Problems of Education in the 21st Century

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Authors: Editorial Board

Cover, Vol. 43, PEC, 2012

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Authors: Milan Kubiatko

Dear colleagues, dear readers of the journal, as a new member of the editorial board I was requested to write of an editorial in this issue. Nowadays, in the science world, especially in the science education world exist many problems, which are or which will be investigated. The part of them is presented in this number. We are meeting with the results with science research every day, the results are presented in different form of resources, from print form to electronic form. So these results are not very flattering, mainly the interest about science subjects is decreasing and the way, how this trend to stop is still not found. Some universities published reports, where is showed, the number of students, whose study some science subject is rapidly decreasing. With respect to important meaning of the science subjects for the development of society is necessary this situation to solve. The interest about science subjects is investigated very often, in the context of science research.

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Authors: Alens Indriksons

Communication is the exchange of information between sender who send and receiver who decode it. In an organization communication flows in downward, upward, lateral, external and diagonal directions. Communication process in militarized educational institution has its own specificity. The most popular type of communication in a militarized educational institution is downward communication because of special rules which regulate the service relationship between the participants involved in the communication process. The disadvantage of this communication is limited feedback which is a very important component of the communication process and which plays an important role in the teaching process. It is impossible to reach the purpose of teaching process without feedback because learning is an active bilateral dynamic system. The present paper discovers problems in communication flow directions in militarized educational institution on the basis of Latvian State Border Guard College because college in its activities is guided by a number of rules which regulate and define teaching process and service condition.

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Authors: Milan Klement, Jiri Dostál

E-learning has become an integral part of the present day tertiary education, not only within the framework of combined, but, to an increasingly larger extent, also of full-time study modes. However, its deployment on a large scale resulted in the emergence of many problems which shall become a subject of research and investigation. The present study reflects the attitudes of university students toward e-learning within their course of study, and submits partial results of the research investigation implemented throughout the years 2007 to 2011. The hereinabove described survey research focused on monitoring and evaluating students` attitudes to the teaching through e-learning based on the use of electronic study supports enriched with multimedia elements. The research data collection was carried out by means of a non-standardized research questionnaire and the data were subsequently analysed using nonparametric statistical methods. Selected outputs of the research, focused primarily on the assessment of the level of students’ satisfaction with the organization of teaching through e-learning, and on the identification of the elements of electronic study materials preferred by the students, are the subject of this study.

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Authors: Andris Ozols, Elena Ozola, Jānis Eglītis

In the absence of mineral resources and cheap labour, creation of innovations is a way for Latvia to develop a successful modern economy. The aim of the research is to study characteristic features and key ingredients of the Triple Helix model of university-industry-government collaboration in various countries and the potential applicability of their experience in Latvia. For purposes of the study monographs, scientific articles, official documents and bulletins of Latvia, Sweden, Singapore and South Korea, as well as international statistical data, and articles of local and foreign publicists were reviewed and analyzed. According to the hypothesis, the best option for Latvia is to elaborate the own Triple Helix model based on adopted and processed experience of Sweden (Laissez-Fair model), Singapore (Static model) and South Korea (Project approach). The results of research may be useful for local governments and universities for the development of environment and mechanisms aiming the creation of innovations.

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Authors: Lúcia Pombo, Mário Talaia

This paper presents the design of the curricular unit "Nature Integrated Sciences I” for the Course of Primary School Teachers of the 1st cycle of Higher Education at the University of Aveiro (Portugal). This curricular unit integrates a holistic approach to science based on the STS movement, where the activities promote collaborative work, such as study visits, field trips, laboratory classes, public presentations of works, discussion activities and self-and peer-assessment. It is intended to evaluate innovative teaching and learning strategies by hearing the students’ opinions about the proposed activities, their attitudes towards collaborative work and peer assessment. A questionnaire was applied online during the currilucar unit and the results show that most students felt that the teaching methodology was appropriate, group activities were relevant and assessment strategies contributed to the development of the targeted skills and building of knowledge.

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Authors: Sebastian Szyjka

This essay offers several insights regarding the principles of qualitative and quantitative methods, defining how they shape the empirical process as well as knowledge acquisition in social science research. A comprehensive discussion includes comparing the assumptions and techniques of each paradigm, as well as a description of their respective strengths and weaknesses in research. These paradigms are examined in terms of past trends in science education research, indicating that over the last several decades a shift in approach from the quantitative to qualitative has occurred. The central thesis of the essay contends that methodological decisions should be based in pragmatism, rather than a pre-existent set of philosophies or beliefs irrespective of context. Implications for research are discussed in terms of the findings of several science education content analysis studies, conveying that research methods often coincide with the collective interest of the masses, policy, educational reform or program developments.

