Problems of Education in the 21st Century

3-4

Authors: Editorial Board

Contents, Vol. 57, 2013, PEC

8-15

Authors: Ayodeji Olasunkanmi Abari, Idowu Olufunke Oyetola, Adedapo Adetayo Okunuga

With the colonization of Africa, the language of the colonial masters has taken precedence over the indigenous languages of the Africans to the extent that the latter seems to be going into extinction. Yet, education is better founded on the native language of a people which also preserves their culture and tradition and gives them their own separate identity. Meanwhile, the world has turned into a global village and there now exist international languages with the owners’ ways of life. The latter seems to have subsumed the culture and tradition of others who are borrowers of the international language. Where then lays the fate of Africans, between the preservation of their indigenous languages and the risk of being left out and behind the rest of the world if they do not simultaneously come to terms with international languages. It is these issues of language and education, as well as globalization and African territorial integrity that this study examines separately and jointly with a view to juxtaposing them. The study then recommends balanced ways out of the dilemma one of which is the compulsory use of the mother tongue by Africans as the medium of instruction at the foundational level of education.

25-47

Authors: André du Plessis

The overall performances in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMMS) and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) of South African learners have been dismal to say the least and the Annual National Assessment test results of grade 3, 6 and 9 learners related to general literacy and mathematics have left a lot to be desired. Clearly this suggests that something has to be done to address this. At the same time, South African education is still suffering as a result of the legacy of apartheid and the great majority of schools are lacking basic resources such as libraries, infrastructure and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) resources, including internet connectivity. General learner literacy and ICT literacy development and usage for learning are high on the government’s agenda, as is scientific literacy. However, there seems to be a dearth of ‘how to’ implement ICT related activities to develop reading, talking, listening and writing within a science classroom learning context with special reference to promoting scientific literacy in its fundamental sense. The theoretical and practical outline that follows attempts to assist filling the void related to the above by introducing an ICT based scientific literacy heuristic that is infused by the ICT based ‘Extended Cyberhunt Approach’ of Du Plessis (2010) and Du Plessis and Webb (2011, 2012, in press) and the off-line Scientific Literacy model of Webb and Villanueva (2008); Webb and Mayaba (2010) and Webb (2010). The focus of the heuristic is to develop scientific reading, talking, listening and writing, as well as to establish a different classroom learning space and experience. In addition, it adds emphasis on on-going feedback from the teacher to the learners as well as focusing on reflection and journal writing to inform teacher planning and subsequent interactions in the science classroom. The additional potential of the heuristic is not only that it offers ICT literacy skills development and the development of skills within a curriculum related science context, but also that ICT skills can be developed even without internet connectivity through using Microsoft Word and/or PowerPoint for writing development and presentation or adding Web 2.0 tools such as a Wiki to complement Microsoft Word and/or PowerPoint if connectivity is available. Research suggests that various skills such as planning, searching and researching, presentation, assessment as well as various cognitive skills can be developed when ICT is used as a cognitive tool in a ‘Learning-as-Design’ context, i.e. when learners (students) become the designers and composers of artefacts related to topics that are curriculum based. This paper also then forms the base for an intervention in two primary schools in the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa that has received ICT resources for the first time ever, including internet connectivity, in September 2013. Hence, the anticipated research within these two schools will explore whether this heuristic has the potential to assist with and improve scientific reading, talking, listening and writing, as well as whether this approach improves motivation and interest related to science learning and ICT literacy development, including the potential to develop planning, searching and researching, presentation, assessment as well as various associated cognitive skills.

61-78

Authors: Vincentas Lamanauskas, Violeta Šlekienė, Loreta Ragulienė, Dragos Iordache, Costin Pribeanu, Martin Bilek, Bulent Cavas, Tatyana Mazurok

The use of social networking websites is becoming increasingly popular. While there are many reasons for this, the rapid spread of ICT is one of the most determining factors. New technologies provide various possibilities for education and in relation to social networking websites it is worth emphasizing their diverse possibilities. The functionality of social networking websites is increasing, and this, in its own way, opens many possibilities for the consumers, a factor encouraging the usage of social networking sites. This research relates to the usage of social networking websites. The purpose of the research is to ascertain how university students from a range of European countries (Lithuania, Romania, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Turkey) use social networking websites; how they value them; what opinion they have about various social networking websites; what they know about them. A questionnaire, Social Networks, with 16 questions was used in the research. The breakdown of the questions is as follows: 3 questions were allotted to establishing the characteristics of the respondents and 5 open ended type questions were to possible advantages and disadvantages of SNW. The 6th question was assigned to evaluate the frequency of social networking website usage. A list of 23 main networking websites was presented. The 8th question was to evaluate the functions of social networking websites (e.g., communication, advertisement, friend search, information exchange and so on). In addition, the questionnaire also presented 26 various type statements about social networking websites and respondents were asked to evaluate these by applying the interval Likert scale (from “Completely agree” to “Completely disagree”). The original questionnaire was translated into the national languages by the local researchers involved in the study. This education research was carried out in 2012-2013, recognizing that it is especially important to understand the essential motives of using social networking websites, to analyze their probable advantages and disadvantages, to make some comparisons among students from the different countries. The findings illustrated that the respondents knew a lot of social networking websites, with the most frequently visited and most popular being: You Tube, Facebook and Google+. The most important functions put forward by the university students were: communication, learning and exchanging information, texting. Gender differences were noted in the case of valuing social networking websites. The university students pointed out the following SN website advantages: (a) the possibility to communicate with many people at one time, (b) to get in touch with the people seen long ago also with the friends and relatives living abroad, (c) the possibility to find proper information and share it, etc. The respondents also noted that SN website had disadvantages. They indicated: lack of information publicity, a lack of privacy, insecurity in presented data, possible lies, deceptions, etc.

