Search results for: teachers’ and students’ opinions

Authors: L. M. H. Mustonen, S. A. Heikkilä

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The focus of the paper is to describe team teaching as a HAMK’s pedagogical method, and its impacts to the teachers work. Background: Traditionally it is thought that teaching is a job where one mostly works alone. More and more teachers feel that their work is getting more stressful. Solutions to these problems have been sought in Häme University of Applied sciences’ (From now on referred to as HAMK). HAMK has made a strategic change to move to the group oriented working of teachers. Instead of isolated study courses, there are now larger 15 credits study modules. Implementation: As examples of the method, two cases are presented: technical project module and summer studies module, which was integrated into the EU development project called Energy Efficiency with Precise Control. In autumn 2017, technical project will be implemented third time. There are at least three teachers involved in it and it is the first module of the new students. Main focus is to learn the basic skills of project working. From communicational viewpoint, they learn the basics of written and oral reporting and the basics of video reporting skills. According to our quality control system, the need for the development is evaluated in the end of the module. There are always some differences in each implementation but the basics are the same. The other case summer studies 2017 is new and part of a larger EU project. For the first time, we took a larger group of first to third year students from different study programmes to the summer studies. The students learned professional skills and also skills from different fields of study, international cooperation, and communication skills. Benefits and challenges: After three years, it is possible to consider what the changes mean in the everyday work of the teachers - and of course – what it means to students and the learning process. The perspective is HAMK’s electrical and automation study programme: At first, the change always means more work. The routines born after many years and the course material used for years may not be valid anymore. Teachers are teaching in modules simultaneously and often with some subjects overlapping. Finding the time to plan the modules together is often difficult. The essential benefit is that the learning outcomes have improved. This can be seen in the feedback given by both the teachers and the students. Conclusions: A new type of working environment is being born. A team of teachers designs a module that matches the objectives and ponders the answers to such questions as what are the knowledge-based targets of the module? Which pedagogical solutions will achieve the desired results? At what point do multiple teachers instruct the class together? How is the module evaluated? How can the module be developed further for the next execution? The team discusses openly and finds the solutions. Collegiate responsibility and support are always present. These are strengthening factors of the new communal university teaching culture. They are also strong sources of pleasure of work.

Keywords: pedagogical development, summer studies, team teaching, well-being at work

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Authors: Fiasal Assiri, Joanna Wincenciak, David Morrison-Love

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With the rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Saudi government suspended students from going to school to combat the outbreak. As e-learning was not applied at all in schools, online teaching and learning have been revived in Saudi Arabia by providing a new platform called ‘Madrasati.’ Several studies have used the Decomposed Theory of Planned Behaviour (DTPB)to examineindividuals’ intention behavior in many fields. However, there is a lack of studies investigating the determinants of teachers’ continued intention touseMadrasati platform. The purpose of this paper is to present a conceptual model in light of DTPB. To enhance the predictability of the model, the study incorporates other variables, including learning content quality and interactivity as sub-factors under the perceived usefulness, students and government influences under the subjective norms, and technical support and prior e-learning experience under the perceived behavioral control. The model will be further validated using a mixed methods approach. Such findings would help administrators and stakeholders to understand teachers’ needs and develop new methods that might encourage teachers to continue using Madrasati effectively in their teaching.

Keywords: madrasati, decomposed theory of planned behaviour, continuance intention, attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control

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Authors: Jhemson C. Elis, Alvin S. Magadia

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Our world is full of numbers, shapes, and figures that illustrate the wholeness of a thing. Indeed, this statement signifies that mathematics is everywhere. Mathematics in its broadest sense helps people in their everyday life that is why in education it is a must to be taken by the students as a subject. The study aims to determine the profile of the respondents in terms of gender and age, performance of the control and experimental groups in the pretest and posttest, impact of the instructional game used as instructional intervention in teaching algebra for high school students, significant difference between the level of performance of the two groups of respondents in their pre–test and post–test results, and the instructional intervention can be proposed. The descriptive method was also utilized in this study. The use of the certain approach was to that it corresponds to the main objective of this research that is to determine the effectiveness of the instructional game used as an instructional intervention in teaching algebra for high school students. There were 30 students served as respondents, having an equal size of the sample of 15 each while a greater number of female teacher respondents which totaled 7 or 70 percent and male were 3 or 30 percent. The study recommended that mathematics teacher should conceptualize instructional games for the students to learn mathematics with fun and enjoyment while learning. Mathematics education program supervisor should give training for teachers on how to conceptualize mathematics intervention for the students learning. Meaningful activities must be provided to sustain the student’s interest in learning. Students must be given time to have fun at the classroom through playing while learning since mathematics for them was considered as difficult. Future researcher must continue conceptualizing some mathematics intervention to suffice the needs of the students, and teachers should inculcate more educational games so that the discussion will be successful and joyful.