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Authors: Leena Vartiainen, Minna Kaipainen

Future teachers have an important role in education for sustainable development. This article describes textile craft teacher students’ perceptions of sustainable textile craft. The data derives from a survey of craft teacher students of the University of Eastern Finland (N = 20). The questionnaire included open-ended and multiple choice questions about sustainability of textile craft education and the relevance of sustainability in the students’ lives. The study reveals textile craft teacher students’ conceptions as consumers, craft makers and future textile craft teachers. The open-ended questions were analyzed by content analysis and the multiple choice questions were analyzed with statistical methods. The results were reflected to Victor Papanek’s function complex. As consumers, students favour good quality products and recycling of textiles. They are concerned about workers’ work conditions and against child labour. Although values and perceptions related to sustainable consumerism are high, sometimes the actual purchasing behaviour differs from the values because of the students’ meagre budgets. As craft makers, availability of locally produced materials and materials made of natural fibres are important to students. As future textile craft teachers, students think that craft is an excellent way to teach sustainability and sustainable craft. They consider it is important to teach life-cycle thinking but also craft culture and skills.

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End page, Vol. 43, PEC, 2012

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Cover page, Vol. 42, PEC, 2012

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Authors: Todar Lakhvich

There are two main different ways of reasoning (Harnad, 1987). For most people it’s natural to do their reasoning on the semantic level. Graphic tools have always played an important part in this reasoning style. When using a formal and abstract language and exact rules governing the creation and transformation of statements in this language, one reveals the ability to work on the syntactic level. And this can be postulated as a quite different way of reasoning, which is based almost exclusively by the logicians. The use of graphic forms in this case is also possible, though it requires more time and technological complexity. For exact sciences, primarily mathematics based, the use of computers can raise the efficiency of the method. Still for Sciences, e.g. Chemistry, even before the informational revolution the special interconversion tools between empirical knowledge and different types of reasoning had been developed, the latter originates from the very core of Science knowledge. Based on the experiment (the initial stage was almost completely empirical) the Science gained the new paradigm which rather formal by nature and fundamental in methodological meaning. Interconversion between empiric and theoretical moieties seems to be the core point of the consideration.

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Authors: Fábio Castro, Paula Batista, Susana Soares

Some disorders may affect the teaching process in physical education classes. In the present work an action-research study was conducted in order to know how two work with a single case of a hyperactive pupil in physical education classes. Based in literature, some work strategies were defined and used by a pre-service physical education teacher. Strategies were the adoption of evaluative positive and individual feedback, which had positive results in the self-observation and in the compromise with the exercises; a calm voice, that resulted positive for pupil individually, but not when in interaction with class; an increased responsibility for tasks, that did not work as expected, because the general behaviour of the class was not good too; pupil showed more commitment with the competition, when compared with cooperation tasks; the valorisation of the work in pairs was more positive than the work in group; attribution of gradual autonomy showed that more time and more specific skills of teaching are needed beyond one school year. In conclusion, it seems to be necessary to adapt specific strategies for Physical education, once the most were in the context of other disciplines taught in a classroom context that is very different from gym.

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Authors: Alma Hafizi, Mirela Papa

Different groups of teachers understand and interpret the issue of quality in education in different ways, but they all converge on the same key words which are reciprocal influence, school-family, interaction, synchrony, and cooperation. The studies conducted so far show that civic education is an ongoing general and multidimensional process. The school-family partnership is an important link in the educational process, but in everyday life the interaction is more spontaneous than motivated. This study focuses on discovering the underlying reasons for the barriers faced by the school-family partnership, which shall help solve the problems which hinder the normal process of cooperation between school and family. To find out the extent and reasons for parental involvement/non-involvement in the issues related to children’s education it was used the surveying method to conduct an analysis involving 27 schools, 365 teachers and school principals, 1086 pupils and 924 parents. The data processing will indicate the degree of integration and the different forms of integration of modern elements into the Albanian educational system as well as the causes of the present state of affairs. The study reaches in some findings and proposes some recommendations for improving and reinforcing communication between families and schools.

