ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Investigation of Shared Leadership and Organizational Commitment in Primary and Secondary Schools: Malatya Case
Author: Cobanoglu, Necati
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Participative Decision Making,Leadership Styles,School Administration,Elementary School Teachers,Secondary School Teachers,Teacher Attitudes,Correlation,School Culture,Age Differences,Gender Differences,Employment Level,Foreign Countries

Shared leadership enables employees to develop positive feelings for their organizations and themselves. Especially, their devotional feelings and behaviours towards their organizations increase with the sharing of leadership. In this study, the shared leadership of the school and the organizational commitment levels of the teachers, their relationship with each other and the predictive status were examined. This study is a research within relational survey model. The data of the research were collected from 512 teachers in primary and secondary schools in Malatya districts of Turkey in the 2019-2020 academic year. The data were collected through the Shared Leadership Scale and the Organizational Commitment Scale of Teachers. For the analysis of the data, t-test, ANOVA test, correlation and regression analyzes were performed. According to the results of the research, shared leadership and organizational commitment levels in primary and secondary schools are high. There is a positively significant and moderate correlation between the shared leadership of the school and the organizational commitment of teachers. Shared leadership in primary and secondary schools positively and significantly predicts teachers' organizational commitment. For this reason, in order to increase the organizational commitment of teachers; it is important to create a sharing school life, in order to support teachers for the purposes of the organization and to include them in decision-making processes. According to the results obtained, it is recommended that young teachers with lower organizational commitment be given more duties, powers and responsibilities.
Turkish Primary Teacher Candidates&apos; Conceptual Understandings of Gases
Author: Yalcin, Fatma Aggul
Date: 2020-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Preservice Teachers,Student Attitudes,Elementary School Teachers,Science Instruction,Scientific Concepts,Fuels,Misconceptions,Knowledge Level,Knowledge Base for Teaching

The purpose of this study was to determine Turkish primary teacher candidates' conceptual understandings of gases. In this study, a survey approach was used. The sample consisted of 240 primary teacher candidates. As the data collection tool, a questionnaire of six questions consisting of three open-ended and three multiple choice was used. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were provided using the opinions of three field experts and the reliability analysis for multiple-choice ones. The responses to the open-ended questions and the drawings were analyzed descriptively using the predetermined codes and then the categories were formed. The findings showed that primary teacher candidates had some common misunderstandings of gases and their level of understanding of gases is rather low. It is suggested that more attention should be given to developing a correct understanding of the fundamental science concepts in primary teacher training.
School-Based Supervision Enhances the Professional Development of Teachers
Author: Ngwenya, Victor C.
Date: 2020-08-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teacher Supervision,Faculty Development,Models,Teacher Evaluation,Foreign Countries,Supervisor Supervisee Relationship,Supervisory Methods

The issue addressed in the study reported on here was the establishment of a clinical school-based model of supervision which was pragmatic and developmental-oriented for the professional development of teachers, a concept currently advocated by the supervisory corps. Since a mixed methods approach was used in the study, a closed-ended 3-point Likert-type questionnaire (1 to 31) was used to collect quantitative data with one question (32), gathering qualitative from 102 respondents who were purposively and systematically selected. The developmental aspect embedded in the school-based supervisory model demands that the process is constant and continuous, ruling out traditional supervisory models which demanded more control, compliance, predictability and accountability. Consequently, this would render the traditional inspectorate teams redundant. Supervisors armed with various models of supervision would be compelled to adopt an eclectic approach to supervision contingent to the situation.
A Cross-Cultural Approach for Communication in the Mathematics Classroom and Beyond
Author: Edelen, Daniel
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Mathematics Instruction,Elementary School Students,Elementary School Teachers,Language Usage,Culturally Relevant Education,Cultural Awareness,Intercultural Communication,Teaching Methods,Racial Identification,Ethnicity,Identification (Psychology),Student Characteristics,Power Structure

It can be challenging to draw connections between mathematics content and elementary students' experiences in ways that makes sense for each and every learner. Through this paper, we highlight several strategies for being a culturally responsive teacher in elementary mathematics classrooms and beyond. We critically focus on classroom based language and outline several pedagogical practices that support culturally inclusive learning. Culturally responsive teaching tips are shared for educators to use and adapt for their own classrooms.
Family Literacy Programmes in South Africa: Should We Take Note?
Author: le Roux, Sarlina G.
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Family Programs,Family Literacy,Family School Relationship,Home Visits,Parent Participation,Emergent Literacy,Young Children,Early Intervention,Educational Research,Foreign Countries,Early Childhood Education