Keywords: instructional game in algebra, mathematical intervention, joyful, successful

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Authors: Mamunur Rashid, Jialin Yan

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The current years have witnessed a rapid evolution and integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in various fields, prominently influencing the education industry. Acknowledging this transformative wave, AI tools like ChatGPT and Grammarly have undeniably introduced perspectives and skills, enriching the educational experiences of higher education students. The prevalence of AI utilization in higher education also drives an increasing number of researchers' attention in various dimensions. Departments, offices, and professors in universities also designed and released a set of policies and guidelines on using AI effectively. In regard to this, the study targets exploring and analyzing graduate students' perspectives regarding AI guidelines set by teachers. A mixed-methods study will be mainly conducted in this study, employing in-depth interviews and focus groups to investigate and collect students' perspectives. Relevant materials, such as syllabi and course instructions, will also be analyzed through the documentary analysis to facilitate understanding of the study. Surveys will also be used for data collection and students' background statistics. The integration of both interviews and surveys will provide a comprehensive array of student perspectives across various academic disciplines. The study is anchored in the theoretical framework of self-determination theory (SDT), which emphasizes and explains the students' perspective under the AI guidelines through three core needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. This framework is instrumental in understanding how AI guidelines influence students' intrinsic motivation and sense of empowerment in their learning environments. Through qualitative analysis, the study reveals a sense of confusion and uncertainty among students regarding the appropriate application and ethical considerations of AI tools, indicating potential challenges in meeting their needs for competence and autonomy. The quantitative data further elucidates these findings, highlighting a significant communication gap between students and educators in the formulation and implementation of AI guidelines. The critical findings of this study mainly come from two aspects: First, the majority of graduate students are uncertain and confused about relevant AI guidelines given by teachers. Second, this study also demonstrates that the design and effectiveness of course materials, such as the syllabi and instructions, also need to adapt in regard to AI policies. It indicates that certain of the existing guidelines provided by teachers lack consideration of students' perspectives, leading to a misalignment with students' needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. More emphasize and efforts need to be dedicated to both teacher and student training on AI policies and ethical considerations. To conclude, in this study, graduate students' perspectives on teacher-provided AI guidelines are explored and reflected upon, calling for additional training and strategies to improve how these guidelines can be better disseminated for their effective integration and adoption. Although AI guidelines provided by teachers may be helpful and provide new insights for students, educational institutions should take a more anchoring role to foster a motivating, empowering, and student-centered learning environment. The study also provides some relevant recommendations, including guidance for students on the ethical use of AI and AI policy training for teachers in higher education.

Keywords: higher education policy, graduate students’ perspectives, higher education teacher, AI guidelines, AI in education

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Authors: Phillimon Mahanya

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Learners with deaf-blindness use touch to communicate. However, teachers are not well versed with tactile communication technicalities. Lack of technical know-how is compounded with a lack of standardisation of the tactile signs the world over. Thus, this study arose from the need to have efficient and effective tactile sign communication for learners who are deaf-blind. A qualitative approach that adopted a case study design was used. A sample of 22 participants comprising school administrators and teachers was purposively drawn from the institutions that enrolled learners who are deaf-blind. Data generated using semi-structured interviews, non-participant observations and document analysis were thematically analysed. It emerged that administrators and teachers used mammoth and solo touches that are not standardised to communicate with learners who are deaf-blind. It was recommended that there should be a standardised tactile sign manual in Zimbabwe to promote the inclusion of learners who are deaf-blind.

Keywords: communication, deaf-blind, signing, tactile

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Authors: Md. Shaiful Islam, Mahani Bt. Stapa

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To help learners overcome their struggle in developing proficiency in spoken English, self-regulated learning strategies seem to be promising. Students in the private universities in Bangladesh are expected to communicate with the teachers, peers, and staff members in English, but most of them suffer from their inadequate oral communicative competence in English. To address this problem, the researchers adopted a qualitative research approach to answer the research questions. They employed the learner diary method to collect data from the first-semester undergraduate students of a reputed private university in Bangladesh who were involved in writing weekly diaries about their use of self-regulated learning strategies to improve speaking in an English speaking course. The learners were provided with prompts for writing the diaries. The thematic analysis method was applied to analyze the entries of the diaries for the identification of themes. Seven strategies related to the effectiveness of SRL for the improvement of spoken English were identified from the data, and they include goal-setting, strategic planning, identifying the sources of self-motivation, help-seeking, environmental restructuring, self-monitoring, and self-evaluation. However, the students reported in their diaries that they faced challenges that impeded their SRL strategy use. Five challenges were identified, and they entail the complex nature of SRL, lack of literacy on SRL, teachers’ preference for controlling the class, learners’ past habit of learning, and students’ addiction to gadgets. The implications the study addresses include revising the syllabus and curriculum, facilitating SRL training for students and teachers, and integrating SRL in the lessons.