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Authors: Juliana Latifi

Albania’s higher education development is very dynamic. Higher education in Albania is being characterized by a massive expansion process and by competition between both the public and private education sectors. The number of higher education institutions has grown fivefold during the last eight years. There are currently thirteen (13) public and forty six (46) private institutions. This article is aimed at the research of analysing the legal framework for higher education quality state standards. This analysis will address three important issues: 1. What is the legal framework for higher education quality state standards? 2. How is the quality assured in higher education institutions? 3. To what extent are Albanian quality standards compared to the European ones? This study is based on an analysis of the domestic and European legislation, interviews with fifteen (15) key persons that are divided into three groups: officials of the Ministry of Education and Science/Public Agency for the Accreditation of Higher Education, officials of the public Higher Education Institution, and officials of private Higher Education in Albania including reports and policy documents. The conclusions of this research article will help in understanding the role of the higher education quality state standards and will contribute to the improvement of the quality legal framework in the country.

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Authors: Jan Nieuwenhuis

This study is based on a meta-interpretive research design aimed at finding possible answers to an enduring dilemma facing South Africa. South Africa has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world, higher even than those of most of the emerging economies. The structural analysis of unemployment in South Africa presented in this article suggests the existence of an extremely high incidence of youth unemployment, in an environment where certain high level skills are in short supply. The author first analyses the structural nature of the unemployment problem in South Africa and then posit the conundrum of unemployment amidst a serious skills shortage. The skill shortage is discussed in terms of some of the current and projected needs of the economy. The question arises as to why education cannot produce the type of skills needed in the quantity and quality expected to satisfy the needs of the economy and thereby aid economic growth and development. To answer this question, the author analyses the education system pointing out certain systemic problems that work against the production of the kind of skilled workers of the quality and quantity needed. He starts by showing the poor literacy and numeracy levels of primary school children compared to children in other countries. Secondly, the author shows how large numbers of learners drop out of the school system and how those who complete the twelve years of schooling end up with low achievement levels in the subject areas that could have offered them the skills and knowledge to capitalize on the skills shortage. Finally, he looks at the post-school system and its failure to produce the required high level skills. Based on the analysis presented, the author comes to the conclusion that education in its current shape and form will not solve the unemployment problem in South Africa.

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Authors: Katalin Takács-György, István Takács

Role of talent management in higher education has improved in the first years of the21st century all over the word. Prior to the social-economic transformation, the Hungarian higher education was characterized by special elite education. Only 10-15% of students with GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) were admitted to the universities or colleges. Due to the stricter selection system the eminence was sort of precondition of continuing the studies at higher levels. At the same time the students’ scientific activity was introduced more than sixty years ago, and developed at higher educational institutions as a further screen: the ambitious students could take part in special activities in addition to their compulsory curriculum studies, they could carry out research works independently or within the frame of teamwork. Following the post-socialist transition the number of students in higher education swelled significantly: almost 50% of high school graduate students were admitted to universities or colleges. The increased number of students in higher education and the three-cycle transformation of training also urged the reconstruction of the framework of former talent management. In the paper we give a short outlook of the popular forms of talent management, their experimental results, as well as the related problems. We examine the questions that need to be answered in the transformed higher education. These could lead back to the problems induced by the Bologna-system (multi-cycle training). They are the followings: problems of selection of talents in the shortened training time, respectively the shortened time available for those students’ research works which lasted for several years previously, problems of changing tutorial and student scales of values and attitudes, questions of requirements of continuity in the training chain of bachelor – master – PhD level etc. The situation of the students’ scientific research work– a unique movement in Europe – was the focus of the study, furthermore its results and connection with the third level (Ph.D.) of the Bologna-system higher education.

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End page, Vol. 42, 2012, PEC

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Cover page, Vol. 41, PEC, 2012

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Authors: Vincentas Lamanauskas

Learner-centered approaches to teaching and schooling require supportive policies for preparing effective educators. Moving from constructivist philosophy, psychology and epistemology to the characterization of constructivist teaching and learning environments presents a challenge. Constructivist philosophy does not dictate how one should teach; however, it does make it incumbent upon the teacher to deal with each learner as an individual, to value diversity of perspective, and to recognize that the learner's behavior is a direct reflection of his / her life experiences. Bandura (1977, 1986, 1995, 1997), Fullan (1993), and other self-efficacy researchers have concluded that the catalyst for educational reform is the individual teacher and that a teacher's behaviors, values, beliefs, and ambition to act may be enhanced or suppressed during student teaching.