Background: South Africa has one of the lowest-performing education systems in the world. By the fourth grade, many learners are already 2 or more years behind their peers, especially in mathematics and literacy. Family literacy programmes as a form of home-school partnership are often proposed as an early intervention to support early literacy learning. Family literacy programmes remain a new concept in South Africa and little formal research has been undertaken on the nature, availability and implications of such programmes in this country. Aim: The aim of this article is to investigate family literacy programmes currently running in South Africa by means of a theoretical framework. Setting: The data presented here are the result of an electronic search comprising books and journal articles for the period 1990-2019. Methods: For this article, a qualitative analysis was undertaken, using concept analysis as the main data collection technique. Key words such as 'family literacy', 'family literacy programmes', 'intergenerational literacy' and 'home-school partnerships' were used to produce a sample obtained by simple random sampling. Results: An inductive data analysis approach was followed to identify and discuss programmes that fit the attributes and criteria of family literacy programmes and to make recommendations towards partnership attributes, resource and activity attributes, and future research to clarify implications. Conclusion: If family literacy programmes are to gain momentum, researchers must continue to unpack what this concept holds to ensure such programmes yield optimal results, not only for participating families, but also for the South African schooling system in general.
Investigation of the Effectiveness of Personalized Book Advice Smart Application on Secondary School Students&apos; Reading Motivation
Author: Kurnaz, Ahmet
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Secondary School Students,Reading Motivation,Instructional Effectiveness,Computer Software,Individualized Instruction,Reading Material Selection,Books,Student Attitudes,Teacher Attitudes,Parent Attitudes,Reading Habits,Foreign Countries

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of Personalized Book Advice Smart Application on secondary school students' motivation as well as determining the views of students, teachers, and parents regarding the application. In the research, a mixed method approach, in which quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis methods are used together, was adopted. In the quantitative part, 585 secondary school students, 300 of whom are in the experimental group and 285 in the control group; In the qualitative part, 105 students, 6 teachers and 247 families were included in the research. Similarly, the qualitative of the study involved 105 students, 6 teachers, and 247 parents. In the quantitative part of the research, data collected with the Reading Motivation Scale developed by Durmus. In the qualitative part, the data were collected through a questionnaire. The quantitative data were analyzed using parametric descriptive statistics, while the qualitative data were analyzed using descriptive analysis technique. According to the findings obtained from the research, there is a significant difference in reading motivation of secondary school students in terms of post-test scores. It is seen that the students like to read adventure books and think that the books proposed by the application are suitable for their interests. Teachers state that they find the application successful, and they like that the application forms reading habits, and recommends books according to their interests, moreover, the recommended books are suitable for the students' levels. On the other hand, the teachers think that teacher control is necessary. Additionally, parents state that they like the application because it recommends books according to the children's interests and those recommended books were suitable for their levels, however, they added that the number of the books needs to be increased.
Pre-Service Teachers&apos; Pedagogical Development through the Peer Observation Professional Development Programme
Author: Dos Santos, Luis Miguel
Date: 2020-08-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Preservice Teachers,Professional Development,Observation,Student Teaching,Student Teacher Attitudes,Internship Programs,Secondary School Teachers,Experienced Teachers,Cooperating Teachers,STEM Education,Private Schools,Professional Identity,Self Efficacy,Program Effectiveness,Postcolonialism,Teacher Improvement,Foreign Countries

Student-teaching internships in a teacher-preparation programme are a significant way for teachers to gain practical skills and transfer their textbook knowledge into classroom practice. One of the outcomes of student-teaching internships is that pre-service teachers can observe experienced teachers' teaching pedagogy and strategies for implementing their skills. The purpose of the research study reported on here was to explore how pre-service teachers acquire and improve their teaching pedagogy through the peer observation training model at the secondary school at which they intern, with a focus on pre-service teachers with an interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) teaching. The results indicate that most of the participants could learn and improve their teaching pedagogy through the peer observation professional development programme -- particularly young teachers without significant work experience. More importantly, the research proved how a peer observation cycle programme may apply to different educational systems with similar structures internationally, particularly in former European colonised countries with similar backgrounds.
Motivational Strategies in the English Classroom: The Case of Arab Learners in Israel
Author: Keblawi, Faris
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Arabs,Learning Motivation,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Teaching Methods,Communicative Competence (Languages),Foreign Countries,Role,Language Teachers,Student Attitudes,Technology Integration,Secondary School Students,Motivation Techniques,Minority Group Students

