Problems of Education in the 21st Century

321

Authors: Editorial Board

Contents of the issue

324-334

Authors: Theresa Adrião, Teise Garcia, Juliana Azevedo

This research aims to present a result on three educational policies in force in Brazil that link public education at the stage of compulsory schooling to the interests of corporations or sectors linked to them. The first is called Integral Secondary Education and was implemented in one of the poorest regions of the country, the state of Pernambuco; The second identified as Education - Commitment Program São Paulo is being developed in the richest region of Brazil, the state of São Paulo, where the third policy was also disseminated with the adoption of so - called Private Education Systems in public schools. The research, of a qualitative nature, derives from research in primary documentary sources and semi-structured interviews with educational managers. The results confirm the trends identified in the literature, according to which education, when it is a field for business expansion through the performance of private companies directly in the management of public education, accentuates inequalities of access to schooling processes. In the analyzed cases, these inequalities are observed in the unequal access to the time of permanence in the school; In the unequal working conditions of teachers and in the allocation of public funds to profitable companies, to the detriment of investment in public education.

345-353

Authors: Anna Klim-Klimaszewska, Stanisława Nazaruk

The core curriculum of preschool education stipulates that the child that is prepared to study Mathematics in school can distinguish between basic geometric figures (circles, squares, triangles, rectangles). Nevertheless, a review of the records of student training in kindergarten revealed that there were no geometry-related subjects in any of them. Therefore, it was decided to further explore whether it was the teachers who did not implement geometrical concepts or just the students, who had no opportunity to observe or conduct classes in the field. In addition, if the latter was the case, the analysis was to include the extent to which teachers implement geometric concepts.A total of 150 teachers (females only), 78 teachers from 19 kindergartens located in Siedlce and 72 teachers from 18 kindergartens located in Biala Podlaska, participated in the research. The research methods of a diagnostic survey and document review were employed. Structured interviews were conducted with the teachers in order to identify the factors having an influence on the implementation of geometric concepts in kindergartens. The content analysis of geometry topics recorded in class registers was performed for the period of 8 months. The analysis of research results revealed that, in most cases, there was no systematic mathematical education with geometric content provided by most of the teachers participating in the research. They do not use children’s potential, i.e. geometric intuition, in an effective way. However, if properly shaped in kindergarten, this intuition may be a baseline for a more systematic study of Mathematics, including geometry, in school. On the basis of this research, conclusions may be drawn about the scope of geometrical education in kindergartens.

366-374

Authors: Nino Rachvelishvili

The aim of the research is to identify an achievement goal as a motivational factor of learning the English language among Georgian students. In the current research, a four-factor structure of achievement goal orientation (master-approach, master-avoidance, performance-approach, performance-avoidance) and attitude toward the language acquisition were researched. The data obtained were evaluated using the Achievement Goal Questionnaire (AGQ) (2008) and Attitude/Motivation Test Battery (AMTB). The main finding of this research is that in different forms of language learning are different leading achievement goals. The results showed that different speciality learners were determined to achieve different motivational goals. Different forms of language learning cause differences between strong and weak learners and raise different goal orientations. Students, who have high scores and are successful, have strong ability of the Master Goals. Language learners, who do not have high grades and are not successful, have a high level of Performance goals. The 2x2 achievement goal framework (master-approach, master-avoidance, performance-approach, performance-avoidance) were closely connected with a positive attitude. Positive attitude defines language learning effectively and stimulates students to perform their goal perfectly.

394-409

Authors: Julius Ssegantebuka

The research examined the relevance of the visual arts curriculum content with the view of assessing the extent to which it equips pre-service visual arts teachers with the knowledge and skills required for effective teaching. The study adopted a descriptive case study design. Data were collected from three purposively selected National Teacher Colleges (NTCs), six tutors and 90 final year pre-service visual arts teachers participated in this study. The research findings showed that teacher education institutions are inadequately preparing pre-service visual arts teachers because of the gaps in the Visual Arts Curriculum (VAC) used in NTCs. Some of these gaps are attributed to the structure of the visual arts curriculum tutors use in NTCs. The visual arts curriculum lacks explicit visual arts assessment strategies; it has wide and combined visual arts content to be covered within a short period of two years and the limited knowledge of the available art materials, tools and equipment. The research recommended the restructuring of the VAC to accommodate more practical; and the introduction of specialized knowledge in the visual arts education (VAE) to enable tutors decipher practical knowledge from the theory studied so as to adopt an integrated approach in VAE curriculum.