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Authors: Irina Kazuša

The goal of general chemistry and biochemistry – teach students to use their knowledge about chemical structure of organism and molecular processes. To better understand explanations and to prognosticate processes students are given, information presented on other courses. As time dedicated for chemistry course for first year students of RSU is reduced, use of critical thinking strategies in starting period of study process increases probability of achieving positive results. By organizing study process at the beginning of semester, students are introduced to detailed plan thus giving an opportunity to organize their own time according to previous learning experience. Students are provided with thorough study material both in printed and electronic form thus allowing them to find more time for fact analysis, problem solving and relation finding. By stepping away from the traditional routine, the proportion between lectures and practical lessons was changed in favour of practical lessons. Gained experience allows concluding that intensive work with small groups, by introducing students to different approaches to information analysis, graphical systematization of information, development of dialog skills and other methods is effective and worth developing.

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Authors: Marit Mõistlik, Lilian Liiväär, Eha Rüütel

The focus of this article is to analyse what associations are related with school's creative lessons (music, art, craft, physical education) and how should teachers interpret those associations. In addition there is a comparison across all creative lessons about the feeling which is felt by pupils before entering the lesson (response alternatives: “I’m looking forward to this lesson, I’m happy to go there”; “It’s like any other lesson, nothing special”; “I’m anxious, I feel frustrated about going there”). The sample (N = 227) consisted of seventh form pupils of seven upper secondary schools of Tallinn (the largest city of Estonia with 420,000 inhabitants) aged 13–14 (47% of them were boys, N = 107, and 53% girls, N = 120). Pupils’ associations formed six thematic categories describing the most prevalent themes: (1) Teacher, (2) Activities, (3) Emotions, (4) Objects, (5) Classroom environment, and (6) Schoolwork load. Results show that music lesson stands out from other creative lessons both with negative associations and more negative entering feeling. That outcome is discussed from the music teacher's point of view – how it could be interpreted and what it reflects from current educational situation.

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Authors: Sirje Piht, Piret Lehiste, Rea Raus, Mariliis Lazarev

When starting school, most students have a desire to learn and are motivated to participate actively in the learning process. Lack of interest is what undermines learning. Research on children's well-being in the European Union (EU), conducted at York University in 2006, indicated that Estonia stands out among 25 EU countries with the lowest level of students who enjoy school and have a feeling of well-being. However, the results of 2006 and 2009 PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) research indicate that Estonian students do have good subject knowledge and study skills. The Estonian Human Development Report 2009 states that 70% of Estonian students consider their study load too heavy, 67% feel fatigue and 33% do not want to go to school at all. The report indicates that schools do not pay enough attention to personality development, analysis and discussion (Eesti Koostöö Kogu, 2010). Based on the results of the above-mentioned research, it can be said that Estonian students have good subject knowledge, but learning offers them neither pleasure nor interest (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development [OECD], 2007; Puksand, Lepmann & Henno, 2010). The key question for this research was how learner-centered goal setting and reflection support the learners´ skills to set their own goals for the learning process and to analyze it. Learners are interested in the learning process in case they understand the goals, are actively involved, and take responsibility for their actions. Learners should experience success and get immediate feedback on their activities. Ninety-six different evocation and reflection cards were tested by 24 Estonian teachers in the spring of 2011. The purpose of testing was to clarify how effective the usage of evocation and reflection cards is in supporting students in setting goals and analysing their activities. The quantitative research method (in the form of a questionnaire) was used in order to discover teachers` personal opinions, attitudes and approach to the cards and make conclusions about the relevance of the cards in supporting students` involvement in the evocation and reflection phase of learning. The research results showed that giving and receiving feedback develop students´ self-image, motivate them to participate in the learning process and develop their study skills. The relevance of evocation and reflection cards depends greatly on a teacher's opinion and will to use them. If a teacher does not possess enough knowledge about how to involve students in goal setting and analysis of the lesson, the efficiency of these cards is not evident.

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Authors: Marija Ropič, Metka Kordigel Aberšek

This paper presents the results of the 5 months experiment in which the influence of using a web graphic organizer in the science literacy curriculum was observed. The interest of the study was focused on the quality and quantity of learning/understanding the explicatory text description from the science textbook. The experiment included students at the age of 8-9 years. Science and L1 class were integrated for this purpose: teachers were instructed to use web graphic organizer as a tool for visualizing the text structure on the level of concrete cognitive operations. The results show the effect of using the web graphic organizer on students’ competence to find out what in the science textbook text is important, on the level of text comprehension and on the competence of comparing new information with the previous knowledge.