Decline in students' motivation to learn languages remains a vexing issue for teachers and educators. Among a myriad of factors that affect student motivation, teachers' practices appear to play a very dominant role. This has been reflected in the rising number of studies that examine teachers' motivational strategies. This study aims to determine the specific teacher strategies which are most likely to positively affect the motivation of Arab learners of English from the perspective of learners. Some 400 teenage learners of English responded to an open-ended question in which they were asked to freely describe the strategies their teachers used that motivated them to learn. The results of the study suggest that the majority of students prefer strategies that promote communicative uses of the language to ones that focus on grammar or emphasize learning through texts. Many students also reported that they had more interest in studying English when their teachers integrated technology. It is therefore recommended that teachers give more weight to these motivating strategies by incorporating more communicative use of English and more technology into their lessons.
An Analysis of the Visual Representation of Redox Reactions and Related Content in Brazilian Secondary School Chemistry Textbooks
Author: Goes, Luciane Fernandes
Date: 2020-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Science Instruction,Secondary School Science,Textbooks,Textbook Content,Chemistry,Scientific Concepts,Visual Aids

The objective of this study was to analyze visual representations of redox reactions and related content in four Brazilian secondary school chemistry textbooks. The study aimed to identify which representations were used and to evaluate how these representations were linked to one another and to the main text. Data were analyzed regarding representational levels and the degree of relatedness between the different levels and the main text. Further analysis focused on the intended function of images and which curriculum orientation they indicated. The sample was comprised of 286 visual representations. The results showed that most of the visual representations merely served a decorative function and were not explicitly used to further understanding of the content in the main text. The findings indicated that the textbooks in this sample prioritized two separate levels of representation: The macroscopic and the symbolic. Only a few submicroscopic and multilevel representations could be found. The textbook illustrations indicated a strong &quot;structure of the discipline&quot; orientation of the curriculum, which was illustrated with orientations taken from everyday life, technology, and industry. It emphasizes the importance of using illustrations in textbooks, because of its influence on the construction of concepts, in particular the concept of redox reactions. Based on this research, it is possible for chemistry teachers to observe the limitation of these materials and carefully select the textbook used in their curricula. Moreover, the results can contribute to improving the quality of textbooks.
Integration of MOODLE into the Classroom for Better Conceptual Understanding of Functions in Mathematics
Author: Mlotshwa, Nicholas
Date: 2020-08-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Online Courses,Mathematical Concepts,Fundamental Concepts,Foreign Countries,Integrated Learning Systems,Electronic Learning,Grade 10,High School Students,Conventional Instruction,Mathematics Instruction,Constructivism (Learning),Computer Mediated Communication

Many South African educational institutions are adopting learning management systems (LMS) into their daily teaching and learning practice. The Western Cape Education Department piloted Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment (Moodle), an LMS for improving teaching and learning. The objective of the research reported on here was to determine whether Moodle improved Grade 10 learners' conceptual understanding of the topic, functions, in mathematics. The research investigated two classes; one dependent upon a traditional chalk-and-talk teaching method (control), and another exposed to Moodle (experimental). It was found that learners constructed their own knowledge by drawing on resources embedded in Moodle and framed within a Social Constructivist theory. A hybrid e-learning framework was deployed; learners acquired knowledge by interacting with computers. Interaction was monitored and results were recorded using online surveys and tests. A quasi-experimental design was employed to compare the groups. The comparisons were statistically analysed. Results showed that the functionalities within the Moodle LMS were instrumental in improving conceptual understanding of mathematical functions.
Developing Pre-Service Science Teachers&apos; Teaching Practices with an Emphasis on Higher Order Thinking
Author: Tanak, Akarat
Date: 2020-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Preservice Teachers,Science Instruction,Thinking Skills,Creative Thinking,Critical Thinking,Inferences,Active Learning,Inquiry,Methods Courses,Program Effectiveness,Undergraduate Students,Lesson Plans,Instructional Design,Questioning Techniques,Microteaching

