The association of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and education has attracted researchers’ attention, as it is very beneficial for learners affecting the whole teaching procedure. ChatGPT, an AI language model developed by OpenAI and based on the Generative Pre-trained Transformers (GPT)-3.5 architecture, though newly introduced in November 2022, became very popular even within the first two months. Researchers have already explored and acknowledged the affordances of ChatGPT for language learning and teaching. In this context, the study aimed to examine the effectiveness of ChatGPT as a feedback tool on foreign language writing, especially for socially vulnerable populations, such as refugees/migrants, who face extra language difficulties. The study was conducted in a Junior High School (Gymnasium) classroom in an urban city in south Greece, which consisted of 8 students with a migrant/refugee background aged 15 years old who were attending German as a foreign language learning. The focus of the study was to analyze how the use of ChatGPT could improve foreign language writing in terms of vocabulary and grammar. After the students' first writing attempt, we asked ChatGPT to enhance the vocabulary and grammar of the texts. In contrast, the students received an improved version in terms of language and grammar, and then, they were asked to produce another writing piece of work on a similar topic to their first attempt. The study results indicated an increase in the total number of words, the unique words and the average word number per sentence in the improved version of their work. Overall, the study results were promising, indicating that ChatGPT could act as a language learning tool and support the teaching procedure, especially for students with a refugee/migrant background. However, further research is needed to investigate its use and effectiveness in diverse contexts.

According to numerous researchers, a clear and direct correlation exists between Computational Thinking (CT) and courses falling under the purview of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), thereby advocating for the integration of CT into the curricula of STEM courses. Nonetheless, it is noteworthy that only a few studies have scrutinized this correlation in-depth. Most such studies connect the correlation tacitly and predominantly concentrate on the empirical assessment of CT within the curriculum of one STEM discipline. This research seeks to evaluate the Computational Thinking abilities of 80 high school students in Greece and discern the extent of correlation with their academic performance in STEM and Greek language courses. A longitudinal survey was executed to accomplish this objective, commencing with administering a test designed to gauge the fundamental components of Computational Thinking. It is worth noting that this test draws its inspiration from internationally recognized computer competitions and serves as a credible assessment tool. Subsequently, an assessment was carried out to ascertain the degree of correlation between students’ Computational Thinking aptitude and their written performance in the subjects encompassed by the STEM category and the Greek language courses. The outcomes of this investigation revealed the presence of a statistically significant correlation between students’ Computational Thinking proficiency and their performance in these academic subjects, further extending to the academic direction of study chosen by the students. Based on the findings of this research, implications and pedagogical recommendations are delineated while concurrently acknowledging the limitations encountered during this study.

The current globalised world, marked by people’s constant movement across borders, has led to multicultural and multilingual societies and the need to understand the acculturation process for these individuals. The present qualitative study elucidated the links between integration, identity reconstruction, and motivation for second language acquisition through the lived experiences of six refugee and migrant adults living in Greece. The research, particularly, focused on the ways their integration influenced their proficiency in the Greek language and their perceived changes in their identity (personal, social, cultural, religious) as a result of their encounter with the host society based on the acculturation strategies they employed to adapt to the new culture. Semi-structured and narrative interviewing were used to collect data, while the data were analysed through a thematic analysis approach. The findings highlighted that most participants resorted either to integration or assimilation strategies during adaptation in the Greek culture, whereas identity changes were influenced by various factors, including the individual’s motivation for learning the host country’s language, their social interactions with members of the host society, and their personal and cultural background. Finally, it was revealed that acculturation, identity dynamics, and socio-affective factors played a decisive role in the language acquisition process.