Editorial Policy

The International Journal of Teacher Education is dedicated to ensuring the quality, integrity, and scholarly value of all published articles through a rigorous, transparent peer-review process. Every manuscript is evaluated by qualified experts in the relevant field before it is considered for publication.

The journal employs a double-blind peer review process, which means:

• The identities of authors are kept confidential from reviewers.
• The identities of reviewers are kept confidential from authors.

Who Conducts the Peer Review?

Peer review is conducted by at least two independent reviewers, external experts in the relevant academic discipline. Reviewers are selected based on their expertise, research background, and publication record. Members of the editorial board may be involved when deemed appropriate; however, priority is given to independent external reviewers wherever possible.

Peer Review Procedure

1. Initial Screening: The editorial office evaluates all submissions for relevance to the journal's scope, originality, formatting compliance, and adherence to ethical standards. Manuscripts that fail to meet the basic submission requirements may be rejected without proceeding to external review.
2. Assignment to Reviewers: Manuscripts that pass the initial screening are assigned to a minimum of two independent reviewers for evaluation.
3. Review Evaluation: Reviewers assess the manuscript in terms of its originality, methodology, clarity, significance, and ethical compliance. Based on their assessment, reviewers provide one of the following recommendations: accept, minor revision, major revision, or reject.
4. Editorial Decision: The Editor-in-Chief or the assigned editor considers the reviewers' comments and renders the final editorial decision. When reviewer recommendations conflict, an additional reviewer may be consulted to resolve the matter.

Anonymity and Confidentiality

• The International Journal of Teacher Education upholds strict confidentiality throughout every stage of the review process.
• All reviewer reports are anonymous and are not signed.
• Reviewer reports are not published alongside the final article.

Supplementary Materials

Any supplementary materials submitted alongside the manuscript, such as datasets, appendices, or research instruments, may also be subject to peer review when relevant to the overall evaluation of the study.

Decision-Making Authority

The final decision regarding the acceptance, revision, or rejection of a manuscript rests with the Editor-in-Chief, in consultation with the editorial board.

Authors must exercise extreme diligence in establishing and confirming their manuscript's authorship before submission. This includes verifying the complete author group, precisely determining the sequence of authors, and explicitly designating the Corresponding Author. Once a manuscript reaches the acceptance stage, the journal maintains a strict policy of preserving the original authorship configuration.

Authorship modifications, such as adding or removing authors, altering the author sequence, or changing the Corresponding Author, are categorically prohibited after manuscript acceptance. In rare circumstances where a critical authorship error is discovered post-acceptance, authors must navigate an exceptionally rigorous review process. This involves preparing a comprehensive written explanation detailing the necessity of the proposed changes, which must be:

• Signed by all original and proposed authors
• Submitted with a formal request for review

The journal fundamentally emphasizes prevention over correction. Authors are therefore strongly advised to conduct thorough internal reviews and reach absolute consensus on authorship before manuscript submission, thereby minimizing potential complications in the publication process.

Research Integrity & Misconduct

The International Journal of Teacher Education is dedicated to preserving the integrity of the scholarly record and upholding the highest standards of publication ethics. All allegations of research misconduct are treated seriously and are managed with fairness, confidentiality, and transparency.

Definition of Research Misconduct

Research misconduct includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Plagiarism – using the work of others without appropriate acknowledgment or attribution
• Fabrication – inventing or making up data, results, or findings
• Falsification – manipulating research materials, processes, or data in a misleading way
• Compromised Peer Review – interfering with or undermining the integrity of the review process

Handling of Allegations

Upon receiving allegations of misconduct, the journal will:

• Conduct a preliminary assessment to evaluate the validity of the claim
• Request clarification or additional supporting evidence from the concerned authors when necessary
• Seek input from editors, reviewers, or relevant institutions as appropriate
• Adhere to established ethical guidelines to ensure that due process is observed

All investigations will be carried out confidentially and without bias.

Outcomes and Actions

Depending on the gravity of the issue, the International Journal of Teacher Education may take one or more of the following actions:

Corrections

Issued when minor errors are identified that do not affect or invalidate the overall findings of the article. These typically involve inaccuracies related to the author that require clarification or amendment.

Errata

Published to address errors that were introduced during the publication process by the journal or its publisher, rather than by the authors themselves.

Retractions

A retraction will be issued when:

• A significant error is found that renders the findings invalid, or
• Research misconduct has been confirmed, such as plagiarism, fabricated data, or a compromised peer review process

All retraction notices will clearly state the reason for the retraction and will remain linked to the original article for transparency.

Article Removal

In rare and exceptional circumstances, an article may be removed entirely due to:

• Legal concerns, or
• Serious ethical violations that pose significant risk, such as threats to public health

In such cases, the article's metadata will be preserved, and a formal removal notice will be published in its place.

