Problems of Education in the 21st Century

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Authors: Editorial Board

Contents

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Authors: Lotta Anderson, Daniel Östlund

The aim of this research is to analyze teachers’ and paraprofessionals’ work and reflections on assessments for learning in a Swedish compulsory special school. Research has shown that assessment for learning is a powerful tool to improve student achievement. The theoretical perspectives discuss concepts such as situated learning and collaboration. The research adopted a participatory design; the researchers followed four teams, totally 20 teachers and paraprofessionals’ work through video observation, discussions, feedback and lectures on assessment. The teams documented classroom teaching and assessment of students' abilities in different subject. The data in this study are based on teams’ written texts. The texts are analyzed using a qualitative content analysis and contribute to research on formative assessment by including teachers as well as paraprofessionals. Results show, that professions have developed their educational philosophy and their ability to give children feedback, which will help their learning. The results also highlight the discussion between learning and caring, regarding the duties of teachers and paraprofessionals. A challenge for the teams is to unite the children’s care needs with the curriculum knowledge requirements and ensure them to learn within a holistic perspective. Teaching and assessing students with extensive learning difficulties and in need of alternative communication is another challenge for the teams as well as awareness that change processes take time.

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Authors: James Edomwonyi Edokpolor, Robinson Osarumwense Owenvbiugie

The research is aimed at assessing the important role of TVET on job creation and sustainable development of Nigerian economy. Two research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation statistics, while two hypotheses were tested using t-test statistic. A survey method was employed for the research. A four-point scale questionnaire was employed as the instrument for collection of data. The population consists of 332 TVET lecturers in 3 universities and 4 colleges of education in Edo and Delta States. There was no need to adopt sampling technique, nor select any sample size, since the entire population is of a manageable size. The instrument was validated by two experts and its reliability coefficient value using Cronbach alpha method was 0.81. The research revealed that TVET can equip students with skills for job creation and sustainable development of Nigerian economy. It also revealed that there was no significant difference between the mean ratings of TVET lecturers in Edo and Delta States on the extent to which TVET can equip students with skills for job creation. It further revealed that there was no significant difference between the mean ratings of male and female TVET lecturers on the extent to which TVET can equip students with skills for sustainable development of Nigerian economy. Optimizing sufficient amount of financial resources, regular supplies of state-of-the-art facilities, sourcing for qualified manpower, and organization of advocacy programme, that would help in effective management delivery of TVET were further recommended.

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Authors: Miha Lovšin

The career usually refers to individuals’ working life, education and training and to life in general. The studies and reports evaluating the relations between these components mainly justify the power of educational attainment level in gaining employment or higher socio-economic status. In contrast to Bourdieu’s concept of cultural capital providing the theoretical background of these reports and studies, the concept of career management paradigm shift, elaborated by Jarvis, justifies the power of career management skills over the educational attainment level in gaining employment or higher socio-economic status. Such approach towards the evaluation of someone’s career entirely overlooks the individuals’ notion of what would be relevant for their working life, education and training or life in general. Secondly, neither the concept of career relevance from the individuals’ point of view nor the career management skills were included when the relation between different career components was evaluated. The survey addressing these two problems was based on quantitative empirical methodology, conducted in 2016 in Slovenia. The non-random sample of 150 men and 468 women, born between 1940 and 1998, was collected through an online questionnaire. Four different variables were set: career relevance, career management skills, social, cultural and economic capital. The indicators of career relevance were built upon various definitions of career. Career management skills were conceptualised according to Law’s and Krumboltz’s theoretical discourse of social learning and career learning. Their forms of capital were conceptualised according to the Bourdieu’s conception of social, cultural and economic capital which is in direct relation to the OECD concept of socio-economic status. Bivariate analysis proved a statistically significant correlation between career relevance from individuals’ perspective and career management skills, educational attainment level, social, cultural and economic capital. However, the multivariate linear regression model confirms that only career management skills and economic capital, as independent variables, influence the dependent variable career relevance from individual’s perspective. One-way ANOVA proved that employed and unemployed differ statistically significant in the level of career management skills, career relevance, social and economic capital. In this respect, the results imply more systemic approach to career management skills learning in formal education.

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Authors: Nizaruddin, Muhtarom, Yanuar Hery Murtianto

The students’ multi-mathematical representation capability in problem solving is very important and interesting to discuss, specifically for problems in the two-variable linear equation system. Data was collected from 48 students using written tests and in-depth interviews with selected participants. The research findings showed that few students are using three representations namely symbolic - verbal - table representation, and symbolic representation, however most of the students are using three representations namely symbolic - verbal - images representation, and two representations namely symbolic – verbal representations, and the rest used symbolic representation. In the use of verbal representation, some students had difficulty composing words and all students encountered difficulties in the translational process from symbolic representation and verbal representation to other types of representation. The ability to understand concepts and relationships between mathematical concepts was found to be a necessary condition for the achievement of multi-mathematical representation capability. It is therefore recommended that teachers use a variety of different types of representation, such as verbal, tables and images, to enhance students' understanding of the material.

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Authors: Heri Retnawati, Samsul Hadi, Ariadie C. Nugraha, Janu Arlinwibowo, Eny Sulistyaningsih, Hasan Djidu, Ezi Apino, Heni D. Iryanti

In line with technological development, the computer-based national examination (CBNE) has become an urgent matter as its implementation faces various challenges, especially in developing countries. Strategies in implementing CBNE are thus needed to face the challenges. The aim of this research was to analyse the challenges and strategies of Indonesian schools in implementing CBNE. This research was qualitative phenomenological in nature. The data were collected through a questionnaire and a focus group discussion. The research participants were teachers who were test supervisors and technicians at junior high schools and senior high schools (i.e. Level 1 and 2) and vocational high schools implementing CBNE in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The data were analysed using the Bogdan and Biklen model. The results indicate that (1) in implementing CBNE, the schools should initially make efforts to provide the electronic equipment supporting it; (2) the implementation of CBNE is challenged by problems concerning the Internet and the electricity supply; (3) the test supervisors have to learn their duties by themselves and (4) the students are not yet familiar with the beneficial use of information technology. To deal with such challenges, the schools employed strategies by making efforts to provide the standard electronic equipment through collaboration with the students’ parents and improving the curriculum content by adding information technology as a school subject.