Teaching and Learning Journal of Mandalika (Teacher)
1. General Submission Guidelines
Authors submitting manuscripts to the Teaching and Learning Journal of Mandalika (Teacher) must prepare their manuscripts according to the journal's template and author guidelines. Manuscripts must present original scholarly work relevant to teaching, learning, education, and related academic fields. Authors are responsible for ensuring that their manuscripts are complete, clearly written, scientifically sound, and properly referenced before submission through the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform.
2. Manuscript Formatting
Authors must follow these formatting requirements: (a) Article title: brief, clear, and informative, with a maximum of 15 words and 14-point font; (b) Author names: full names without academic degrees or titles, using 10-point bold font; (c) Affiliations: institutional affiliation, city, and country for each author; (d) Corresponding author: one designated corresponding author with a valid email address; (e) Abstract: 150–250 words in one paragraph, using 10-point Book Antiqua font, italics, and single spacing; (f) Keywords: 3–6 relevant keywords; (g) Article structure: follow the journal template; (h) Tables and figures: number and title them appropriately and refer to them in the text; and (i) Language: manuscripts must use clear academic English. Indonesian-language manuscripts must include abstracts in both Indonesian and English. Authors should use the official journal template.
3. Article Title and Author Information
The title must accurately reflect the main research problem and clearly communicate the subject of the study. Avoid unnecessary words, ambiguous expressions, and uncommon abbreviations. All authors must be listed with their full names and institutional affiliations. The corresponding author is responsible for communication with the editorial office and must ensure that all co-authors are informed about the submission, revision, and publication processes.
4. Abstract and Keywords
The abstract must contain 150–250 words in a single paragraph and summarize the research background or problem, purpose, method, principal findings, and main conclusion. It should be concise, informative, and understandable without requiring readers to consult the full article. Indonesian-language manuscripts must include abstracts in Indonesian and English, while English-language manuscripts require an English abstract only. Authors must provide 3–6 relevant keywords immediately after the abstract.
5. Article Structure
5.1. Introduction
The introduction should contain at least four substantive paragraphs or clearly organized parts: (a) Background: explain the general context, research field, and phenomenon related to the topic; (b) Research problem: describe the problem, its significance, and why the study is necessary, supported by empirical and theoretical literature; (c) Research gap and novelty: explain what remains unknown, the limitations of previous studies, and the original contribution of the current study; and (d) Research objectives and scope: state the objectives, relevant variables or indicators, research focus, and scope or limitations. Each part should generally contain 200–250 words or more, in accordance with the journal template. The introduction must use relevant scholarly references and establish a clear rationale for the study.
5.2. Method
The method section should contain at least four paragraphs or subsections. Research Design: Describe the research type, approach, and design, and explain why the selected method is appropriate. Research Sample or Subjects: Identify the population, sample size, participants or subjects, sampling technique, selection criteria, and relevant characteristics. Research Instruments and Procedures: Describe the instruments, validity and reliability where applicable, and data collection procedures. Instruments adopted from previous studies must be cited. For instruments developed by the authors, explain the development and testing procedures. Data Analysis: Explain the techniques used to analyze the data and the criteria used to interpret the findings. Quantitative studies should describe the relevant statistical techniques, while qualitative studies should explain coding, thematic analysis, content analysis, or other analytical procedures. Each subsection should generally contain 200–250 words or more, following the journal template.
5.3. Results and Discussion
The results and discussion section should present findings clearly and systematically. Authors are encouraged to organize the discussion around at least four major findings or analytical points, as appropriate to the study. For each major finding, present empirical evidence, explain its meaning and why or how it occurred, compare it with relevant previous studies and theories, discuss similarities or differences, and explain implications and limitations. Tables, figures, statistical results, and other illustrations may be included when useful. Each major discussion point should be developed sufficiently, generally using 200–250 words or more for relevant analytical paragraphs. The discussion must go beyond repeating the results and provide evidence-based academic interpretation.
5.4. Conclusion
The conclusion should directly address the research objectives, questions, hypotheses, or principal scientific findings. It should synthesize the main conclusions without simply repeating the results and discussion. Authors should explain the significance and implications of the findings where appropriate.
5.5. Recommendations
The recommendations section should provide practical or academic suggestions arising from the findings. Authors may identify future research directions and discuss barriers, limitations, or issues that could influence subsequent studies.
6. Acknowledgments and AI Disclosure
The acknowledgments section may recognize individuals who contributed to the research but do not meet the criteria for authorship. Authors must obtain permission from individuals named in this section. Disclosure of AI use is mandatory. Authors must disclose AI tools used for text generation, image creation, data analysis, coding assistance, translation, or other manuscript-related activities. The disclosure must appear in the Acknowledgments section and specify the AI tool's name, version, and purpose. For details, consult the journal's AI policy: https://ojs.cahayamandalika.com/index.php/teacher/aipolicy.