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Authors: Maruta Sīle, Diana Liepa

This paper reviews the evidence on the impact of the inmate emotional responsiveness on educational outcomes. There are two main reasons why researchers in this field believe in prison education that may reduce a future criminal activity. The first reason involves the impact of the increased cognitive skills and changes in behaviour but the second reason acclaims that participants can learn how to live a crime-free life by participating in education courses. The research aim is to explore the impact of the prisoners’ emotional responsiveness to learning during the learning process at Ilguciema prison. In the research the authors analyse theoretical sources and research data. The research includes the analysis of pedagogical, psycho-pedagogical literature as well as Acts of Legislation. The results were analyzed on the basis of the data from the questionnaires, observation and reflection as well. The results were analysed on the basis of the examination of the interplay of data by means of the quantitative mathematical statistical program SPSS 17.0 (Statistical Package for Social Sciences). In the research pedagogical pre-conditions that foster the inmate emotional responsiveness have been defined. It is concluded that the inmate emotional satisfaction created by steady developmental and educative sessions may provoke emotional responsiveness as well as would diminish the inmate personality degradation; also, the psychological atmosphere would improve in prison cells and the ties with life in freedom/ outside the prison walls would be strengthened as well.

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Authors: Anastassia Rezepova, Natalia Tshuikina

The article presents grounds for necessity for implying a learner-oriented course for bilinguals studying in modern Estonian school. Such a course is caused by changes in the State Curriculum. The second supposition is the need in teaching Russian to bilinguals not as a foreign language but as one of native ones, which is not provided by curricula of Estonian-speaking educational institutions, although many of them count more than 10% of students from Russian-speaking families. As a result, bilingual students fairly and without accent speak Russian, however experiencing difficulties in reading and writing texts. The realization of learner-centered approach for bilinguals via web blogs solves a vast number of organization problems, starting with the timetable settings for students from different classes and ending with individual approach to students’ personal achivements assessment. The article also decribes the course’s structure, which is organized in four cycles with eight lessons in each; contact classes are to be held in the beginning of the course and between the cycles for interim results, as well as in the end of the course for conclusion.

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End page, Vol. 41, PEC, 2012

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Cover, Vol. 40, PEC, 2012

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Authors: Raffaele Pisano

Generally speaking, current school science curricula have been constructed for the purpose of preparing students for university and college scientific degrees. Such education does not meet the needs of the majority of students who will not pursue tertiary studies in science or even science-related fields. These students require knowledge of the main ideas and methodologies of science. It seems that the didactics of scientific disciplines across Europe have failed to solve the “crisis” between scientific education and European social and economic development. This is generally recognized in the reports published concerning science education in Europe (Rocard report, etc.) which propose new strategies to be implemented in teaching through the identification and promotion of Inquiry based Science Education (IBSE) and other strategies. It is timely that there is a multi disciplinary dialogue exchanging new ideas and proposals between educational researchers, historians, philosophers and learning theorists.

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Authors: Blanca L. Delgado-Márquez, Yaroslava Bondar, Luisa Delgado-Márquez

In global knowledge economies, the relevance of higher education has been described as more important than ever as mediums for a wide range of cross border relationships and continuous flows of people, information, knowledge, technologies, products and financial capital. Moreover, in a context characterized by an increasing competition among university institutions, reputation is constantly used as a screening mechanism of service suppliers and it provides interesting benefits to educational stakeholders, such as faculty and students. In this sense, higher education ranking systems play a crucial role in classifying universities according to different criteria. Henceforth, in this paper (a) focuses on those educational institutions placed in the upper side of the hierarchy established by higher education institutions ranking systems to (b) investigate the influence of top university institutions’ research, teaching and internationalization on their level of corporate reputation. To address such aim, we take two datasets from Times Higher Education Supplement ranking as basis for our analyses, i.e., the world universities ranking and the reputation ranking. Results reveal that, while research and teaching positively influence top universities’ reputation, internationalization does not exert a significant direct influence.

