Research in Social Sciences and Technology

1-15

Authors: Eddia Solas, Frances Sutton

The implementation of technology-based pedagogic practices is becoming increasingly significant in higher education as the admission of digital natives increase. This generation of students, so defined as digital natives because they grew up using computers, tablets, smart phones and other digital technology, show a high level of technological competence, but exhibit deficiencies in competencies related to digital academic tools. A group of activities which supports learning, and facilitates student academic success, were compiled in a 28-item challenge for beginning General Education students, as a part of a Life and Study Skills course. Each challenge invited students to access some aspect of digital technology which has the potential to increase their academic competence. The main aim of the exercise was to increase students’ digital academic literacy, exposing them to applications and ICT skills which would increase their efficiency, self-efficacy and accuracy in executing academic tasks. The technology tools used were aimed at accomplishing tasks such as group formation and communication, notetaking, information capture, summarization, synchronous and asynchronous collaboration on tasks, referencing, formatting, grammar check, plagiarism and assessment. Students were challenged to complete particular tasks using specific applications. A screenshot of each completed activity was submitted as evidence of task completion. Students were given 28 days to complete the tasks, after which they were required to do two quizzes, using learning platforms they were exposed to in the challenge, demonstrating their new found proficiencies.

36-53

Authors: Shazia Mirza

This study is a Qualitative case study which highlights the important role of an educational leader using mentoring and socio emotional techniques to save her student from extremist activities in name of religion. Educational leaders should be committed not only toward their students’ academic enrichment but also focus on developing their student's socio emotional wellbeing. The educational leader plays a profound role toward promoting students wellbeing, giving them a message that yes we are here for you and by building in them confidence when they need it the most. Whenever at-risk youth is mentioned, it is assumed that they hide destructive layers under their body and mind. They need someone who knows how to read these signs and the educational leader plays a key role in this regard. This study will help educational leaders and managers to understand the aspects, importance and applicability of social emotional learning (cognitive affective) on student's behavior. Furthermore the study also shows how using some techniques of care, the teacher not only saved her students' life but also the lives’ of many students. This research accentuates the importance of creating a strong bonding with students. For curriculum developers, it is of key importance to inculcate religious content that emphasizes more on aspects related to care through animal rights in Islam and humanity on whole. Furthermore this research provides imperative guidelines to inculcate social emotional learning in Islamiat curriculum and shares the result on student's behavior towards general people. It also emphasizes the leaders' role of managing students on the basis of socio emotional learning.

74-85

Authors: Ramla Hozefa Poonawala

This study examines the awareness of inquiry based teaching amongst elementary science teachers through a workshop intervention, conducted in a private school in Karachi, Pakistan. The case study design deployed, highlighted the learning experiences of 24 participants that took part in the professional development workshop. A qualitative survey was carried before the intervention followed by focus group discussion, document analysis and participant observations during and after the intervention. These methodologies were used to record participants learning experiences and awareness of essential features of inquiry based pedagogy. In addition to this, four primary science teachers were interviewed to examine the adoption of essential features of inquiry in their revised lesson plans. The findings of this study were that before the science training the participants were superficially aware of the fundamentals of inquiry based methods and techniques and knew its importance. However, the in-depth process knowledge and skills/strategies required for an effective inquiry was an identifiable shortcoming. The workshop provided learning opportunities to analyze phenomenon, think scientifically, engage in hands-on science activities. Because of the workshop, the participants demonstrated an improved understanding of what entails an inquiry process and features of scientific inquiry. This research should inspire and inform professional developers about gap in inquiry based science teachings. Furthermore, the study aims to motivate private schools in Pakistan to invest in inquiry based science teaching as a tangible long-term benefit which can translate into better teaching practitioner.

109-121

Authors: Vasileios Dagdilelis

Greece these last 15 years has developed and implemented a large-scale system for the integration of digital technologies in education and more specifically in the teaching practice. "Large-scale" means that the whole program concerns all Greek education system. A very important part of this nationwide project is the training of teachers program that involves practically all Greek teachers - so far more than 120,000 teachers have been involved and soon they will be involved all of them (approximately 150.000). In this paper we present a summary of this plan. The monitoring of this project at national level, almost from its very beginning, gave to us the opportunity of collecting a large volume of raw information and data of both quantitative and qualitative nature.

134-148

Authors: Salvacion Mata Domingo, Nenita Guerrero

This study aims to determine the level or extent of practices on the norms or behaviors of the participants with regard to the use of technology. It is technically termed as digital citizenship. The descriptive survey method was utilized in this study. A researcher-made survey questionnaire patterned from an online article with slight modification is the main tool used in this paper. The research setting of this study is in one of the colleges in Muscat in the Sultanate of Oman. The participants are the two hundred randomly selected students who are officially enrolled in Level 5 and 6 in the Academic Year 2016-2017. The result of the study dwelled on the three main indicators namely: respect yourself and/or respect others; educate yourself and/or connect with others; and protect yourself and/or protect others. This findings revealed that different genders that are at different educational levels have diverse level or extent of norms that are applied when using a technology. As manifested by the participants it was found out that self-education and connection with others is practiced by them at an extent higher than their self- respect and respect to others. Furthermore, it can be concluded that the male is more sensible than female when it comes to self-education and/or connect with others as applied in use of technology. In addition, according to what was shown by most of the participants, protecting oneself or protecting others is generally at a lesser extent of practice by them. Some of the male and female participants are less conscious on what is meant by digital health and wellness.