Ethical Framework

The International Journal of Teacher Education adheres to internationally recognized publication ethics standards, including those established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). These frameworks guide the journal in ensuring that all allegations and concerns are addressed consistently, fairly, and transparently.

Commitment to Integrity

The International Journal of Teacher Education is firmly committed to safeguarding the accuracy and reliability of the academic record. All necessary measures will be taken to correct, clarify, or retract published content whenever ethical concerns arise.

The International Journal of Teacher Education (IJTE) implements a multi-stage review process designed to ensure the highest quality of published research. Upon submission, each manuscript undergoes an initial screening by the managing editor to ensure compliance with journal guidelines, removal of author-identifying information, and plagiarism checking to preserve the double-blind review system.

Qualified submissions proceed to external review by at least two expert reviewers selected for their domain expertise. Both author and reviewer identities remain confidential to guarantee objectivity. Reviewers provide detailed, constructive feedback that informs the editorial decision process. Authors are required to address reviewer comments comprehensively before acceptance.

Upon acceptance, manuscripts undergo professional copyediting, proofreading, and final author approval prior to publication. Published articles are indexed in academic databases and archived globally.

Authorship Criteria

Individuals listed as authors on a manuscript must meet all of the following conditions:

1. Substantial Contribution: Contributed substantially to the conception or design of the work; or to the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data.
2. Drafting and Revision: Participated in drafting the manuscript or revising it critically for important intellectual content.
3. Approval of Final Version: Reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript prior to submission.
4. Accountability: Agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work, ensuring questions related to accuracy or integrity are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Order of Authorship

The order in which authors are listed should reflect the relative contribution of each individual to the work. Decisions about authorship order should be discussed among collaborators as early as possible and revisited as the work evolves. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all authors agree on the order of authorship prior to submission.

Acknowledgments

Individuals who contributed to the project but do not meet the criteria for authorship (e.g., administrative support, data collection assistance, or general supervision) should be recognized in the Acknowledgments section. Specific contributions should be described without implying authorship.

Dispute Resolution

Authorship disputes should ideally be resolved within the author group through open communication. If a dispute cannot be resolved internally, the journal editorial office may be consulted for guidance. The journal reserves the right to request supporting documentation for contributions if questions arise about the legitimacy of authorship.

Ethical Considerations

• Honorary or Gift Authorship: Listing individuals as authors who did not make sufficient contributions is unethical and unacceptable.
• Ghost Authorship: Failing to recognize individuals who substantially contributed to the work is also unethical.

Author COI Declarations

Authors are required to disclose any financial, personal, institutional, or other relationships that may have the potential to influence or introduce bias into their work. All possible conflicts of interest must be declared at the time of submission and must also be included in the final published article. In cases where no conflicts exist, authors are expected to explicitly state: "The authors declare no conflict of interest."

Reviewer/Editor COI

Reviewers and editors are expected to withdraw themselves from handling any manuscript in which they have a competing interest, whether arising from personal relationships, academic rivalry, or financial involvement. The journal is committed to ensuring that all editorial decisions are made impartially and free from undue influence.

Management of COI

The journal carefully evaluates all disclosed conflicts of interest and may take appropriate measures as needed. These measures may include reassigning the manuscript to alternative reviewers or editors, requesting further disclosures from the involved parties, or publishing conflict-of-interest statements alongside the article. Authors or reviewers who fail to disclose relevant conflicts may face consequences such as manuscript rejection, issuance of a correction, or retraction of the published work.

The IJTE provides unrestricted open access to all publications. Authors pay no submission fees. A publication fee of ₱3,000.00 is charged only after acceptance.

The International Journal of Teacher Education has established protocols to protect the privacy rights of research participants, with authors bearing full responsibility for ensuring thorough anonymity and data protection throughout their manuscripts. All personal identifiers must be systematically removed or anonymized prior to submission, including names, initials, usernames, social media handles, and any other information that could potentially reveal a participant's identity. This anonymization requirement applies to both written content and visual materials, such as images or figures included in the manuscript.

When potentially identifying information must be included, obtaining written informed consent from the participant is mandatory. For research involving minors, consent must be secured from a parent or legal guardian. In all such instances, authors are required to obtain comprehensive written consent, retain proper documentation of these agreements, and confirm that consent has been acquired at the time of manuscript submission.

Should identifiable participant information be discovered in a published article without the appropriate consent having been obtained, the International Journal of Teacher Education reserves the right to temporarily withdraw the article. Authors will be required to completely remove or thoroughly anonymize all identifying content before the article may be reinstated.

The International Journal of Teacher Education is firmly committed to academic integrity and originality in all published research. To ensure the highest standards of scholarly work, the journal utilizes Turnitin, an anti-plagiarism detection tool, to verify the originality of every manuscript submitted for consideration.