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Authors: Eva Dobozy

The global call for teacher quality improvement and numerous accounts of resistance to education reform at all levels of the education system brings to the forefront the tension between rhetoric and reality. This case study reports on a failed innovation attempt, which was based on the need for a signature pedagogy in Australian teacher education that better prepares beginning teachers for the demands of flexible, student-centred learning design. To assist teacher education students’ development of deep learning engagement, which is a pre-condition for the acquisition of 21st century knowledge, skills and learning attitudes, we need to better understand resistance behaviour. The reported reserach illustrates how the learning-centric teaching design was unable to engage ‘consumer students’ in deep learning experiences due to heightened negative emotion experienced by a great number of students. The provision of this illustrative practical example of innovation failure has the potential to make apparent how students’ ‘out-of-comfort-zone’ behaviour and resistance to change from transmission education practices to social constructivist approaches will need to be managed.

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Authors: Anna Džalalova, Nina Raud

According to the Estonian State Integration Programme the system of education is considered to be one of the main areas of implementing the state integration policy. The main task of schools in Estonia is to support the feeling of belonging for permanent residents of the Estonian society by sharing common values and knowledge of the official language, and to create possibilities for understanding other cultures and establishing methods for cross-cultural communication with various ethnic groups. The purpose of the research is to study multicultural competence which is considered to be a key component of professional teacher education, as it is of interdisciplinary nature and comprises various aspects which contribute to the development of cognition, personality and professional activities. The research, conducted among students into the level of development of their multicultural competence, has revealed that Narva College students have a positive ethnic identity and quite a high degree of tolerance, which testifies to the positive attitude to their own and other cultures and students’ readiness for intercultural communication. To support the development of multicultural competence in students there has been devised a programme based on such educational components as the comprehensive knowledge of research methods and practices in multicultural education; formation of positive respectful attitude towards native and other cultures; development of skills to support culture-centred education and effective cross-cultural communication; and with inclusion of professional pedagogical activities being based on the humanistic approach and efficient pedagogical interaction. The research covers key points of how the principles of multilingual and multicultural education are realised in everyday teaching practices to achieve corresponding learning outcomes.

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Authors: Mati Heidmets, Birgit Vilgats

Higher education in Estonia as in all post-communist countries has undergone rapid changes during the last 20 years. Soviet-type centralised model was replaced during the 1990s with liberal and sometimes even chaotic self-organisation of the whole sector. From the beginning of the new century, through the use of both financial mechanisms and quality control procedures state regulation has been strengthened. During last years the new paradigm of trust has been frequently discussed, and some first steps taken to introduce this approach, for example the replacement of control-centred curricula accreditation with quality evaluation and institutional accreditation, aimed at supporting the development of university’s strategic management and quality culture. Analysis of the higher education paradigm change in the research is based on Hargreaves’s Bigger, Tighter, Harder and Flatter model, which describes the large scale educational change taking place in the western world during recent decades. The article studies changes in the Estonian higher education sector and observes possible future developments originating from the EU and Estonian strategies.

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Authors: Aneta Mechi

The school often generates different kinds of reputations. These reputations can have negative consequences on pupils’ learning process. Bad reputations make pupils’ efforts invisible, whereas good reputations restrict teachers’ perception of pupils’ desinvestment in learning. Although individualization seems to be an ideal alternative to thwarting reputation creation, it cannot be permanently applied in teachers' practice because of time pressures, cognitive overload, and other facilitators of the automatisms emergence. Hence, the aim is not to banish stereotypical reasoning, but rather to keep a balance between automaticity and reflection through a social cognitive flexibility approach (SCF). The current study tests the impact of a social cognitive flexibility approach on teachers’ thinking about pupils. Social cognitive flexibility seems to help teachers suspend hasty judgments of pupils’ attitudes and behaviors. The study considers the implications of social cognitive flexibility on teachers’ practice in terms of better perception of pupils’ learning potential.

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Authors: Malgorzata Stopikowska, Yasser Mohamed El-Deabes,

The research describes contemporary educational system existing in the Arab Republic of Egypt against a background of its history, economical, social and demographical situation, and its legislative foundations. Egypt’s educational traditions come from colonial times and Islamic sources. The contemporary Egyptian educational system consists of three levels: primary, secondary and tertiary education. It is compatible with the European system of education and although it still needs some improvement, it is constantly developing. Apart from governmental educational institutions, there is a private sector of schooling as well. Besides state and non-state schools, there are other forms of supplementary education, e.g. adult or non-formal education directed at children remaining beyond any official schooling system etc. The data is also presented in the form of graphs included herewith.

