Submissions

Author Guidelines

Journal of Transformative Pedagogies and Learner Engagement (JTPLE) welcomes high-quality submissions that advance transformative education, learner agency, deep engagement, equity, inclusion, social justice, sustainability, and pedagogical innovation. All manuscripts must be original, previously unpublished, and not under consideration elsewhere.

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1. Scope and Focus

Journal of Transformative Pedagogies and Learner Engagement (JTPLE) publishes scholarly work that explores pedagogies capable of fostering profound perspective transformation, critical reflection, learner empowerment, and meaningful engagement in diverse educational contexts. We particularly welcome contributions addressing:

• Transformative learning theories and their application

• Critical, dialogic, experiential, arts-based, place-based, and decolonizing pedagogies

• Equity, inclusion, anti-oppressive education, and social justice

• Sustainability, eco-pedagogy, and education for global citizenship

• Educator transformation, professional learning, and pedagogical leadership

• Technology-enhanced and emerging pedagogies supporting transformation

• Interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches to engagement and change

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2. Manuscript Types and Requirements

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3. Submission Process

Submit manuscripts exclusively through the journal’s online submission system.

Required accompanying documents:

• Download the Author Declaration and Copyright Agreement Form to submit with your submission.

• Download the separate cover page containing full author details (for double-blind review) to submit with your submission.

• Manuscript file (anonymized – remove all identifying information)

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4. Manuscript Preparation

There are no strict formatting requirements at the initial submission stage. However, all manuscripts must contain the essential elements required to evaluate the submission, including: title, abstract, author affiliations (submitted separately for double-blind review), figures, tables, funding information, and references. Further formatting and structural details may be requested upon acceptance.

Language: English only. Non-native speakers are strongly encouraged to have their manuscripts professionally proofread before submission.
File Format: Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx)
Font & Spacing: Times New Roman, 12 pt, 1.5 line spacing, A4 page size, 2.5 cm margins all sides
Referencing Style: APA 7th Edition (strict adherence required)
ORCiD: All authors are strongly encouraged to provide their ORCiD iD

Structure of the Manuscript (anonymized version):

• Title

• Abstract (150–250 words; structured or unstructured)

• Keywords (5–8)

• Main Text (use appropriate headings; see below)

• References

• Tables & Figures (embedded or at end, editable format)

• Declarations (Funding, Conflicts of Interest, Ethical Approval, AI Usage – see below)

Recommended Headings for Empirical/Theoretical Manuscripts:

• Introduction

• Theoretical / Conceptual Framework

• Research Questions / Aims

• Methodology

• Findings / Results

• Discussion

• Implications for Transformative Education

• Limitations

• Conclusion and Future Directions

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5. Declarations

Author(s) Contributions

For manuscripts with multiple authors, a brief statement outlining individual contributions is required. Use the following format:

“Conceptualization, X.X. and Y.Y.; methodology, X.X.; software, X.X.; validation, X.X., Y.Y., and Z.Z.; formal analysis, X.X.; investigation, X.X.; resources, X.X.; data curation, X.X.; writing—original draft preparation, X.X.; writing—review and editing, X.X.; visualization, X.X.; supervision, X.X.; project administration, X.X.; funding acquisition, Y.Y. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.”

If AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Grammarly, etc.) were used during manuscript preparation for language editing, summarization, or formatting assistance, a statement also must be included. Example:

“The authors used [AI tool name] for [brief description of use, e.g., grammar correction or paraphrasing]. All content was reviewed and verified by the authors.”

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Funding Information

If the research received financial support, state the funding source(s). If no external funding was received, include:

“This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.”

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Availability of Data and Materials

Include a statement about the accessibility of the data supporting the findings. Example:

“The data supporting this study are available upon request. The data are stored in [e.g., institutional repository, Google Drive] and can be provided to interested parties.”

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Declaration of Conflict of Interest

Disclose any financial or personal relationships that could influence the work. If none, use:

“The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.”

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Clinical Trial Registration (if applicable)

Provide the trial registration number if applicable.

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Human Ethics and Consent to Participate

If ethical approval or consent was required, provide details. Otherwise, include:

“The study did not involve any clinical interventions or experiments requiring formal ethical approval.”

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Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools

JTPLE follows a transparent and responsible AI policy.

Permitted Uses (non-substantive only):

• Grammar, spelling, and style correction

• Paraphrasing for clarity

• Formatting assistance

• Brainstorming ideas or structure

Prohibited Uses:

• Generating substantive content, arguments, data analysis, or interpretations

• Creating new scientific claims or literature synthesis

Mandatory Disclosure:
If AI tools were used in any capacity, authors must include a clear statement in the manuscript (e.g., in Acknowledgements or a separate “AI Usage Disclosure” section):

“[Tool name(s), e.g., ChatGPT-4o, Grammarly] was used for [specific purpose, e.g., language polishing and sentence restructuring]. All content was reviewed, verified, and edited by the authors.”

Failure to disclose AI use may result in rejection or retraction.

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6. Publication Schedule & Author Limits (Effective 2026)

• JTPLE publishes quarterly (January, April, July, and October).

• Rolling submissions are accepted year-round.

Publication Frequency Rule:
To ensure diversity of voices, an author (including co-authors) may publish only one article every three consecutive issues.

Example:

• If published in Issue 1 (March 2026), the same author(s) cannot publish in Issues 2 or 3; eligibility resumes with Issue 4.

• This rule does not apply to commentaries, book reviews, or editorials.

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7. Peer Review Process

• All submissions (except invited commentaries) undergo double-blind peer review by at least two independent experts.

• Average time to first decision: 8–12 weeks.

• Full details: Visit Peer Review Policy 

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8. Revisions

Revised manuscripts must include:

• Author Response Letter — point-by-point response to all reviewer/editor comments

• Revised Manuscript (Tracked Changes)

• Revised Manuscript (Clean Copy)

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9. Article Processing Charges (APCs)

• No APCs in 2026 (Volume 1). All publication costs are covered by Synergy Publication during the launch year. See Payment policy

• Future policy will be announced well in advance.

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10. Open Access & Copyright

• All articles are published Gold Open Access under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

• Authors retain copyright.

• Post-publication, authors agree not to submit the same work (or substantially similar version) elsewhere without prior written permission from the Editor-in-Chief.

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11. Authorship & Ethical Responsibilities

• Authorship follows ICMJE/COPE criteria (substantial contribution + drafting/revising + final approval + accountability).

• Include Author Contributions statement (CRediT taxonomy preferred)

• Disclose funding, conflicts of interest, ethical approvals

• Ensure data integrity and transparency

• Declare any AI usage (see Section 5)

• Authors are fully responsible for originality, accuracy, plagiarism prevention (<10% similarity per UGC guidelines), and ethical compliance.

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12. Disclaimer

The views expressed in published articles are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect those of JTPLE, the Editorial Board, or Synergy Publication. Authors bear full responsibility for the content, including originality, accuracy, and any legal issues arising therefrom.

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We look forward to receiving your innovative contributions that help shape more equitable, engaging, and transformative educational futures.

For questions, contact the editorial office editorjtple@spublication.in