Manuscripts found to exhibit significant textual similarity or unoriginal content will be rejected outright. Authors are strongly encouraged to exercise thorough diligence in ensuring the originality of their submissions by carefully and accurately citing all sources and references used in their work.

The International Journal of Teacher Education acknowledges the increasing presence of generative AI tools in academic research. When used responsibly and with full transparency, these tools — including ChatGPT, GPT-4, Bard, and similar technologies — have the potential to enhance research productivity and advance knowledge.

Guidelines for Authors

If generative AI tools were utilized in any part of the manuscript preparation process, authors are required to:

• Clearly identify any AI-generated content within the manuscript.
• Acknowledge the use of generative AI tools.
• Ensure that all AI-assisted content is thoroughly reviewed, verified, and edited to uphold accuracy, originality, and academic integrity.

Guidelines for Reviewers and Editors

Peer reviewers and editors are advised not to use generative AI tools to generate their assessments or reviews. This restriction is in place due to several associated risks, including:

• Potential breaches of confidentiality
• Superficial or overly generic feedback
• The possibility of bias
• Hidden prompts or undisclosed inputs
• The generation of inaccurate or fabricated information, such as false references

Limited use of generative AI tools for the purposes of language editing or rewriting may be considered acceptable, provided that such use is transparently disclosed and does not compromise the integrity or confidentiality of the review process.

The International Journal of Teacher Education is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity and accuracy in all its published works. While the journal endeavors to preserve articles in their original published form, exceptional circumstances may arise that necessitate corrections, retractions, or, in rare cases, the removal of articles. All such decisions are made with careful consideration and in full alignment with the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), with transparency and academic accountability as guiding principles.

Errata (Minor Journal-Originated Errors)

When an error introduced by the journal has the potential to affect publication records or the reputations of those involved, the following steps will be taken:

• The article will be corrected accordingly.
• A separate errata notice will be published.
• The notice will be linked directly to the corrected article.
• The errata document will be formally paginated and assigned a Digital Object Identifier (DOI).

Corrections (Author-Originated Errors)

For errors that originate from the authors but do not fundamentally compromise the overall integrity of the article, the following process will be followed:

• The article will be amended to reflect the necessary changes.
• A correction notification will be published.
• The correction will be linked to the original article.
• The correction document will be formally paginated and assigned a DOI.

Retractions (Significant Academic Integrity Issues)

Retractions will be issued in cases involving any of the following:

• Unreliable or invalid research findings
• Research misconduct, including data fabrication
• Plagiarism
• Fraudulent authorship
• Compromised peer review processes
• Violations of established ethical standards

The retraction process will include the following measures:

• Adding a clearly visible "Retracted Article" watermark to the article.
• Prefixing the article title with the label "Retracted Article."
• Publishing a signed retraction notice.
• Linking the retraction notice to the original article for full transparency.

Exceptional Article Removal

In extraordinary and highly exceptional circumstances, the complete removal of an article may be carried out if:

• Legal defamation is identified within the content.
• A court order mandates the removal of the article.
• The content presents serious risks to public health or safety.

In the event of an article's removal, its metadata will remain visible on the journal's platform, accompanied by a clear statement explaining the reason for its removal.

The IJTE is a member of Crossref, enabling DOI assignment and increased discoverability. Content is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).

• Share — copy, redistribute, and adapt the material for any purpose.
• Attribution — credit must be given, with no additional restrictions applied.

Complaints Policy

The International Journal of Teacher Education is dedicated to addressing all complaints in a timely and constructive manner. Each complaint is carefully examined by the Editorial Team based on its nature and complexity, with reference to the guidelines set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), to ensure that all resolutions are fair and ethically sound.

Concerns or complaints may be sent to the journal's official email address. The journal aims to respond to all complaints within thirty working days. Should a complaint require a longer investigation period due to its complexity, the complainant will be notified of the revised timeframe.

To support an effective review process, complaints should be clearly stated, specific, and accompanied by sufficient details that demonstrate potential violations of the journal's ethical standards. Any relevant supporting documents or evidence should be included whenever possible.

Complaints that fall outside the journal's scope, such as personal grievances directed at authors, editors, or reviewers, will be acknowledged with a clarification that the matter lies beyond the journal's jurisdiction. The journal will not entertain complaints that are submitted in an offensive, threatening, or defamatory tone and reserves the right to cease correspondence in such instances.

Appeals Policy

The International Journal of Teacher Education is committed to upholding a peer review process that is fair, transparent, and objective. Authors are entitled to appeal editorial decisions if they have reason to believe that a rejection or significant decision was the result of a misunderstanding, factual inaccuracy, or procedural irregularity.