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Cover page, Vol. 39, PEC, 2012

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Authors: Vincentas Lamanauskas

Over the latter decade the spread of information communication technologies was going on in various directions. Technological possibilities grew up very significantly (Lamanauskas, 2011). Especially rapid was the development of the internet and technologies related with it. A lot of internet service providers occurred in the market, their number still continues to grow. The internet link methods change - from the ordinary usage of phone line modems (dial - up) to broadband internet technology (DSL) and cable TV internet nets. It can be asserted, that over the mentioned period Web 1.0 internet (static, used for getting information) was changed by Web 2.0 internet (social). The internet diaries, social portals, technologies allowing live communication on the internet (Internet Relay Chat, IRC), talk programme Windows Live Messenger (MSN), ICQ forums and other have occurred and are spreading. With the occurrence of “Skype”, internet telephony acquired a qualitatively new characteristic and practically became a daily routine. Thus, today a consumer can create his profile on the internet, can make friends, communicate in the interest groups and so on. It can be stated, that every human being in his own way contributes to the internet and at the same time to ICT development, in general. It is obvious, that together with technological problems arise social internet problems as well. Social networking websites (SNW) are closely related with economical, psychological, educational, valeological and other aspects. There is a lack of researches based on socio-educational social networking website aspects. It is important to know not only how much time the consumers spend surfing the net, but how much time is allotted for communicating in social networking websites, which of them are the most popular and why, how the respondents evaluate social networking website functions, what in general they know about them, what advantages, disadvantages and threats they discern. Finally, it is important to find out whether usage of social networking websites makes information – communication abilities better in any way.

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Authors: Anny Assimaki, Gerasimos Koustourakis, Konstantina Papaspyropoulou

Issues concerning the presence and professional development of women in the academic world have occupied the social sciences since the 1980s. The purpose of this study is to trace the presence and prospects for professional employment and development of women faculty members in the field of Electrical and Computer Engineering (E.C.E.) in the case of Greek universities, at the start of the 21st century. Sources for this research were women who teach in E.C.E. departments in Greek universities. The research data come from phone interviews with female professors who work in the E.C.E. departments, and from information drawn from the secretary’s offices and the websites of the specific departments. The most significant research findings revealed that in the field of E.C.E. in Greece, the social structural difference between the sexes still survive. This fact creates difficulties for the career progression and professional development of women, who also face difficulties in their work due to the commitments which are involved in the fulfillment of the demands of the role of mother. In addition, many of the difficulties faced by these particular women in their career result from the activating of prejudices concerning the female gender, which seems to be invading the ‘male dominated’ field of E.C.E. in the case of Greek universities.

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Authors: Dragan Gruevski, Mirjana Cvetkovska

This research has an aim to determine the status of the school psychologists in the primary schools in Republic of Macedonia, confirmed through the explorations of the attitude of the teachers and other expert personnel regarding the school psychologist. For the need of this research, an instrument for measurement of the attitude toward the school psychologist (SSP) is constructed. The main conclusions drawn from the field work, statistical evaluations and analysis are that a large percent of the subjects (73%) have negative attitude toward the school psychologists and there is a lack of basic information regarding their status, role and tasks. These results are very significant because it is more than necessary to reveal and maybe to change some essential requirements about the working tasks, the demands, the duties and engagements of the school psychologists.

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Authors: Petar Jandric

The aim of this paper is to develop a conceptual framework for curriculum for e-learning. The conducted research is based on two dialectically intertwined pillars. The theoretical pillar consists of the rich critical tradition of inquiry into the relationships between technologies and human beings in wide social contexts from Frankfurt School onwards. The practical pillar consists of Dahlberg’s main strands of Internet research – Uses Determination, Technological Determination and Social Determination (2004). Blending the theoretical and the practical pillar, it is shown that the discipline of e-learning consists of Habermas’s three main spheres of human interests, types of knowledge and research methods – the technical, the practical, and the emancipatory (Tinning, 1992). The conducted research does not include explorations of epistemological basis for combining various theoretical frameworks and research methodologies. For this reason, its results cannot be applied to scientific research without further elaboration. In order to expose students and practitioners to the true structure of the discipline of e-learning, however, results of this research can be confidently applied in practical fields from curriculum development to policy making.

