Problems of Education in the 21st Century

567-568

Authors: Editorial Board

Problems of Education in the 21st Century, ISSN 1822-7864 (Print) ISSN 2538-7111 (Online) Vol. 81, No. 5, 2023

570-571

Authors: Milan Kubiatko

Disinterest is obviously defined as a cause to regard something with no interest or concern. As it is mentioned in many studies, the interest in school subjects is decreasing. The factors causing this state are many, the excessive using of different information and communication devices among students of different age cohorts diverts attention from the learning topics and materials, and it can cause disinterest in students about all schools’ activity. The teachers and also researchers are trying to suggest many activities and improvements to eliminate disinterest. It is possible to mention an option, how to stop decreasing interest in any school subject, and it is possible to find it in the relatively new curricular efforts.

586-597

Authors: Yu-Long Chao

With a conviction that general education should play a significant role in fostering the positive development of university students’ character, several educators integrated various activities that could contribute to such development into general education courses in a technical university in Taiwan. This study surveyed the takers and non-takers of those courses and compared the differences in the scores of eight aspects of character development between the two groups of students. Results revealed that the implemented courses brought up small gains, particularly for male students in the second year, in most of the aspects including “logic and innovation,” “social practices,” “citizenship,” “growth in learning,” and “proactiveness and autonomy.” Female students were found to score significantly higher than male counterparts in all of the aspects and the scores of most aspects exhibited a declining trend with the increasing university years. These results were discussed from the perspectives of the teaching strategies advantageous for character development as well as the mental difference between first-year and third- or fourth-year students.

612-626

Authors: Saban Kara

Using authentic materials, such as books, videos, news, and podcasts has received increasing attention in English classes in the last two decades. Among others, Google Trends serves as a platform to choose authentic materials based on their popularity on a global scale. It has been displaying huge data about the most popular news, people, events, books, movies, and songs since 2004. To this aim, 40 Foundation English students who studied at a private university in Erbil, Iraq, were chosen through a simple random sampling method for the 2022-2023 Academic Year. Control group students kept their education according to the principles of the pre-defined curriculum, while experimental group students made a presentation about a trending topic on Google, prepared a listening quiz, and ran a speaking session. The data, collected by exams and surveys, were analyzed by SPSS 26 and NVivo application, revealing that Google Trends enriched teaching mode, increased students' listening scores and enhanced speaking performance significantly in the experimental group, whereas no noticeable progress was observed in the control group. Likewise, students’ motivation towards learning English increased significantly in the experimental group, while it was less than noticeable in the control group. The findings of this study can have some implications for educators who consider integrating Google Trends into the curriculum to present authentic materials.

647-666

Authors: Agnese Lastovska, Svetlana Surikova, Gunta Siliņa-Jasjukeviča, Inese Lūsēna-Ezera

In contemporary society, constant dynamic change presents a challenge that should be perceived as a determinant factor leading to progress. The aim of this study was to explore the extent to which educational practitioners in general education institutions in Latvia are prepared for change. Additionally, the study seeks to identify the main enabling factors and obstacles in implementing the “School as a Learning Organisation” (SLO) model in general education in Latvia. That was achieved through quantitative data analysis from various perspectives, such as comparing data based on the type and size of educational institutions, as well as the positions and seniority of employees. Research data were collected using a web-based survey designed and maintained through QuestionPro. The final analytic sample comprised 671 respondents from 62 general education institutions in Latvia. The research results revealed that educational practitioners in Latvia, including leading, teaching, and supporting staff from general education institutions, are open to changes, new practices, and innovations. However, there were exceptions influenced by the educational practitioners' seniority and position, institution size, and type. These factors could both positively and negatively predict employees' attitudes towards change. A positive attitude towards change among teaching staff is a crucial element for the successful implementation of educational reforms in Latvia, such as the adoption of the SLO model. To foster a positive organizational culture, school leaders must provide supportive and transformative leadership, which is crucial for employees' positive attitude towards change.

687-701

Authors: Elena-Ancuța Santi, Gabriel Gorghiu, Costin Pribeanu

Self-efficacy is an important variable that explains students̕ behavior of engaging in school activities and persevering in the face of academic challenges. High confidence in personal competencies and in the ability to successfully accomplish a particular task or a certain goal, acts as a stimulating factor of mental resources (cognitive, affective, motivational, volitional), contributing to students̕ success. In an educational context, the development of self-efficacy can be both a means of facilitating high achievement, but also an end in itself, a prospective goal of education. Perceived self-efficacy plays a major role in understanding how students perceive and experience academic courses. This research aims to identify the extent to which perceived self-efficacy with the course influences students' satisfaction with the class as a prerequisite for learning and academic performance. A structural model was developed and tested on two samples of students enrolled in the Psychoeducational Training Program, to prepare for the teaching career. The research results show that there is a significant relationship between perceived self-efficacy with the course and satisfaction with the class. Understanding this relationship, several educational implications can be formulated for the development of students' academic self-efficacy; by recognizing the main indicators of low self-efficacy, teachers can implement specific strategies and interventions to optimize students' self-confidence and performance.

715-718

Authors: Editorial Board

Problems of Education in the 21st Century, ISSN 1822-7864 (Print) ISSN 2538-7111 (Online) Vol. 81, No. 5, 2023