Pre-service teachers face challenges in learning how to implement inquiry-based learning to enhance students' higher order thinking skills (HOTS) effectively. This study describes pre-service science teachers' instructional practices to teach HOTS related to key aspects of inquiry. The study group comprised 15 undergraduate pre-service teachers who enrolled in the thinking course of a 5-year teacher enhancement program. The pre-service teachers' lesson plans and teachers' self-reflections on their practices were collected, and then analyzed by descriptive statistics and inductive analysis. Findings indicated that the pre-service teachers were most likely first, to advance their level of inquiry; and second, to shift their teaching practices from focusing on science as a process to be learned about that primarily represents the inquiry features of only evidence and explanation to the inclusion of all five features of inquiry. Moreover, pre-service teachers were able to design creative and reasoning-enriched activities. They promoted the following aspects of inquiry: Asking divergent questions on a problematic situation, having students think originally for investigation, building and refining a model or design, and generate and test hypotheses reasonably leading to causal inferences. The findings from this methods course point toward future directions for effective courses that develop pre-service teachers' practices aimed to promote students' thinking skills.
An Investigation of Secondary School Students&apos; Images of a Scientist with Regard to Gender Variable in Turkey
Author: Baybars, Meryem Gorecek
Date: 2020-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Scientists,Stereotypes,Gender Differences,Foreign Countries,Freehand Drawing,Gender Bias,Middle School Students,Grade 5,Grade 6,Grade 7,Grade 8,Projective Measures,Student Attitudes

The purpose of the current study was to determine secondary school students' images of a scientist with regard to gender as the variable. The study was carried out with the participation of 240 secondary school students in a city located in the western part of Turkey in the fall term of the 2017-2018 school year. The data were collected with modified-draw a scientist test. Within the context of the current study, the secondary school students' images of the scientist were explored in terms of appearance, working area, and work of the scientist. At the end of the study, it was determined that for these secondary school students their images of scientists' appearance (55.4%), workplace (82.1%), and studies (86.3%) were traditional. Considering the study results in terms of gender, it was noted that male students' images of a scientist's appearance were more traditional at 63.3%, while female images were less traditional at 44.6% and concentrated on the broader than traditional category (42.6%). Moreover, participant students' images about the scientists' workplace and studies did not reveal difference in terms of gender. Considering that the image of the scientist is shaped according to the gender, students must be offered opportunities to meet more woman scientists in course books, especially in science courses. In addition, visits should be organized to the workplace of scientists with different genders or more time should be allocated for scientific activities so students can have more true and reliable images of scientists' workplaces and studies.
Grade R Teachers&apos; Understanding of Reflective Practice
Author: Connelly, Ailsa S.
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Preschool Teachers,Teacher Attitudes,Knowledge Level,Reflective Teaching,Teacher Effectiveness,Planning,Curriculum Evaluation,Individualized Instruction,Teacher Student Relationship,Faculty Development

Background: Internationally and nationally, reflective practice is suggested as a tool to inform quality teaching and learning. In South Africa, the quality of education is in the spotlight as schoolgoing children continue to perform poorly. This article investigates reflective practice in Grade R teaching. It explores teachers' understanding of reflective practice to inform their practice to support learners having a positive first year of formal schooling. Aim: The aim of this study was investigate the knowledge and understanding of Grade R teachers about reflective practice. Setting: Two Grade R teachers in one school in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town participated in the study. Methods: An interpretivist case study using semi-structured interviews and document analysis informed the findings. Thematic analysis revealed common themes to explore the knowledge and understanding of Grade R teachers regarding reflective practice. Results: The teachers interviewed demonstrated a tacit understanding of reflective practice. They described it as an innate aspect of their teaching. Their knowledge and understanding are theoretical and there is no evidence of reflective practice in the documents used to inform their teaching on a daily basis. Conclusion: The findings of this study show that the participants use reflective practice innately. Support by the school and the Department of Basic Education through professional development has the potential to encourage the use of reflective practice for quality teaching and learning.