Grounds for Appeal

An appeal may be considered under the following circumstances:

• A factual error is identified within the review process.
• A reviewer has significantly misinterpreted key aspects of the manuscript.
• There are legitimate concerns regarding bias, conflict of interest, or procedural irregularities.
• The editorial decision appears to be inconsistent with the journal's established policies.

Appeal Procedure

Authors wishing to appeal a decision are required to:

1. Submit a formal written appeal to the Editorial Office through the journal's official email.
2. Clearly indicate the manuscript title and its reference number.
3. Provide a thorough, point-by-point explanation of the basis for the appeal.
4. Attach any relevant supporting evidence where applicable.

Appeals must be submitted within a reasonable timeframe following notification of the editorial decision.

Review of Appeals

• The Editor-in-Chief or a designated senior editor who was not involved in the original decision will oversee the review of the appeal.
• The journal may consult the original reviewers, seek additional independent evaluations, or request further clarification from the authors as needed.
• All decisions made following an appeal are considered final.

The appeal process may take several weeks to complete, depending on the complexity of the case.

Limitations

• Only a single appeal per manuscript will be entertained.
• Submitting an appeal does not guarantee manuscript acceptance or a re-review.
• The journal reserves the right to decline appeals that are incomplete, abusive, or lack substantive justification.

The International Journal of Teacher Education remains firmly committed to editorial independence and integrity. All appeals are handled with full confidentiality and impartiality.

Complaints should be emailed to ijte@umindanao.edu.ph. All submissions are acknowledged within 30 working days and handled according to COPE guidelines.

All articles published in the International Journal of Teacher Education are freely accessible to the general public, ensuring that research reaches readers worldwide without barriers. Readers are not required to pay subscription fees or navigate paywalls, and every article becomes available online at no cost as soon as it is published.

1. Copyright Terms

Every article published is released as open access and made immediately available upon publication at no cost. Authors maintain full ownership of their work. Upon submission and publication, authors provide the journal with a non-exclusive license to publish, reproduce, distribute, and archive their articles across all formats and media.

2. Open-Access Policy

All articles featured in the International Journal of Teacher Education are freely available to the public, ensuring that research is accessible to readers worldwide without any limitations. There are no subscription fees or paywalls imposed on readers, and every article can be accessed online at no charge immediately following publication.

Ownership of Content

All intellectual property rights pertaining to articles published in the journal remain with the authors. Authors retain complete ownership of their work, including the rights to reuse, distribute, and reproduce their content, in accordance with the terms of the journal's licensing policy.

Rights Granted to the Journal

Upon submission and publication in the International Journal of Teacher Education, authors provide the journal with a non-exclusive license to:

• Publish, reproduce, and distribute the article across all formats and media
• Archive and preserve the work to ensure long-term accessibility
• Identify itself as the original publisher of the work

This arrangement facilitates the broad dissemination of research while allowing authors to retain full control over their intellectual property.

Use and Reuse of Published Content

All articles published in the International Journal of Teacher Education are made available under an open access license, which permits users to:

• Freely access, read, and download the content
• Share and redistribute the material across any medium or format
• Adapt and build upon the work for scholarly and practical purposes

Third-Party Content

Authors bear full responsibility for obtaining the necessary permissions to use any third-party materials incorporated into their manuscripts, including figures, tables, images, or extended quotations. Appropriate attribution must be provided for all such materials, and any restrictions regarding their reuse must be clearly indicated within the article.

Protection of Intellectual Property

The journal is committed to upholding and protecting authors' intellectual property rights and ensuring that published content is not misused. Any suspected cases of infringement, plagiarism, or unauthorized use of published materials will be thoroughly investigated and addressed in accordance with the journal's ethical policies.

Website and Non-Article Content

The intellectual property rights covering the journal's website design, layout, branding, and all other non-article materials are owned by the publisher and are protected separately from the journal's published scholarly content.

Submitting a manuscript to the International Journal of Teacher Education is completely free of charge. Payment is required only after a manuscript has been reviewed and accepted for publication. The following fee applies upon acceptance:

Article Processing Fee: A one-time charge of 3,000 PHP is required to cover article processing and publication costs.

The International Journal of Teacher Education does not accept or publish any form of advertising. All editorial decisions are made independently and remain free from the influence of commercial interests, sponsors, or external organizations.

All names and email addresses submitted to the International Journal of Teacher Education will be used exclusively for purposes directly related to the journal's operations, including communication regarding manuscript submissions, peer review processes, publication notifications, and other essential journal-related activities. All personal information provided will be handled with strict confidentiality and will not be shared with any third-party organizations, nor will it be used for any purposes beyond the scope of the journal's operations.

The journal is fully committed to protecting the privacy of all its users and ensuring that personal information remains secure at all times. Access to such information will be strictly limited to authorized journal staff and editors, solely for the fulfillment of their journal-related responsibilities.