Problems of Education in the 21st Century

721-722

Authors: Editorial Board

Problems of Education in the 21st Century, ISSN 1822-7864 (Print) ISSN 2538-7111 (Online) Vol. 81, No. 6, 2023

729-741

Authors: Saeed Almuntasheri

In the context of inquiry-based learning, it is widely acknowledged that fostering teachers' skills in formative assessment is vital for enhancing student learning. This study examined the impact of a formative assessment-based inquiry model on science student understanding and explanations. A quasi-experimental approach that adopts the design of two groups was used. The study sample included 62 science students enrolled in the 10th grade in Saudi Arabia who were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 31) or a control group (n = 31). The experimental group was taught by teachers who were engaged in professional development that embedded formative assessment into teaching 5Es inquiry learning while the control group was taught conventionally. Pre- and posttests that consisted of two sections: multiple-choice (20 questions with four alternative answers) and five open-ended questions were given to the two groups. Independent sample t-tests were performed to assess the students’ understanding and explanations of physical and chemical changes. Posttest results show that students in the experimental group significantly outperformed their peers in the control group in the multiple choice and the open-ended questions. The study findings suggest the significance of integrating formative assessment with inquiry-based learning to support teachers in exploring prior knowledge and promoting learners' diverse responses. Further research should study factors that impact teachers' actions to challenge learners' thinking and encourage their inquiry to address their inconsistent views and explanations.

758-775

Authors: Andie Tangonan Capinding

Mathematics plays a vital role in education; however, Filipino students encounter difficulties, evident in their performance on both national and international assessments. However, current literature suggests that leveraging technology, such as calculators and AI, in mathematics education can enhance students' proficiency, particularly in the pre-calculus domain. Thus, this research study examined the effectiveness of Photomath in enhancing Filipino students' self-reliance, interest, and performance in pre-calculus. A quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design was used, with 49 Grade 11 students from NEUST Laboratory High School participating. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were performed to examine the pre-and post-intervention data. Results revealed a significant increase in students' self-reliance, interest, and performance in pre-calculus following the use of Photomath. The mean scores on all three measures increased significantly from the pretest to the posttest. The results of the t-tests further confirmed the effectiveness of Photomath in enhancing students' self-reliance, interest, and performance in pre-calculus. These results suggest that Photomath can be a valuable tool for educators to incorporate into pre-calculus teaching to enhance students' confidence and interest, foster intrinsic motivation, and ultimately improve their performance.

789-810

Authors: Burcu Duman, Turan Konuk

Information technologies represent the main fields in vocational and technical education systems. Since the curricula of this field are technology-based, they need to be assessed and updated at shorter intervals compared to other curricula. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the framework curriculum in the field of Information Technologies in Turkey. The research was carried out based on a qualitative approach. The research design is a case study. The sample of the study was determined via maximum variation sampling. The sample determined for the study consists of Information Technology teachers working in vocational and technical upper-secondary schools in different provinces of Turkey. A semi-structured interview form was employed as a data collection tool. It has been found that the outcomes in the curriculum framework tend to be consistent, but they are above the student level. Timeliness, simplicity, and the availability of printed books are among the strengths of the curriculum framework. Insufficient physical conditions and lack of materials and equipment are among the aspects of the curriculum framework that need to be improved. Students' low level of readiness is stated as one of the main challenges in implementing the curriculum framework. Teachers have provided suggestions such as admitting students to vocational and technical upper secondary schools via exams, offering financial resources, establishing IT upper secondary schools, and transforming vocational upper secondary schools into project schools for an effective curriculum framework.

825-839

Authors: Hur Mustafa Yucedal, Saban Kara

Formulaic sequences, particularly idioms and collocations, have received increasing attention in English language learning settings to bridge the gap between daily and academic life. Thus, it is expected to increase students’ motivation in English classes when they see reflections of formulaic sequences in their daily lives. Although the number of publications has risen exponentially to measure the effects of idioms and collocations on students’ proficiency globally, a gap in the literature has been pinpointed about their roles in the Iraq context. In this regard, this study aimed to explore the potential influence of idioms and collocations on students' oral proficiency. Having chosen sixty first-year students by employing a convenience sampling method to represent two experimental and one control groups equally at a private university in Erbil, Iraq, in the spring semester of the 2022-2023 academic year, the students went through the intervention spanning twelve weeks. Experimental group students received the education either with a collocation-enriched or an idiom-enriched format, respectively. However, control group students continued their education according to the prerequisites of the official curriculum. Data were collected via speaking exams and interviews to obtain quantitative and qualitative data in this quasi-experimental design study. Collected data, analyzed by SPSS 26 and NVivo, revealed that collocation and idiom-enriched groups outperformed the control group. Similarly, experimental group students had more positive views on collocation and idiom-enriched education with various compelling reasons, such as being catchy, handy, and effective. The findings of the study may have some implications for stakeholders who plan to implement formulaic sequences in English classes.

861-868

Authors: Vincentas Lamanauskas, Costin Pribeanu

The pandemic has posed a number of challenges to university studies. The whole study process, the conditions, the context, the conditions for student mobility, the technical possibilities, and finally the quality of the studies have changed. During the pandemic period, a number of studies have been carried out on how higher education is organised in the context of a pandemic, but there is still a lack of analysis on how students perceive the usefulness of distance learning. A quantitative study was carried out with a contingent of 132 prospective preschool and primary education teachers, and students in the field of social sciences at three Lithuanian universities. The aim was to explore possible antecedents of the perceived usefulness of an online learning platform during the pandemic. The sample consisted of 24 first-year, 52 second-year, 28 third-year and 28 fourth-year students. The data obtained during the study were processed and analysed using SPSS software. In addition, structural Equation Modelling (SEM) with Lisrel 9.3 for Windows has been used to test the model. Three factors were extracted. All constructs have a very good convergent and discriminant validity. These factors are important for analyzing the effectiveness of distance learning in general. It was found that the most important contributor to the perceived usefulness is the ease of access. It was also found that content adaptation has a positive influence on the perceived usefulness.

881-884

Authors: Editorial Board

Problems of Education in the 21st Century, ISSN 1822-7864 (Print) ISSN 2538-7111 (Online) Vol. 81, No. 6, 2023