211

Authors: Editorial Board

Contents

215-234

Authors: Christy Belardo, Andrea C. Burrows, Lydia Dambekalns

Research on teaching through discipline integration is currently emphasized as a gap in educational literature, and this study bridges discipline silos between the arts and sciences by indicating how science and art compliment content learning. A study of secondary education pre-service teachers (3 years, n = 52) participating in a science/art integration unit the semester before their last college experience, explores how integrated sessions capture both scientific and artistic discipline concepts. A mixed methods research approach measured changes in confidence of science and art knowledge, skills, and experiences of the participants. Quantitative and qualitative data support increased awareness and confidence in pre-service teachers’ perceptions of how science and art can be incorporated into pre-collegiate classrooms, recognition of discipline similarities, and significant common themes when teaching both disciplines together. The researchers utilized a social constructivist framework with the qualitative data. Conclusions and implications include: 1) instructors can provide examples and modeling of interdisciplinary learning, which inspire pre-service teachers to explore new integrated disciplines in their own future classrooms, and 2) instructors can influence perspectives of pre-service teachers by offering integrated units, which produces open-mindedness of future teachers to use various teaching strategies.

252-262

Authors: Peter Karlsudd, Marianne Dahl, Berit Willén Lundgren

This research scrutinises the question whether an education profile with development-oriented thesis projects in teacher education programs can provide an increased professional relevance without losing scientific quality. The methodology used in the survey can be defined as a participatory approach in which field work, document studies and interviews form the basis for data collection. The suggested activities that students used were development-oriented methods. Before the project's implementation, instructional texts and supplementary examination criteria were written with a view to guaranteeing scientific excellence, with the main aim of improving professional relevance. The results show that the course tutor initially had some trouble communicating disposition and structure, which meant that some of the students at first had doubts. Despite this, the summary assessment is that the development-oriented approach implemented with scientific quality enhanced the students` readiness for future professions.

270-287

Authors: Roni Tinell, Mervi A. Asikainen, Pekka E. Hirvonen

The way teachers view assessment has a considerable impact on their practice of assessment. Student perceptions of assessment, in turn, affect the ways in which they take advantage of its potential to direct their learning processes and to develop metacognitive skills. In this research, physics teachers and international postgraduate students at a Finnish university were surveyed for their views of assessment. The teachers were found to use assessment in a restricted fashion, which indicates that their conceptions of assessment are also limited in scope. The international students appeared to have a loose grasp of the concepts pertaining to assessment. Furthermore, clear differences were found in the purposes ascribed to assessment by the teachers and students. The implications of the findings are discussed and suggestions are made for the development of assessment practices to ensure a better use of its potential as a tool for achieving learning objectives.

120-122

Authors: Marco Antonio Bueno Filho

What is learning? What is teaching? What would be students and teachers’ role regarding the process of learning and teaching? These are basic questions that have been answered in different ways throughout the twentieth century by various currents of thought in the field of education. As teachers we also tend to respond to them based on our past pedagogical readings and experiences, resulting in a plurality of positions where cognitivism, socio-cultural, behavioral, and political aspects can be appreciated jointly or to some degree polarized relative to each other.

136-143

Authors: Didimus Tanah Boleng, Sonya V.T Lumowa, Evie Palenewen, Aloysius Duran Corebima

Teachers play an important role in the world of education, including in the process of planning the learning activities. A meaningful learning will be able to provide a good effect on students’ thinking ability. One of the students’ thinking skills that can be empowered is the critical thinking. Critical thinking skills can help a person to face the challenges of a globalized world. This research aimed at revealing the effect of PBL learning model on the critical thinking skills of multiethnic students. The design of this research was quasi experimental in non-equivalent pretest-posttest control group design. This research was conducted on multiethnic students of class XI Science in July-December 2016, in Samarinda, Indonesia. The results of the data analysis showed that learning model had an effect on students’ critical thinking skills. PBL model had a mean score of students’ critical thinking skill 73.81% higher than that of the conventional learning. Ethnics had an effect on students' critical thinking skills. The mean score of students’ critical thinking skills of Javanese was 11.94% higher than that of the Kutai ethnic, and 13.17% higher than that of the Banjar ethnic.

