Peer Review Process

All manuscripts submitted to SJESE - STEAM Journal for Elementary School Education undergo a rigorous and transparent peer-review process to ensure they align with the journal's focus, demonstrate theoretical and pedagogical novelty, and maintain high methodological standards in elementary STEAM education.

SJESE operates a double-blind peer-review system, where the identities of both the author(s) and reviewers are strictly concealed from each other throughout the review workflow.

1. Initial Screening (Pre-Review Evaluation)

Upon submission, every manuscript is initially evaluated by the Editor-in-Chief or an Assigned Managing Editor to check:

  • Alignment with SJESE’s focus and scope (interdisciplinary STEAM, elementary pedagogy, learning technologies, or curriculum design);

  • Originality and similarity index (checked using Turnitin/iThenticate);

  • Adherence to submission guidelines, research ethics (e.g., human subject consent for classroom studies), and academic writing standards.

Manuscripts that do not meet the core scope, lack scientific rigor, or show high similarity indices will be rejected immediately (Desk Rejection) without external peer review.

2. Peer Review Assignment & Reviewer Expertise

If the manuscript passes the initial screening, it is assigned to a Handling Editor, who invites at least two independent expert reviewers in elementary STEAM education, instructional design, or educational technology.

Reviewers are selected based on strict quality and ethical standards:

  • Domain Expertise: Reviewers must have proven scholarly expertise in integrated STEAM disciplines, primary education, or child development.

  • Academic Credentials: Reviewers must hold a Ph.D. or possess a strong publication track record in international journals (indexed in Scopus or Web of Science) with verified profiles (e.g., ORCID, Web of Science ResearcherID, or Google Scholar).

  • Institutional Independence: Reviewers must be from different institutions and geographical regions than the author(s).

  • Author Suggestions: Authors may suggest 2–4 prospective reviewers upon submission. However, the editorial team retains full discretion over reviewer selection.

3. Review Criteria & Editorial Decision

Reviewers evaluate the manuscript based on scientific novelty, methodological appropriateness, theoretical grounding, clarity of findings, and practical relevance to elementary classrooms.

An editorial decision is rendered upon receiving at least two comprehensive review reports. In cases where the reviewers' recommendations differ significantly, the Handling Editor will invite a third reviewer to provide an additional evaluation.

The Handling Editor will recommend one of the following decisions:

  • Accept Submission: The paper is accepted without major changes.

  • Minor Revision: The paper requires minor textual, formatting, or theoretical adjustments.

  • Major Revision (Resubmit for Review): The paper requires substantial revisions (e.g., deeper data analysis, improved pedagogical framework) and will undergo a second round of review.

  • Decline Submission (Rejection): The paper lacks novelty, suffers from major methodological flaws, or fails to address core STEAM education principles.

4. Revision Stage

When revisions are requested, authors are granted a specific timeframe (typically 2 to 3 weeks) to revise their manuscript. Authors must submit:

  1. The revised manuscript with highlighted changes;

  2. A detailed, point-by-point Response to Reviewers' Comments document.

The Handling Editor will assess whether the revisions adequately address all criticisms and suggestions:

  • Minor Revisions are reviewed directly by the Handling Editor.

  • Major Revisions are sent back to the original reviewers for a second evaluation (re-review).

If the revisions are insufficient or the authors fail to meet the submission deadline without an approved extension, the manuscript may be declined.

5. Final Decision & Publication

The final decision to accept or reject a manuscript rests with the Editor-in-Chief, based on the recommendation of the Handling Editor and the peer-review reports. Once accepted, the manuscript moves to copyediting, layout design, and final publication.