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Authors: Milan Klement

Information and communication technologies bring a great amount of positive effects that appropriately enrich and support education. The generally declared need for the integration of new media and educational technologies in the educational process could represent an important impulse for the development of pedagogical sciences. As a result of this fact, it is necessary to promote new educational techniques and methods derived from them and thus there arises a question whether schools, teachers and teachers-to-be are ready for such a thing. Since the authors of the presented study are not aware of any available analysis dealing with this issue, we have decided, based on carrying out a research, to identify the interest and preparedness of schools or teachers, included teachers-to-be, in the implementation of modern didactic tools into the educational practice in form of interactive whiteboards. The presented study introduces the progress, process and result of this significant research.

105-118

Authors: Emmily Mugasia Sitati, Anne A. Ngaira, Clarice W. Mwita, Wilson Amolo, Maurice L. Akala, Willaerd Ngaira

Leadership in the public sector is a key variable that is expected to propel the achievement of Vision 2030. This is indeed crucial in the Education Sector which forms the basis of the social pillar of Vision 2030. The DEO and the DQASO are line managers with a primary role in policy implementation in the Ministry of Education. The purpose of the study was to investigate the perception of District Quality Assurance and Standards Officers towards the leadership styles of District Education Officers. The study established the characteristics of DQASOs, the leadership styles of the DEOs and identified the perceived challenges of DQASOs in Kenya. The study was guided by the Learning Organization theory of Peter Senge 1990 which emphasizes the need for involvement in decision making of those who carry out decisions for greater understanding and commitment. Descriptive survey design was used and the study sample included a total of 29(10%) District Quality Assurance and Standards Officers (DQASOs) drawn from a population of 287 DQASOs from the 287 Districts in Kenya. The researchers made use of DQASOs who were attending the tenth 2011 Senior Management Course drawn from across Kenya as respondents. A questionnaire for DQASOs was designed to facilitate data collection. The study established that autocratic leadership style was dominant in most District Education offices with little consultation, teamwork and communication since the DEOs unilaterally made decisions and rarely accepted advice and criticism from members of staff. The DEOs’ personal traits greatly influenced their leadership styles. The DEOs were perceived to be unsupportive and rarely provided a conducive environment that motivated the staff. Most DEOs were not committed to supporting quality assurance and standards programmes in most Districts. The study recommended that the DEOs should integrate and employ varied leadership styles in management of education and delink their personal traits from office management. Clear communication channels between DEOs and staff should be established involve senior staff members in decision making. The DEOs should support Quality Assurance and Standards Programs in the Districts and provide a conducive environment for staff motivation.

130-144

Authors: Nyet Moi Siew, Sopiah Abdullah

Getting students to act out their roles and to apply appropriate arguments for and against their position as defined by the role is a challenge in approaching and exploring an environmental issue through role-playing. This action research addressed this concern by exploring how a semi-scripted role play could be used to promote active student learning in a Science, Technology and Society (STS) lesson. Using greenhouse effect as an example of environmental issue, this study explored how students playing different characters articulated their response to the semi-scripted role play setting. A group of 26 master students who took Science, Technology and Society (STS) as a core course took part in research and carried out a role play in groups of six for a period of two hours. The multiple data sources for this study consisted of student’s written reflections, an informal and unstructured observation, and Role Play Evaluation Form. Overall, the students indicated that the semi-scripted role play helped them understand an environmental issue both from their own and other’s perspective. The provision of guiding information via semi-script enabled students to feel empowered to express, share, argue, and negotiate more comfortably and confidently. In addition, students indicated that the role play helped them to develop critical thinking. The role play had helped create an engaging and productive learning experience that educators could use this exercise to lead students in the exploration of broader local environmental issues.

159-170

Authors: Inger Throndsen, Are Turmo

The main purpose of this study was to examine differences in male and female teachers’ beliefs about their math instruction, and the relationship between boys and girls math achievement and teachers’ beliefs. The samples were primary mathematics teachers (N=521) and Year 2 and Year 3 students (N=9980) from 127 schools. A questionnaire was used to examine primary math teachers' goal structure for students, approaches to instruction, and personal teaching efficacy. Students’ math achievement was assessed by national diagnostic math tests. The teachers were generally oriented towards mastery goals and mastery approaches to instruction, and reported high personal teaching efficacy. However, female teachers report somewhat higher levels of mastery goal structure for students and mastery approaches to instruction, while male teachers report a somewhat higher level of performance approaches to instruction. Positive relations between students' math performance and teachers’ mastery orientation, mastery approaches to instruction, and teaching efficacy were also found. These relationships were somewhat stronger for girls than for boys. In conclusion, the relationship between teachers’ beliefs and students’ performance were different for male and female teachers, respectively. In future studies qualitative research methods should be included.