Problems of Education in the 21st Century

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Authors: Editorial Board

Contents, Vol. 80, No. 1, 2022, PEC

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Authors: Kenneth Adu-Gyamfi, Rejoice Elikem Vorsah

A good number of instructional strategies are identified to help students overcome their learning difficulties in the mole concept. However, Ghanaian senior high school students continue to have difficulties in the mole concept. Hence, there was the need to examine the perceived nature of learning the mole concept in the perspectives of male and female students. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was adopted to collect quantitative and qualitative data. The students, selected through a multistage sampling procedure from four schools, responded to questionnaire and interview guide. Through independent-samples t-test statistics it was established that though students were full of uncertainty about the perceived nature of the mole concept that of males differed from their female counterparts. Hence, chemistry teachers should create learning environment conducive enough for male and female students to overcome their uncertainty in the mole concept.

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Authors: Aybige Arabaci, Keziban Orbay

In this study, the impact of activity designing experiences with Web 2.0 tools on prospective math teachers was examined. The aim of the study was to examine the impact of activity design experiences organized with Web 2.0 tools in the mathematics teaching course on the technological pedagogical content efficacy of prospective teachers, their attitude towards teaching technologies, and rapid content development self-efficacy with Web 2.0 tools. In the study, a nested mixed method was employed. In the study conducted with 33 prospective teachers from the primary mathematics teaching department, the quantitative data was collected using the scales “Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge”, “Self-Sufficiency for Web 2.0 Rapid Content Development” and “Attitude to Teaching Technologies”. Qualitative data was collected using an interview form. Within the scope of the distance education and “Teaching numbers” course, different Web 2.0 tools were introduced for a period of 10 weeks, and it was presented how to create activity examples that could be used in mathematics teaching. According to the quantitative results, the prospective mathematics teachers’ self-efficacy increased for rapid content development with Web 2.0 tools. In addition, it was observed that the “Attitude towards Teaching Technologies” scale had a significant effect on the sub-dimensions such as believing in the use of teaching technologies in lessons, enjoying the use of teaching technologies in lessons, and not enjoying the use of teaching technologies. In line with the opinions of prospective mathematics teachers, it was concluded that the study raised awareness about technology integration, enabled content production with Web 2.0 tools, and developed positive attitudes, new knowledge, and skills about technology.

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Authors: Bunyamin Celik, Yunus Yildiz, Recep Bilgin

Violence and abuse against children are important social issues for teachers. The aim of this study was to determine the perceptions of foreign language students, regarding violence and abuse against children, and their suggestions for preventing violence. The research was designed in the case study pattern, which is a qualitative research method. The study group of the research consists of 82 first year and second year foreign language pre-service teachers studying at Tishk International University, Faculty of Education, and voluntarily agreeing to participate in the research. The data of the study were obtained by using the structured “Recommendations Form for Preventing Violence and Abuse Against Children” developed by the researchers. Written data were analyzed by content analysis method. 82 students from first and second years at Education Faculty were interviewed and their opinions were taken. There were some subheadings during the survey: family, laws, national and international non-governmental organizations, schools and teachers, society, media, and art. They expressed their opinions about what the functions of these organs should be to prevent the violence and abuse against children. The pre-service teachers attached important duties to each of these organs separately. It is concluded that the prevention of violence and abuse against children can only be achieved in cooperation and separate duties of these organs. It is also recommended that courses and training that will provide pre-service teachers with knowledge, skills and awareness about violence and abuse against children should be placed in the curriculum as compulsory in education faculties.

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Authors: Fatma Cumhur

Understanding students’ mathematical thinking in problem solving process plays an important role in facilitating the solution. Hence, teachers or pre-service teachers need to understand students’ thoughts and guide them to the correct answer. The aim of this study was to examine pre-service teachers’ approaches to guiding students in problem solving process. Designed as a case study, this study was carried out with five pre-service primary mathematics teachers. In the study, participants’ dialogues with 7th grade students were examined through 3 non-routine problems. The dialogues were transcribed and it was tried to reveal what kind of approaches the participants displayed. The content analysis was used in data analysis. The findings revealed that pre-service teachers followed Polya's problem-solving steps during their guiding approaches. Most pre-service teachers provided appropriate guidance in understanding the problem, selecting and implementing appropriate strategies for the problem; however, they failed to use the evaluative approaches sufficiently.

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Authors: Jean de Dieu Nkurikiyimana, Jean Uwamahoro, Kizito Ndihokubwayo

This study assesses the level of application of the 5E’s educational model by Rwandan physics teachers and how the model affects the learning of basic classical mechanics in secondary school physics classrooms. For this analysis, quantitative data were collected using the classroom observation tool framed at the 5E’s educational model. A sample of six secondary physics teachers was selected purposively from three boarding secondary schools of Nyamasheke district in the western province of Rwanda to participate in this study. Twenty-four classroom observations were conducted during teaching and learning mechanics concepts in the way of four observations for each teacher before being trained on 5E’s educational model. This was done to help the researcher to have the real picture of the prior ability of teachers to incorporate 5E’s aspects in their usual teaching practices. Similarly, a total of 24 observations were done after teachers’ training. The collected data were tabulated in Microsoft Excel, and descriptive statistics were analyzed and presented. The overall mean scores on the teachers’ ability to apply 5E’s educational model during lesson delivery on introductory mechanics were low before training and increased due to teacher training on the use of 5E’s educational model. The main findings from this study revealed that 5E’s educational model is more effective in stimulating students’ motivation and strong interaction and a better understanding of mechanics concepts through interactive activities, discrepant events, and computer simulations. Based on the findings of this study, some recommendations were suggested that would improve more physics students’ active learning.

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Authors: Mehtap Saracoglu

This study aims to show to what extent the variables of reflective thinking, inquiry skill and mathematics teaching self-efficacy belief affect each other, to show their rates of explaining each other, and to show whether inquiry skill is a mediating variable in the relationship between reflective thinking and mathematics teaching self-efficacy belief. The data which were collected to test the hypotheses regarding the relationships to be shown were evaluated with structural equation modeling. A relational screening model was used in the research. The participants of the study were 304 prospective primary school teachers studying in their third and fourth years in the Basic Education Department of Education Faculties in two different state universities in Turkey. As data collection tools, the “Reflective Thinking Level Determination Scale”, “Inquiry Skills Scale” and “Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument” were used. According to the results of the study, reflective thinking affects mathematics teaching self-efficacy belief positively and significantly and explains it significantly. Reflective thinking affects inquiry skills positively and significantly and explains it significantly. Inquiry skill affects mathematics teaching self-efficacy belief positively and significantly. Reflective thinking and inquiry skill together explain mathematics teaching self-efficacy belief highly and significantly. Inquiry skill has a partial mediating effect between reflective thinking and mathematics teaching self-efficacy belief.