157-169

Authors: Skaistė Kovienė

Competence, psychological and material-organisational conditions determine favourable educational environment for parent education in pre-school education establishments. The aim of this research is - to identify competence conditions determining favourable educational environment for parent education in pre-school education establishment. Competence conditions, determining favourable educational environment for parent education in pre-school education establishments, which are formed of pedagogues and parents’ collaboration and parents’ communication between themselves, have been examined in the research. One of the determining factors, forming favourable educational environment for parent education is- pre-school educational establishment pedagogues, therefore both professional and personal pedagogues’ abilities were analysed to apply the most suitable communication and collaboration forms with parents in a concrete situation, to give parents pedagogical-psychological support. Standardised interview was applied for the research (for gathering empiric research data) and content analysis (empiric data analysis). Parents of the children attending pre-school education establishments participated in the research. The obtained results allowed making concrete conclusions about competence conditions determining favourable environment for parent education and to identify, according to parents, the most necessary for parents’ education improvement educational environment area, – pedagogues and parents’ communication and collaboration.

182-193

Authors: Janos Mika, Andrea Farkas

In September 2015 the United Nations (UN) accepted the Sustainable Development Goals (2016-2030) for mankind, including 17 Goals and 169 detailed Targets. Sustainability is understood in the wider sense by the document, considering society and economy not just as conditions for environmental sustainability, but as equally important pillar of the „building of sustainability”. Fulfilment of these goals and targets needs active participation of present and future generations, hence education of these tasks is inevitable. The aim of the research is to specify those goals and detailed targets in which renewable energy sources are involved. The latter is just one aspect for bringing the whole complex closer to the adults and youngsters to educate. This topic, however, is characterised by three features that make this aspect appealing: renewable energies are (i) fast developing, (ii) future oriented by saving the environment and (iii) they represent relatively new pieces of knowledge, so contemporary information should not fight with older learning. Before turning to these goals and targets, a reasonable classification of the 17 goals, listed without any systematic order in the UN document, is provided. The presented classification of the goals recommends the following groups: (i) Primary needs of humans (Goals 2, 3, 6 and 7) (ii) Equality between humans (1, 4, 5 and 10), (iii) Efficient, sustainable production (8, 9, 12 and 13), (iv) Landscapes in danger (11, 14 and 15) and (v) Worldwide cooperation (16, 17). From these Goals, No. 7 (affordable and clean energy) and No 13 (climate action) are in full synergy with the aim of extended renewable energy utilisation, but No 2 (zero hunger) might be in contradiction with extensive land use for bio-energy. If consumption of timber for bio-energy continues to be intense than No. 15 (life on land) may also contradict to other goals of sustainable development. Six further targets are identified as related to renewable energies without relatedness of the complete goals. So, we may consider 14 targets belonging to 9 goals to be related to energy sources. The recommended classification of the goals and quotations of the energy-relevant targets are illustrated by some world-wide and Hungarian indicators. Being acquainted with these objectives is useful for all youngsters, presented at their level of knowledge, and it provides a good basis to refresh one’s activity expressed in the environmental education.