Keywords: private university in Bangladesh, proficiency, self-regulated learning, spoken English

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Authors: Geraldine Agbor Ojong

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This paper conveys some of the problems teachers of ESL face in classroom settings in Thailand. The results of this paper is achieved through close and open ended questionaires administered to a group of English language teachers of three prominent schools in Kaengkhoi, saraburi Province, Thailand.(Saengvithaya school, kaengkhoi school and Pytoon withaya school). Face to face interview of some foreign teachers and students selected randomly And general observation. The data was analysed by frequency distribution and percentage: The result of the study may be generalized so that the conference committee can suggest possible solutions or give contributing ideas on how to handle some of these problems.

Keywords: Asian, colonize, ESL, foreign country

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Authors: Evelyn Kropfreiter, Roland Bernhard

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There has been an increased interest in school-based whole-child development in the Austrian education system in the last few years. Although there is a consensus among academics that teachers' beliefs are an essential component of their professional competence, there are hardly any studies in the German-speaking world examining teachers' beliefs about school-based character education. To close this gap, we are conducting a mixed methods study combining qualitative interviews and a questionnaire in Austria (doctoral thesis at the University of Salzburg). In this paper, we present preliminary insights into the quantitative strand of the project. In contrast to German-speaking countries, the Anglo-Saxon world has a long tradition of explicit character education in schools. There has been a rising interest in approaches focusing on a neo-Aristotelian form of character education in England. The Jubilee Centre strongly influences the "renaissance" of papers on neo-Aristotelian character education for Character and Virtues, founded in 2012. The quantitative questionnaire study (n = 264) is an online survey of teachers and school principals conducted in four different federal states in spring 2023. Most respondents (n = 264) from lower secondary schools (AHS-Unterstufe and Mittelschule) believe that character education in schools for 10-14-year-olds is more important for society than good exam results. Many teachers state that they consider themselves prepared to promote their students' personal development and life skills through their education and to attend further training courses. However, there are many obstacles in the education system to ensure that a comprehensive education reaches the students. Many teachers state that they consider themselves prepared to promote their students' character strengths and life skills through their education and to attend further training courses. However, there are many obstacles in the education system to ensure that a comprehensive education reaches the students. Among the most cited difficulties, teachers mention the time factor associated with an overcrowded curriculum and a strong focus on performance, which often leaves them needing more time to keep an eye on nurturing the whole person. The fact that character education is not a separate subject, and its implementation needs to be monitored also makes it challenging to implement it in everyday school life. Austrian teachers prioritize moral virtues such as compassion and honesty as character strengths in everyday school life and resilience and commitment in the next place. Our results are like those reported in other studies on teacher's beliefs about character education. They indicate that Austrian teachers want to teach character in their schools but see systemic constraints such as the curriculum, in which personality roles play a subordinate role, and the focus on performance testing in the school system and the associated lack of time as obstacles to fostering more character development in students.

Keywords: character education, life skills, teachers' beliefs, virtues

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Authors: Bahloul Amel

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This study is an attempt to raise the awareness of the stakeholders and the authorities on the sensitivity of Algerian secondary school teachers of English as a Foreign Language about the students’ loss of English language skills learned during formal schooling with effort and at expense and the supposed measures to arrest that loss. Data was collected from secondary school teachers of EFL and analyzed quantitatively using a questionnaire containing open-ended and close-ended questions. The results advocate a consensus about the need for actions to be adopted to make assessment techniques outcome-oriented. Most of the participants were in favor of including curricular activities involving contextualized learning, problem-solving learning critical self-awareness, self and peer-assisted learning, use of computers and internet so as to make learners autonomous.

Keywords: lifelong learning, EFL, contextualized learning, Algeria

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Authors: Hissa Sadiq, Abdullah Abu-Tineh, Fatma Al-Mutawah, Hamda Al-Sulaiti

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The purpose of this quantitative study was to measure the difference in levels of satisfaction of students, teachers, and parents in schools run by licensed school leaders comparing with schools run by unlicensed school leaders. Data was gathered from 108 school performance reports as published by Ministry of Education and Higher Education for the year 2015-2016. School leaders in 58 participating schools obtained the professional licenses while school leaders in 56 participating schools have no professional licenses. Percentages, standard deviations, and t-tests were used to analyze the data. Results showed that no statistical differences were found in students’ satisfaction between the two school types. However, there were statistical differences in parents and teachers’ satisfaction in the two school types attributed to obtaining the professional license. Teachers and parents of students in schools run by licensed school leaders satisfied more than schools run by unlicensed school leaders. Finally, many recommendations and implications were discussed and proposed. This paper was made possible by NPRP grant # (NPRP7-1224-5-178) from the Qatar national research fund (a member of Qatar Foundation) to Abdullah M. Abu-Tineh. The statements made herein are solely the responsibility of the author

Keywords: professional licenses, Qatari schools, licensure system, satisfaction

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Authors: Thi Phuong Lan Nguyen

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Alongside technical skills, the employability is crucial for any graduates in the fast-evolving 21st century. It is reported that 78% of Australian students believe soft skills give advantages in the changing workforce due to technological automation (Oxford, 2020), which motivated to investigate how students whose English as a foreign or second language (EFL/ESL) are ready for the employability requirements in the new normal. Literature review, document analysis, and Interviews with EFL teachers are used in this research. The results of this research are helpful in preparing international EFL/ESL students to achieve the best preparation for currently increasing demanding employment markets, which are also meaningful for students themselves to be ready of being global citizens in the new normal.

