restrictions involving school participants.”

14.  Ethics Statement

For studies involving human participants, especially children in primary education, authors must explain the ethical procedures followed in the study. This may include institutional approval, school permission, parental consent, participant assent, anonymity, confidentiality, and voluntary participation.

Example:

“This study was conducted with permission from the participating school. Informed consent was obtained from the relevant parties, and all participant identities were anonymized.”

15.  15. GenAI Use Statement

Authors must disclose the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence tools in the preparation of the manuscript, data analysis, image generation, language editing, or any other research-related process.

AI tools must not be listed as authors or co-authors. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and ethical compliance of the manuscript.

If no GenAI tool was used, authors may state:

“The authors declare that no Generative Artificial Intelligence tool was used in the preparation of this manuscript.”

If GenAI was used, authors should state the name of the tool and the purpose of use.

Example:

“The authors used [name of tool] only for language editing and readability improvement. The authors reviewed, verified, and approved the final content.”

Tables

Tables must be numbered consecutively using Arabic numerals, such as Table 1, Table 2, and so on. Each table must have a clear title placed above the table. Tables should be cited in the text before they appear.

Tables should be editable, not inserted as images. The content of each table should be concise, readable, and relevant to the manuscript. Explanatory notes may be placed below the table when needed.

Figures and Images

Figures, diagrams, charts, photographs, and other images must be numbered consecutively using Arabic numerals, such as Figure 1, Figure 2, and so on. Figure captions should be placed below the figure.

All figures must be cited in the text before they appear. Figures should be clear, readable, and have sufficient resolution for publication.

Authors must ensure that all images, photographs, classroom materials, learning media, or student work samples are original or have permission for publication. Identifiable photographs of pupils, teachers, schools, or classrooms may only be used with appropriate written permission.

References

JITSPE uses APA 7th edition style for in-text citations and reference lists. Authors are strongly encouraged to use reference management software such as Mendeley, Zotero, or EndNote.

The reference list should primarily consist of scholarly sources such as journal articles, books, book chapters, conference proceedings, and official reports. Authors should use current and relevant references, especially studies published within the last 10 years, unless older references are theoretically or historically important.

A research article should normally include at least 20 references. Literature review articles should include a broader and more comprehensive reference base.

Authors should avoid excessive reliance on non-academic websites, blogs, unpublished materials, or non-peer-reviewed sources. All cited sources must be accurate, traceable, and relevant to the manuscript.

Similarity and Plagiarism Screening

All submitted manuscripts will be screened for similarity and potential plagiarism. Manuscripts with unacceptable similarity, improper citation, duplicate publication, text recycling, fabricated references, or other publication ethics problems may be returned, rejected, or handled according to the journal publication ethics policy.

The similarity score should normally not exceed 20%, excluding references, quotations, and standard methodological phrases. However, editorial judgment will be applied based on the nature and location of the similarity.

Peer Review Process

JITSPE applies a double-blind peer review process. The identities of authors and reviewers are kept confidential throughout the review process.

The review process generally follows these stages:

1. Initial Editorial Screening. The editorial team checks the manuscript's relevance to the journal scope, completeness, formatting, language quality, similarity level, and compliance with publication ethics.
2. Reviewer Assignment. Manuscripts that pass the initial screening are assigned to at least two independent reviewers with expertise relevant to the manuscript topic.
3. Peer Review. Reviewers evaluate the manuscript based on originality, relevance to primary education, methodological quality, clarity of presentation, validity of findings, ethical compliance, and contribution to the field.
4. Editorial Decision. Based on reviewer recommendations and editorial assessment, the editor may decide one of the following: Accept; Minor Revision; Major Revision; or Reject.
5. Revision by Authors. Authors who receive a revision decision must submit a revised manuscript and a response to reviewers. The response should explain how each reviewer comment has been addressed.
6. Final Decision. The editor evaluates the revised manuscript and may request further revision, accept the manuscript, or reject it if the revision does not adequately address the required issues.

The review process typically takes 4-8 weeks, depending on reviewer availability, manuscript quality, and the completeness of the revision process.

Article Processing Charges and Publication Fees

JITSPE does not charge authors any submission fee, editorial processing fee, article processing charge, or publication fee.

• Article Submission Fee: IDR 0.00
• Article Processing Charge: IDR 0.00
• Article Publication Fee: IDR 0.00

Authors are not required to make any payment at any stage of submission, review, editorial processing, or publication.