6-18

Authors: Agustín Freiberg-Hoffmann, Juliana Beatriz Stover, Natalia Donis

Frequently, college students have issues to learn academic contents included in the subjects of their courses. Such low quality learning is reflected in failures and academic dropout, therefore being matters of concern for teachers and governments. Learning processes in college depend, in part, on the coincidence between teaching methods and students’ learning styles. They are defined as the preference of students when they have to deal with information, particularly the way to perceive it and process it. Learning styles can be trained by the repeated use of specific learning strategies. In such cases, when learning styles coincide with the learning context in order to facilitate the acquisition of new knowledge and its integration with previous information, academic success can be achieved more naturally. To get this match it is required from teachers to adapt their styles and strategies to their students’ learning preferences. Other alternative rests on the design of actions to train students in the use of the appropriate learning styles able to enhance learning. Focused on the second option, the present study aims at: 1) the description of the influence of different learning strategies on each learning style, and 2) the analysis of the way each style explains students’ academic achievement. A transversal, non-experimental, explicative design was employed. 763 college students from Buenos Aires with ages ranging from 17 to 36 years were included in the sample. Locally adapted versions of the Honey-Alonso Questionnaire of Learning Styles -CHAEA as its Spanish acronym-, and Learning and Study Strategies Inventory –LASSI- were used for data gathering. Results showed that the Accommodating style is explained positively and significantly by the Collaborative Learning, Resources for Learning and Information 2.0 Management Competence strategies. Besides, it is observed that the strategies Collaborative Learning, Resources for Learning and Motivation explain to the Assimilating style in a significant and positive way. The Pragmatist and Converging styles are explained significantly but negatively by the Motivation and Information 2.0 Management Competence strategies respectively. Finally, Converging style explained Academic Achievement in a significant and negative way. These findings led to the possibility to plan specific actions to train students' learning styles. Furthermore, this information could be useful for different actors in higher education, such as -institutions, teachers, educational psychologists, students, etc., in order to design academic activities which require the repeated use of the specific learning strategies which each student needs to train, aiming at the improvement of particular learning styles able to facilitate learning. At this point, it seems important to discourage the use of Converging style given the negative effect it would have on the students’ performance. Results and limitations of the study are discussed and future research lines are proposed.

34-53

Authors: Bisera S. Jevtić

Analyzing the significance and the role of school and teachers in the encouragement of prosocial behaviour of the learners in secondary schools, the following problem appeared: the connection between the teachers’ encouragement of prosocial behaviour and the academic achievement in the secondary schools in Serbia through the following segments: procedures and activities used by teachers, and the interrelatedness of prosocial behaviour and academic achievement. A review of theoretical findings and a study conducted on the sample of 695 respondents are presented. The method of theoretical analysis and synthesis, the causal non-experimental method and the descriptive method are applied. The applied techniques include content analysis, scaling and evaluation. The results showed that teachers’ activities partly promoted prosocial behaviour. The results of the research pointed to certain pedagogical implications: the reform of the educational system in Serbia; a change of educational objectives and tasks; establishing a continuity between all levels of the educational system and raising cooperation with parents; educational professional services to teachers in the area of raising their interest in acquiring and applying strategies and skills directed at educating prosocially oriented personalities and improving the quality of their work.

72-91

Authors: Md. Mamun-ur-Rashid, Md. Zillur Rhman

Progressive importance, swelling investment, and mounting national and global competition necessitate evaluation of the service quality of higher education. Quantifiable indicators such as student teacher ratio, student number, women participation, establishing new departments, and increase in the number of universities are no longer enough unless the student’s stand point is considered. This research probed the service quality of higher education in a public university in southern Bangladesh utilizing modified SERVQUAL gap model. The t-test results suggest that there is a significant service gap in all the selected service dimensions such as learning, teaching, recognition, assessment system, internet and library facilities, campus life, and non-academic administration. The results also mirror that little more than half (54.1%) students are satisfied with the service quality of the selected university and almost similar proportion (52.1 %) of the students have future interest in studying in the same university. Regression analysis reveals that learning and recognition are two important determinants of client’s overall satisfaction with the service of selected university. Importance Performance Analysis (IPA) advocates that the university should take immediate step in improving internet and library facilities, campus life, and non-academic administration. Factor analysis output confirms that slight modification of the proposed seven set model into six set factors can be employed by the management as off-the-rack service quality measurement tool.

102-111

Authors: Leida Talts, Sirje Piht, Maia Muldma

This research focused on the most important topics areas in parents` communication with the teachers and their assessments of the values prevailing in the classroom of second grade children using the programme “Free of Bullying”. The Free of Bullying methodology is fostering the development of children`s social skills, where family-teacher partnership plays essential role. The bullying prevention programme, initiated in the Kingdom of Denmark in 2007 and implemented in kindergartens in Estonia since 2010 and in schools since 2013. The main goal of the Free of Bullying methodology is to develop a behavioural culture that fosters respect toward oneself, fellow-pupils and adults, and works through mutual consideration. Creating a trusting relationship with parents and attaching importance to their role in creating a safe classroom atmosphere is essential for preventing the situation where parents are integrated in this process only when painful and negative problem situations occur. The current research sample consists of the parents of second grade children attending the “Free from bullying” pilot schools. The research revealed that from the bullying prevention point of view parents highly appreciate care, tolerance and respect. The most frequent topics of parent-teacher discussion are joint activities of the class and bullying between children. Thus it appears that parents who have been more actively involved through the measures of “Bullying-free school” project more frequently discuss aspects of the social structure of classroom climate with the teacher.