Keywords: readiness, employability, EFL, ESL

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Authors: Zafer F. Alshehri

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This paper investigated mathematics teachers' knowledge of the effective teaching strategies at the Southern Region of Saudi Arabia. Specifically, it aimed to identify a list of the effective strategies of teaching mathematics; the extent of mathematics teachers' knowledge of these strategies; and the differences (if any) of mathematics teachers' knowledge of these strategies regarding scientific degree, teaching experience, and educational sage. To achieve that, the researcher used the descriptive approach for preparing a list of effective mathematics teaching strategies and developing a questionnaire of a sample of (240) mathematics teachers. As a result, there were differences in teachers' knowledge of the effective teaching strategies, which ranked as a low, and the highest knowledge was in favor of higher degrees. In addition, there were a few recommendations and suggestions for developing mathematics teachers' knowledge of effective teaching strategies, such as involving in workshops of mathematics teaching strategies, integrating technology into mathematics teaching, and using research findings in the instruction process.

Keywords: mathematics teaching knowledge, mathematics teachers, effective mathematics teaching strategies

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Authors: Karen Koellner, Nanette Seago, Jennifer Jacobs, Helen Garnier

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Although studies of teacher professional development (PD) are prevalent, surprisingly most have only produced incremental shifts in teachers’ learning and their impact on students. There is a critical need to understand what teachers take up and use in their classroom practice after attending PD and why we often do not see greater changes in learning and practice. This paper is based on a mixed methods efficacy study of the Learning and Teaching Geometry (LTG) video-based mathematics professional development materials. The extent to which the materials produce a beneficial impact on teachers’ mathematics knowledge, classroom practices, and their students’ knowledge in the domain of geometry through a group-randomized experimental design are considered. Included is a close-up examination of a small group of teachers to better understand their interpretations of the workshops and their classroom uptake. The participants included 103 secondary mathematics teachers serving grades 6-12 from two US states in different regions. Randomization was conducted at the school level, with 23 schools and 49 teachers assigned to the treatment group and 18 schools and 54 teachers assigned to the comparison group. The case study examination included twelve treatment teachers. PD workshops for treatment teachers began in Summer 2016. Nine full days of professional development were offered to teachers, beginning with the one-week institute (Summer 2016) and four days of PD throughout the academic year. The same facilitator-led all of the workshops, after completing a facilitator preparation process that included a multi-faceted assessment of fidelity. The overall impact of the LTG PD program was assessed from multiple sources: two teacher content assessments, two PD embedded assessments, pre-post-post videotaped classroom observations, and student assessments. Additional data were collected from the case study teachers including additional videotaped classroom observations and interviews. Repeated measures ANOVA analyses were used to detect patterns of change in the treatment teachers’ content knowledge before and after completion of the LTG PD, relative to the comparison group. No significant effects were found across the two groups of teachers on the two teacher content assessments. Teachers were rated on the quality of their mathematics instruction captured in videotaped classroom observations using the Math in Common Observation Protocol. On average, teachers who attended the LTG PD intervention improved their ability to engage students in mathematical reasoning and to provide accurate, coherent, and well-justified mathematical content. In addition, the LTG PD intervention and instruction that engaged students in mathematical practices both positively and significantly predicted greater student knowledge gains. Teacher knowledge was not a significant predictor. Twelve treatment teachers self-selected to serve as case study teachers to provide additional videotapes in which they felt they were using something from the PD they learned and experienced. Project staff analyzed the videos, compared them to previous videos and interviewed the teachers regarding their uptake of the PD related to content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and resources used. The full paper will include the case study of Ana to illustrate the factors involved in what teachers take up and use from participating in the LTG PD.

Keywords: geometry, mathematics professional development, pedagogical content knowledge, teacher learning

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Authors: Juland D. Salayo

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With numerous innovations introduced in the Philippine educational system, the country’s struggle of materializing its national goal of transforming lives ends with great loss. Many agree that the failure to emerge the integral values of the program, framework and the implementers impedes realization. Employing a descriptive-correlational method, it aimed to determine the value clusters of the Grade 9 teachers as assessed by themselves and by the students, the significant difference of the assessed values and the significant difference on the values based on their profile. Respondents were composed of sixty-nine (69) teachers and three hundred forty (340) students using simple random sampling. Through a survey-questionnaire, the study revealed that the teachers have high regards on their self-reliance, honesty and trustworthiness, obedience, politeness and respect and self-discipline and spirituality. In contrast, they have ranked the following values fairly: justice and fairness, courage, responsibility and punctuality and nationalism and patriotism. Having assessed by the students, they have highly regarded their teachers’ self-reliance, responsibility and punctuality, obedience, politeness and respect and fair play and sportsmanship. On the other hand, the student-respondents made a low assessment on the level of the teachers’ justice and fairness, nationalism and patriotism, honesty and trustworthiness and excellence. Using t-test, it showed that there is a significant difference between the assessments of the respondents. Finally, among the demographic profiles, only civil status and age rejected the hypothesis. The following were recommended: provide educators value-enhancement trainings and conferences, organize value-oriented organizations and activities, and make intensive value-campaigns heightening the low-assessed values. Thus, a Revised Values Education Program (RVEP) was made to further meet the objectives of the program, address the needs of its clienteles, and responding to the demands of both education and society towards excellence in service, social and economic revolution, and constructive national goals which are based from integral values.