90-101

Authors: Raffaele Pisano, Paolo Bussotti

Mathematics education is also a social phenomenon because it is influenced both by the needs of the labour market and by the basic knowledge of mathematics necessary for every person to be able to face some operations indispensable in the social and economic daily life. Therefore the way in which mathematics education is framed changes according to modifications of the social environment and know–how. For example, until the end of the 20th century, in the Italian faculties of engineering the teaching of mathematical analysis was profound: there were two complex examinations in which the theory was as important as the ability in solving exercises. Now the situation is different. In some universities there is only a proof of mathematical analysis; in others there are two proves, but they are sixth–month and not annual proves. The theoretical requirements have been drastically reduced and the exercises themselves are often far easier than those proposed in the recent past. With some modifications, the situation is similar for the teaching of other modern mathematical disciplines: many operations needing of calculations and mathematical reasoning are developed by the computers or other intelligent machines and hence an engineer needs less theoretical mathematics than in the past. The problem has historical roots. In this research an analysis of the phenomenon of “scientific education” (teaching geometry, arithmetic, mathematics only) with respect the methods used from the late Middle Ages by “maestri d’abaco” to the Renaissance humanists, and with respect to mathematics education nowadays is discussed. Particularly the ways through which mathematical knowledge was spread in Italy between late Middle ages and early Modern age is shown. At that time, the term “scientific education” corresponded to “teaching of mathematics, physics”; hence something different from what nowadays is called science education, NoS, etc. Moreover, the relationships between mathematics education and civilization in Italy between the 12th and the 16th century is also popularized within the Abacus schools and Niccolò Tartaglia. These are significant cases because the events connected to them are strictly interrelated. The knowledge of such significant relationships between society, mathematics education, advanced mathematics and scientific knowledge can be useful for the scholars who are nowadays engaged in mathematics education research.

111-123

Authors: Katri Raik, Igor Kostyukevich, Jelena Rootamm-Valter

A partial transfer into teaching in the Estonian language is being implemented in Russian-medium upper secondary schools in Estonia. Among teachers who have to switch to teaching in Estonian are also subject who have previously taught in the Russian language. A number of surveys have shown that there are teachers who believe that methodological support of the transfer is not sufficient. Hence, it is important to find out if there is a need for additional in-service teacher training during the transfer period, and if yes, then what kind of training is required. A model of subject teachers’ professional competences was devised. The need analysis was conducted by the structural survey method among focus groups of subject teachers. Six Estonian Russian upper secondary schools were selected for the study on the basis of the representativeness of the criteria set to focus groups. The representative groups were offered to evaluate by rating professional competences, needs for additional in-service training, and, finally, needs for language support. The data were analyzed by the Pearson’s correlation and by the analysis of the variations range of the three measured criteria at the level of separate schools and their teacher teams and at the level of indicators’ mean values. The research has not revealed any common data in either strong or weak points of teachers’ professional competences. Each school has a professional profile of its own. The need for in-service professional training depends on the professional profile of each school (correlation 0.835÷0.908). The need for language support is also highly correlated with the conscious need for training. Recommendations. Planning of partial transfer to teaching in the Estonian language, as well as an additional in-service training and language support should be based on the needs of a particular school. The system of in-service teacher training should take into consideration all components of teachers’ professional competences while offering additional in-service training and language support on a regular basis. While implementing partial transfer of Russian-medium schools into teaching in the Estonian language it is absolutely necessary to apply an individual approach to each and every school.

133-141

Authors: Violeta Šlekienė, Loreta Ragulienė

In order to improve students’ competencies of natural science must be consistent and systematic development of learning methods and strategies. Since Physics is an experimental science, the role of practical activities in physics education is very important. Experimental activities are one of the main Physics teaching/learning methods. One of these methods is inquiry-based learning, in which students answer research questions through data analysis. Computer-based data logging is a powerful strategy for the teaching and learning of physics. It helps to deliver a deep and meaningful physics education, increasing the interaction between the student and the concepts under investigation. This article deals with Physics experimental works by using the Xplorer GLX on different levels (confirmation, structured, guided and open inquiry) of inquiry-based learning. The research methodology is based on the provisions of the constructivist education theory underlying the structured, guided and open explorations as an effective educational technology, which promotes a positive attitude towards science, helps to apply the acquired knowledge in different situations, develops higher-level thinking skills, encourages active learning processes. Experimental activities use an inquiry-based approach, based on a small-scale research activity through different levels of inquiry using science learning system Xplorer GLX. The aim of each experimental activity is to gain practical research skills, master research methods, learn how to work safely with the physical equipment, to collect, process and convey the results of experiment and link them to theoretical models, to make generalizations and conclusions. One physics laboratory work (Capacitor Discharge) at the level II, as structured exploration, and level III, as guided exploration, using science learning system Xplorer GLX is presented. A key focus is on learning through collaborative work, supported by practical work. Students work together to collect & analyse data and present their results.

158

Authors: Editorial Board

End page, Vol. 57, 2013, PEC