6-15

Authors: Saeed Almuntasheri

Shifting from teacher-centred to student-centred practices requires teachers to understand strategies to interact with students in science classes. Formative assessment strategies are very critical component of classroom interaction where teachers obtain information about student learning wherever possible. Traditionally, however, teachers ask questions and evaluate student responses but without investigating student contributions to the classroom interaction. This qualitative study aimed at developing teachers’ knowledge of formative assessment strategies when teaching science-based inquiry in Saudi Arabia. 12 teachers were observed when teaching science and details of one teachers’ practices of formative assessment is presented in this study. Formative assessment framework that describes assessment conversations is used and modified to observe teachers’ assessment practices. Assessment conversation consists of four-step cycles, where the teacher elicits information from students through questioning, the student responds, the teacher recognizes the student’s response, and then uses the information to develop further inquiry. Findings indicate that teachers ask questions and receive responses but rarely allow students to share their own ideas or discuss their own thinking. The study underlines the importance of integrating formative assessment strategies during scientific inquiry teaching for professional development as a way to increase student participation and allow opportunities for students’ inquiry in science classes.

31-48

Authors: Jingoo Kang, Tuula Keinonen

Using inquiry has become a universal factor in science education, but teachers often face challenges in implementing inquiry-based learning (IBL) because of, for instance, teachers’ low confidence in conducting inquiry or insufficient school resources. Much research has been conducted to identify the barriers that impede inquiry practice. However, most studies have employed small-scale qualitative methods from a single-country sample, and, thus, the effects of each factor on conducting inquiry in different educational systems have yet to be measured in one statistical model. Accordingly, this research was aimed to explore the extent to which various teacher- and school-factors have respectively affected teachers’ implementation of inquiry-based learning at lower secondary schools. To examine this issue, samples of 496 Finnish teachers in 135 lower secondary schools and 184 Korean teachers in 147 lower secondary schools were selected from the TIMSS 2011 science data set. The findings reveal that teachers’ confidence in teaching science and their collaboration to improve science teaching were strongly associated with facilitating inquiry in both countries, and these two factors’ positive effects on the implementation were partially derived from inquiry-related professional development in the Finnish sample. In addition, class size and school resources were also significantly related to inquiry practice in Finland, and the teachers’ education levels were negatively correlated with the frequency of inquiry practice in Korea. However, in both countries, the teachers’ emphasis on exams was indicated as a non-significant factor in predicting inquiry frequency. The results have implications in respect of the roles of professional development and school environment in increasing IBL practice in school science.

61-70

Authors: Gláucia Nolasco de Almeida Mello

The last fifteen years, in Brazil, the number of engineering freshmen had a huge increased and, although the number of graduated also had increased over the same period, the percentage of engineering freshmen are by far higher than engineers graduated. In this context, there is a clear evidence of the high dropout rate in higher education courses of engineering in Brazil. Once most of developed researches about engineering courses dropout in Brazil are focused in the students and institutions point of view about factors that affect dropout rate, in this research it was investigated the professors perspective to answer the three questions: (1) What are the main factors which prevent success in teaching and learning process identified by professors of engineering during the classes? (2) How can professors to improve the teaching and learning process in higher education courses of engineering in Brazil? (3) How can Higher Education Institutions (HEI) support the professors? The research data were collected through team activities developed with 134 professors of higher education courses of engineering. This research reveals that the most important factors that affect negatively the teaching and learning process are related to inadequate high school preparation and behaviour of students. Main suggestions of professors for improving the teaching and learning process and also students' motivation are related to pedagogical aspects such as: use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) as support of classes and implementation of professor and student support programs with significant participation of HEI.