Keywords: values, value clusters, values education program, values education, teachers' assessed values

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Authors: Kafi Razzaq Ahmed

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Speaking fluently in a second language requires vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation skills. Teaching the English language entails teaching pronunciation. In professional literature, there have been a lot of attempts to integrate technology into improving the pronunciation of learners. The technique is also neglected in Kurdish contexts, Salahaddin University – Erbil included. Thus, the main aim of the research is to point out the efficiency of using video materials for both language teachers and learners within and beyond classroom learning and teaching environments to enhance student's pronunciation. To collect practical data, a research project has been designed. In subsequent research, a posttest will be administered after each lesson to 100 first-year students at Salahaddin University-Erbil English departments. All students will be taught the same material using different methods, one based on video materials and the other based on the traditional approach to teaching pronunciation. Finally, the results of both tests will be analyzed (also knowing the attitudes of both the teachers and the students about both lessons) to indicate the impact of using video in the process of teaching and learning pronunciation.

Keywords: video, pronunciation, teaching, learning

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Authors: Lidimma Benjamin, Nimmyel Gwakzing, Wuyep Nanyi

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Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) has many stakeholders, each with their own values and interests. This study will focus on the diversity of the values and interests within and across groups of stakeholders by quantifying the value that stakeholders attached to several quality attributes of TVET, and also find out to what extent TVET stakeholders differ in their values. The quality of TVET therefore, depends on how well it aligns with the values and interests of these stakeholders. The five stakeholders are parents, students, teachers, policy makers, and work place training supervisors. The 9 attributes are employer appreciation of students, graduation rate, obtained computer skills of students, mentoring hours in workplace learning/Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES), challenge, structure, students’ appreciation of teachers, schooling hours, and attention to civic education. 346 respondents (comprising Parents, Students, Teachers, Policy Makers, and Workplace Training Supervisors) were repeatedly asked to rank a set of 4 programs, each with a specific value on the nine quality indicators. Conjoint analysis was used to obtain the values that the stakeholders assigned to the 9 attributes when evaluating the quality of TVET programs. Rank-ordered logistic regression was the statistical/tool used for ranking the respondents values assign to the attributes. The similarities and diversity in values and interests of the different stakeholders will be of use by both Nigerian government and TVET colleges, to improve the overall quality of education and the match between vocational programs and their stakeholders simultaneous evaluation and combination of information in product attributes. Such approach models the decision environment by confronting a respondent with choices that are close to real-life choices. Therefore, it is more realistically than traditional survey methods.

Keywords: TVET, vignette study, conjoint analysis, quality perception, educational stakeholders

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Authors: Mohammad Ahmadi

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Argumentative writing is a highly opinion-based form of discourse that necessitates the ability to address commonly held opinions (endoxa). To enhance the development of persuasive, argumentative essays, the incorporation of classical rhetorical theory, with a specific focus on topics related to the canon of Invention (inventio), can be advantageous. This research investigates the practical application of rhetorical theory in teaching students how to construct compelling argumentative essays. The fundamental premise of this study is the limited familiarity of rhetoric and composition students with rhetorical theory. Consequently, this paper presents an effective pedagogical approach to introduce rhetorical theory to students, beginning from a foundational level. It delineates the procedures and progression that educators should adopt to elucidate and facilitate students' comprehension of rhetorical theory while demonstrating its utilization in the writing of an argumentative essay.

Keywords: argumentative essay, rhetorical theory, pedagogy, invention

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Authors: Gilbert Makanda

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The problem of the teaching of mathematics is studied using differential equations. A mathematical model for knowledge acquisition in mathematics is developed. In this study we adopt the mathematical model that is normally used for disease modelling in the teaching of mathematics. It is assumed that teaching is 'infecting' students with knowledge thereby spreading this knowledge to the students. It is also assumed that students who gain this knowledge spread it to other students making disease model appropriate to adopt for this problem. The results of this study show that increasing recruitment rates, learning contact with teachers and learning materials improves the number of knowledgeable students. High dropout rates and forgetting taught concepts also negatively affect the number of knowledgeable students. The developed model is then solved using Matlab ODE45 and \verb"lsqnonlin" to estimate parameters for the actual data.