7. Funding Information
A funding statement is mandatory for every manuscript. If the research received no external funding, include: “This research received no external funding.” If funding was received, provide: “This research was funded by [Name of Funder], grant number [XXX].” Authors must also identify the APC funding source where applicable: “The APC was funded by [Name of Funder].”
8. Author Contributions Statement
An author contributions statement is mandatory and must follow the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT). Authors must accurately specify their contributions, which may include conceptualization, methodology, software, validation, formal analysis, investigation, resources, data curation, writing—original draft, writing—review and editing, visualization, supervision, project administration, and funding acquisition. Each author must have made a meaningful scholarly contribution and participated in at least one aspect of the writing process, in addition to qualifying research contributions as specified in the journal template. One author must be designated as the corresponding author.
9. Conflict of Interest Statement
Authors must disclose any financial, personal, professional, academic, or other competing interests that could influence the research or its interpretation. If no conflicts of interest exist, include: “Authors state no conflict of interest.”
10. Informed Consent
Where applicable, authors must confirm that informed consent was obtained from individuals participating in the study or whose identifiable personal information is included. Authors may use the statement: “We have obtained informed consent from all individuals included in this study.” Authors must protect participants' privacy and obtain consent documentation whenever required.
11. Ethical Approval
Research involving human participants or animals must comply with applicable national regulations, institutional policies, and relevant ethical standards. Where applicable, authors must identify the ethics committee or institutional review board that approved the research and provide the approval details. Studies involving human participants should confirm compliance with relevant ethical principles, including the Declaration of Helsinki where applicable. If ethical approval is not applicable, authors should provide an appropriate explanation when requested by the editorial office.
12. Data Availability Statement
A data availability statement is mandatory for every manuscript. Authors must explain whether supporting data are publicly accessible, available upon reasonable request, subject to restrictions, or not applicable. Examples include: Publicly available data: “The data that support the findings of this study are openly available in [Repository Name] at [DOI or URL].” Data available upon request: “The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.” Restricted data: “The data supporting the findings of this study are not publicly available because they contain information that could compromise the privacy of research participants.” No new data generated or analyzed: “Data availability is not applicable to this paper as no new data were created or analyzed in this study.” Authors must select the statement that accurately reflects their research.
13. References and Citation Style
All in-text citations must correspond to entries in the reference list, and every listed reference must be cited in the manuscript. Each article must contain at least 25–30 references. At least 80% should come from primary sources, particularly scientific journal articles. References should preferably have been published within the last ten years, where relevant and available. In-text citations and the reference list must follow APA style. Authors should use reference management software such as Mendeley, EndNote, or Zotero and provide DOI links or stable URLs whenever available. Authors are encouraged to prioritize relevant, credible, and recent scholarly journal articles.
Reference Examples
Journal article: Bekker, J. G., Craig, I. K., & Pistorius, P. C. (1999). Modeling and simulation of arc furnace process. ISIJ International, 39(1), 23–32. https://doi.org/xxxxx
Book: Fridman, A. (2008). Plasma chemistry. Cambridge University Press.
Conference proceeding: Roeva, O. (2012). Real-world applications of genetic algorithm. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Chemical and Material Engineering (pp. 25–30). Department of Chemical Engineering, Diponegoro University.
Thesis or dissertation: Istadi, I. (2006). Development of a hybrid artificial neural network–genetic algorithm for modelling and optimization of dielectric-barrier discharge plasma reactor [Doctoral dissertation, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia].
Authors must ensure that all bibliographic information is accurate and that the final reference list follows APA style consistently.
14. Tables, Figures, and Illustrations
Tables and figures should support the presentation and interpretation of research findings. Authors must number tables and figures consecutively, provide clear titles or captions, refer to each table or figure in the manuscript text, and ensure that all illustrations are legible and relevant. Sources of reproduced or adapted material must be identified, and permission must be obtained where required. Avoid tables or figures that duplicate information already clearly presented in the text.
15. Submission Requirements
Before submitting through OJS, authors should ensure that the manuscript follows the official journal template; title, author names, affiliations, and corresponding author email are complete; abstract and keywords meet the requirements; the prescribed article structure is followed; citations and references are consistent and formatted according to APA; funding, author contributions, conflict of interest, and data availability statements are included; AI use is disclosed where applicable; informed consent and ethical approval statements are included where applicable; the manuscript has been checked for originality, language quality, and completeness; and all authors have reviewed and approved the submission.
16. Editorial Review and Publication
Submitted manuscripts undergo initial editorial screening to assess suitability for the journal's focus and scope, compliance with the author guidelines, and academic quality. Manuscripts that pass the initial screening proceed to peer review. Authors may be asked to revise their manuscripts in response to reviewers' comments and editorial decisions. Acceptance depends on editorial evaluation, peer-review outcomes, and compliance with the journal's publication requirements. Authors are responsible for ensuring that the final manuscript is accurate and complete before publication. By submitting a manuscript to the Teaching and Learning Journal of Mandalika (Teacher), authors agree to follow these guidelines and comply with the journal's publication policies and ethical standards.