BULGARIAN JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND EDUCATION POLICY

34-57

Authors: Nigusse Arefaine, Aynalem Tesfay, Kassa Michael (Ethiopia)

Web2.0 technologies have brought a paradigm shift on the teaching and learning process globally by providing creative, interactive and collaborative learning landscapes. These technologies have the potential to eradicate all possible physical and mental barriers for learning and pave the way to keep oneself up-to-date through the access of open contents and remains connected with people of same interest to secure lifelong learning. In the context of Ethiopian universities, the endorsement of these technologies for mathematics classrooms is at its infant stage. Likewise, much research is not conducted on experiences of mathematics instructors on adopting these technologies for classroom instruction. As a result, this study was conducted to describe the status of mathematics instructors awareness, experience, purposes and challenges on adopting Web2.0 technologies for supporting students learning of mathematics in three purposefully selected public universities in Ethiopia. Descriptive survey research design was employed for the study. Questionnaire, interview and observation checklist were used as data collection tools. Thirty mathematics instructors involved as respondents who were selected randomly. The study revealed that the instructors are aware of the use and benefit of Web2.0 technologies. But, they largely use them for the purpose of social communication or personal enjoyment than instructional practices. They do not incorporate them in course design and as classroom teaching and learning facilities. Internal and external factors related to awareness, experience, purpose and challenges hindered the instructors from adopting these technologies. It is recommended that web2.0 technologies need to be extended into the actual classroom instruction, and there has to commitment to build better ICT infrastructures and access to Web2.0 technologies on these institutions.

86-108

Authors: Win Thinzarkyaw (China)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the school culture in Yangon Region, Myanmar. A quantitative survey research design was used, and the school culture scale constructed by Gruenert (2005) was applied. The participants were teachers (N=114) currently working in the public/government schools in Yangon Region. Most of the teachers who participated in this study reported that they had experienced cooperative school culture in their schools. Moreover, the findings revealed significant differences in the school culture related to their school locations (urban and suburban areas) and levels of schools (basic education high schools and middle schools). However, no significant difference was found in school culture in accordance with the length of teaching service.

135-152

Authors: Olori Abiola Lateef (Nigeria)

This study investigated predictors of College of Education Trainee Teachers instructional graphic production competence. Two hypotheses were raised while the instruments used to collect data was a validated competency rating scale and questionnaires for students response. From the analysis of the data collected it was found that creative arts experience significantly contributed to trainee teachers instructional graphic production competence (B = 0.683, t = 4.631, P < 0.05). It was found that information technology experience significantly contributed to trainee teachers instructional graphic production competence (B = 0.539, t = 3.535, P < 0.05). It was found that trainee teachers attitude significantly contributed to instructional graphic production competence. (B = 0.023, t = 6.316, P < 0.05). Results also revealed that creative arts experience, information technology experience and attitude taken as a whole significantly predicted trainee teachers instructional graphics production competence. (F1198 =31.048, P < 0.05). It was recommended that the predictor variables should be considered educational technology lecturers during professional preparation of 21st century teachers.

187-207

Authors: Babatimehin Temitope (Nigeria)

The study determined the equivalence of the chemistry items using linear test equating approaches of CTT and IRT. The study adopted descriptive survey research design. The population for the study comprised 36,182 final year 2017/2018 senior secondary school students in Osun State. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select the sample for the study. Two instruments, Chemistry Achievement Test Type 1 (NECO), and Chemistry Achievement Test Type 2 (WAEC) were used to collect data. These were the adopted versions of June/July 2015 NECO and May/June WAEC 2015 Senior School Certificate Examination Chemistry (Objective) Paper 1. Data collected were analyzed using equated package of R-language. Results showed that linear test equating approaches of IRT and CTT produced different results. CTT equated scores of examinees in NCI were higher (range from 5 56) than WCI (range from 4 - 49). Similarly, IRT equated scores of examinees in NCI were higher (range from 13 53) than WCI (range from 11 - 48). The study concluded that there is no statistical equivalence between WAEC and NECO Chemistry examinations in terms of difficulty. The WCI were more difficult than NCI.

230-250

Authors: Olayeni Kofoworola Pius, Adisa Buki (Nigeria)

The study focuses on some selected universities in South Western Nigeria, which include two federal universities Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) and University of Lagos (UNILAG); two universities of Technology Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) and Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH). It also covers two private universities Covenant University (CU) and Joseph Ayo-Babalola University (JABU). This study was aimed to better understand the gender composition of Nigerian school of architecture and the factors that influence a female student's choice of the course in order to encourage the girl child enrolment in the course in Nigeria universities. Through the survey approach, questionnaires were used to elicit information from students in the last two years of the B.Sc. programme and those in the two years of the M.Sc. programme. The result shows that the strongest stimulator of a young woman's decision to enrol in architectural course is the perceived future prospect in the profession this is followed by her personal interest as well as existing relationships with people who have studied the course. This research establishes that identity is often contested ground for women architectural students who, at times, uphold gendered stereotypes about women's suitability for commonly viewed masculine course like architecture, yet also subscribe to an ideal that the course is accessible to all who want to study it. As a consequence, it is critical that the education system finds novel ways of challenging and addressing cultural norms and practices that facilitate gendered stereotypes in construction-related courses (such as architecture) in the country.