Keywords: differential equations, knowledge acquisition, least squares, dynamical systems

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Authors: Yingling Chen

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Most current research has been focused on whether NESTs have advantages over NNESTs in English language Teaching. The purpose of this study was to investigate English learners’ preferences toward native English speaking teachers and non-English speaking teachers in four skills of English language learning. This qualitative study consists of 12 participants. Two open-ended questions were investigated and analyzed. The findings revealed that the participants held an overall preference for NESTs over NNESTs in reading, writing, and listening English skills; nevertheless, they believed both NESTs and NNESTs offered learning experiences strengths, and weaknesses to satisfy students’ need in their English instruction.

Keywords: EFL, instruction, Student Rating of Instructions (SRI), perception

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Authors: Oluwabukola Oluwaseyi Oduntan

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The English Language plays a central and strategic role in the school system because almost all the school subjects are taught using the English language. However, students’ achievement in this subject at senior secondary school is not encouraging. Therefore, this study examined the effects of oral-written mode of assessment on senior secondary school students’ achievement in a descriptive essay. It also examined the moderating effects of students’ gender and class on students’ achievement in a descriptive essay. The study adopted a pretest-posttest, control group, quasi-experimental design with a 2x2x3 factorial matrix. The participant consisted of 140 Senior Secondary II students drawn from four intact classes from four schools randomly selected from four Local Government Areas randomly selected from Oyo town in Oyo State. Two schools were assigned each to the treatment group and the control group. The following instruments were used for the study: Descriptive Essay Achievement Test (r = 0.78); Descriptive Achievement Test Marking Scheme; Check List of Oral-Written Assessment and Teachers’ Instructional Guide on Descriptive Essay (r = 0.81). Seven null hypotheses guided the study and tested at 0.05 level of significance. Data were analyzed using Analysis of Covariance, Estimated Marginal Means and Scheffe post-hoc test. The result revealed that treatment had a significant main effect on students’ achievement in descriptive essay (F(1,127) = 25.407, P < .05, η2 = .167). Students exposed to oral-written assessment had a higher achievement scores ((x ) ̅= 36.15) than those exposed to written assessment ((x ) ̅= 28.55). There was no significant main effect of gender on students’ achievement in descriptive essay (F₍₁, ₁₂₇₎ = .349, P > .05, η2 = .003). The result also revealed that the effects of class was not significant on students’ students’ achievement in descriptive essay (F₍₁, ₁₂₇₎ = .679, P > .05, η2 = .006). Oral-written mode of assessment enhanced students’ achievement in a descriptive essay. It is, therefore, recommended that teachers and curriculum developers should adopt the use of oral-written assessment for better improvement of students’ achievement in a descriptive essay.

Keywords: class, gender, oral-written assessment, written assessment

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Authors: K. L. Wong, I. N. Umar

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Online forum is part of a Learning Management System (LMS) environment in which students share opinions. This study attempts to investigate the perceptions of students towards online forum and their patterns of listening behaviour during the forum interaction. The students’ perceptions were measured using a questionnaire, in which seven dimensions were used including online experience, benefits of forum participation, cost of participation, perceived ease of use, usefulness, attitude and intention. Meanwhile, their patterns of listening behaviours were obtained using the log file extracted from the LMS. A total of 25 postgraduate students undertaking a course were involved in this study, and their activities in the forum session were recorded by the LMS and used as a log file. The results from the questionnaire analysis indicated that the students perceived that the forum is easy to use, useful, and bring benefits to them. Also, they showed positive attitude towards online forum, and they have the intention to use it in future. Based on the log data, the participants were also divided into six clusters of listening behaviour, in which they are different in terms of temporality, breadth, depth and speaking level. The findings were compared to previous clusters grouping and future recommendations are also discussed.

Keywords: e-learning, learning management system, listening behavior, online forum

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Authors: Justine McKay

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Implicit Bias and its impact on the schooling experience of racial minorities with ADHD is significant. ADHD has become a globally diagnosed disorder. The lack of an objective diagnostic tool for ADHD has created controversy over the disease and its validity. ADHD is referred to as a social construct or a suburban problem related to active white boys who disrupt classrooms. The subjectivity of an ADHD diagnosis and the diagnostic process is based on norm-referenced checklists of behaviours completed by the student, caregiver, teachers, clinicians, and other community members. Teachers' perceptions of classroom behaviours are influenced by implicit bias related to race and socioeconomic status. The same behaviours displayed by white and marginalized or low-income students are perceived differently. The white student is perceived to be struggling academically and needing support, while the marginalized or lower-income student's behaviour is seen as disruptive or criminal. The presence of teacher implicit bias results in the inequity of diagnosis, and academic support, which has long-term implications for these students. The subjectivity of the diagnostic process socially reproduces the systemic injustice of opportunity for marginalized youth within the education system.

Keywords: ADHD, education, equity, implicit bias, subjectivity

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Authors: Pál Iván Szontagh

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We suppose that today, the motivation for the career of a pedagogue (including its existential, organizational and infrastructural conditions) is different from the level of commitment to the profession of an educator (which can be experienced informally, or outside of the public education system). In our research, we made efforts to address the widest possible range of student elementary teachers, and to interpret their responses using different filters. In the first phase of our study, we analyzed first-year kindergarten teacher students’ career motivation and commitment to the profession, and in the second phase, that of final-year kindergarten teacher candidates. In the third phase, we conducted surveys to explore students’ motivation for the profession and the career path of a pedagogue in four countries of the Carpathian Basin (Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Serbia). The surveys were conducted in 17 campuses of 11 Hungarian teacher’s training colleges and universities. Finally, we extended the survey to practicing graduates preparing for their on-the-job rating examination. Based on our results, in all breakdowns, regardless of age group, training institute or - in part - geographical location and nationality, it is proven that lack of social- and financial esteem of the profession poses serious risks for recruitment and retention of teachers. As a summary, we searched for significant differences between the professional- and career motivations of the three respondent groups (kindergarten teacher students, elementary teacher students and practicing teachers), i.e. the motivation factors that change the most with education and/or with the time spent on the job. Based on our results, in all breakdowns, regardless of age group, training institute or - in part - geographical location and nationality, it is proven that lack of social- and financial esteem of the profession poses serious risks for recruitment and retention of teachers.

Keywords: career motivation, career socialization, professional motivation, teacher training

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Authors: T. Dubayova

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Slovak, as well as foreign authors, believe that the influence of non-cognitive factors on a student's academic success or failure is unquestionable. The aim of this paper is to establish a link between the mental vulnerability and coping strategies used by 4^th grade elementary school students in dealing with stressful situations and their academic performance, which was used as a simple quantitative indicator of academic success. The research sample consists of 320 students representing the standard population and 60 students with special education needs (SEN), who were assessed by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) by their teachers and the Children’s Coping Strategies Checklist (CCSC-R1) filled in by themselves. Students with SEN recorded an extraordinarily high frequency of mental vulnerability (34.5 %) than students representing the standard population (7 %). The poorest academic performance of students with SEN was associated with the avoidance behavior displayed during stressful situations. Students of the standard population did not demonstrate this association. Students with SEN are more likely to display mental health problems than students of the standard population. This may be caused by the accumulation of and frequent exposure to situations that they perceive as stressful.

Keywords: coping, mental vulnerability, pupil with special education needs, school performance, school success

Procedia PDF Downloads 354

Authors: Majed A. Alsalem

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Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is common theme in education across the US and an influential model and framework that enables students in general and particularly students who are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) to access the general education curriculum. UDL helps teachers determine how information will be presented to students and how to keep students engaged. Moreover, UDL helps students to express their understanding and knowledge to others. UDL relies on technology to promote students' interaction with content and their communication of knowledge. This study included 120 DHH students who received daily instruction based on UDL principles. This study presents the results of the study and discusses its implications for the integration of UDL in day-to-day practice as well as in the country's education policy. UDL is a Western concept that began and grew in the US, and it has just begun to transfer to other countries such as Saudi Arabia. It will be very important to researchers, practitioners, and educators to see how UDL is being implemented in a new place with a different culture. UDL is a framework that is built to provide multiple means of engagement, representation, and action and expression that should be part of curricula and lessons for all students. The purpose of this study is to investigate the variables associated with the implementation of UDL in Saudi Arabian schools and identify the barriers that could prevent the implementation of UDL. Therefore, this study used a mixed methods design that use both quantitative and qualitative methods. More insights will be gained by including both quantitative and qualitative rather than using a single method. By having methods that different concepts and approaches, the databases will be enriched. This study uses levels of collecting date through two stages in order to insure that the data comes from multiple ways to mitigate validity threats and establishing trustworthiness in the findings. The rationale and significance of this study is that it will be the first known research that targets UDL in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, it will deal with UDL in depth to set the path for further studies in the Middle East. From a perspective of content, this study considers teachers’ implementation knowledge, skills, and concerns of implementation. This study deals with effective instructional designs that have not been presented in any conferences, workshops, teacher preparation and professional development programs in Saudi Arabia. Specifically, Saudi Arabian schools are challenged to design inclusive schools and practices as well as to support all students’ academic skills development. The total participants in stage one were 336 teachers of DHH students. The results of the intervention indicated significant differences among teachers before and after taking the training sessions associated with their understanding and level of concern. Teachers have indicated interest in knowing more about UDL and adopting it into their practices; they reported that UDL has benefits that will enhance their performance for supporting student learning.

Keywords: deaf and hard of hearing, professional development, Saudi Arabia, universal design for learning

Procedia PDF Downloads 432

Authors: Malgorzata Bartoszewicz, Grzegorz Krzysko

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Chemistry students plan a career path based on their interests, predispositions, and preferences. This study aims to determine what percentage of all chemistry students selected teaching as a career. There is a lack of science teachers (especially physics and chemistry) in Poland, and there is limited research on students' choices and professional preferences. At the Faculty of Chemistry of the Adam Mickiewicz University in the academic year 2019/2020, changes were introduced to the study program resulting from legal regulations and as part of the funds raised from the project "Teacher - competent practitioner, supervisor, expert", No. POWR.03.01.00-00-KN40/18. The aim of the study was to determine how many first-cycle and second-cycle studies students declare the teaching profession as a career. In the case of first-cycle studies students, 9.5% of respondents choose the teaching profession and 9.2% of second-cycle studies students. It was found that the number of students who chose the teacher preparation programme at Faculty of Chemistry of the Adam Mickiewicz University has decreased since 5 years.

Keywords: faculty of chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University, professional ambitions, students, teacher

Procedia PDF Downloads 144

Authors: Hongxia Wang, Yanjie Wang, Xiuqin Wang, Linlin Mo, Shuangshuang Niu

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Special Education Resource Center (SERC) is the localized product in the development of inclusive education in People’s Republic of China, which provides professional support and service for the students with special education needs(SEN) and their parents, teachers as well as inclusive schools. The study investigated 155 administrators, resource teachers and inclusive education teachers from primary and secondary schools in Beijing. The results indicate that: (1) The surveyed teachers put highest expectation of SERC on specialized guidance and teacher training , instead of research and administration function; (2) Each dimension of professional support needs gets higher scores, in which individual guidance gets highest score, followed by instruction guidance, psychological counseling, proposing suggestions, informational support and teacher training; (3) locality and training experience of surveyed teachers significantly influence their expectations and support needs of SERC.

Keywords: special education resource center (SERC) , functional expectation, professional support needs, support system

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Authors: Thiru Vandeyar

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The present study set out to determine how Q methodology may be used as an inclusive education policy development process. Utilising Q-methodology as a strategy of inquiry, this qualitative instrumental case study set out to explore how teachers, as a crucial but often neglected human resource, may be included in developing policy. A social constructivist lens and the theoretical moorings of Proudford’s emancipatory approach to educational change anchored in teachers’ ‘writerly’ interpretation of policy text was employed. Findings suggest that Q-method is a unique research approach to include teachers’ voices in policy development. Second, that beliefs, attitudes, and professionalism of teachers to improve teaching and learning using ICT are integral to policy formulation. The study indicates that teachers have unique beliefs about what statements should constitute a school’s information and communication (ICT) policy. Teachers’ experiences are an extremely valuable resource in and should not be ignored in the policy formulation process.

Keywords: teachers, q-methodology, education policy, ICT

Procedia PDF Downloads 85

Authors: Monique Somma

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As special education service delivery models are shifting in order to better meet the academic and social rights of students with exceptionalities, teaching practices must also align with these goals. This phenomenological case study explored the change experiences of special education teachers who have transitioned from teaching in a self-contained special education class to an inclusive class setting. Ten special educators who had recently changed their teaching roles to inclusive classrooms, completed surveys and participated in a focus group. Of the original ten educators, five chose to participate further in individual interviews. Data collected from the three methods was examined and compared for common themes. Emergent themes included, support and training, attitudes and perceptions, inclusive practice, growth and change, and teaching practice. The overall findings indicated that despite their special education training, these educators were challenged by their own beliefs and expectations, the attitudes of others and systematic barriers in the education system. They were equally surprised by the overall social and academic performance of students with exceptionalities in inclusive classes, as well as, the social and academic growth and development of the other students in the class. Over the course of their careers, they all identified an overall personal pedagogical shift, to some degree or another, which they contributed to the successful experiences of inclusion they had. They also recognized that collaborating with others was essential for inclusion to be successful. The findings from this study suggest several implications for professional development and training needs specific to special education teachers moving into inclusive settings. Maximizing the skills of teachers with special education experience in a Professional Learning Community (PLC) and mentorship opportunities would be beneficial to all staffs working toward creating inclusive classrooms and schools.

Keywords: attitudes and perceptions, inclusion of students with exceptionalities, special education teachers, teacher change

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Authors: J. W. Mbogani, B. A. Bunyasi

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The special skills for five students in the vocational class in Kakamega program for Hearing impaired were identified within one term period of the Kenyan education system. Three students were identified as having a liking for tailoring. The remaining two students did not show any interest in any vocational subject. The three students were attached to two professionals in practicing general tailors within the school vicinity for scaffolding purposes. The students were allowed to attend general classes under the normal curriculum and were withdrawn after eleven in the morning for tailoring classes. The students were then monitored with the guideline of a checklist. The purpose of monitoring was to establish whether the behavior of the students reflected a motivated student. It was established that two of them improved in their school attendance in terms of regularity, punctuality and responsibility accomplishment. The third student ended up attending only tailoring classes. The socialization aspect of the two students improved a lot. They also tended to identify more with the teachers than their fellow students. We recommend that learners with special needs in education should be subjected to the normal curriculum. They may benefit more and attain a skill that could help them economically. Further study should also be done to in several institutions involving learners in other classes.

Keywords: general tailoring, scaffolding, term, vocational class

Procedia PDF Downloads 139