ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Accounting Teachers&apos; Experiences of Communal Feedback in Rural South Africa
Author: Ngwenya, Jabulisile
Date: 2019-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Accounting,Rural Schools,Business Education,Feedback (Response),Parent Participation,Secondary School Teachers,Secondary Education,Group Discussion,Teacher Responsibility

This paper explores teachers' experiences of providing feedback to accounting learners in a selected rural school in South Africa. In terms of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) for Accounting, assessment is viewed as an integral part of teaching and learning, with emphasis on continuous provision of feedback. Providing continuous feedback to learners in this manner influences the way in which the subject is taught and assessed. In this paper I adopted a qualitative case study design to understand teachers' experiences in providing feedback to their accounting learners. Three accounting teachers teaching in the Further Education and Training Phase in one rural school were purposively selected for this study. Semi-structured interviews and lesson observations were employed to gain responses to the key research question. Thematic content analysis was carried out on the data collected. What emerged from the findings is that the contextual constraints that accounting teachers in a rural school face impede the quality and provision of constructive and timely feedback. This causes teachers to devise their own strategies of providing feedback.
Training Educational Psychology Professionals for Work Engagement in a Context of Inequality and Trauma in South Africa
Author: Ebersöhn, Liesel
Date: 2019-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Educational Psychology,School Psychologists,Counselor Training,Trauma,Service Learning,Rural Schools,Student Attitudes,College Students,Learner Engagement

Educational psychology professionals working in highly unequal societies require training that prepares them to resile professionally irrespective of on-going hardship and a lack of policy-level support. Educational psychology professionals who had participated in a school-based intervention study in a remote high school during their training at university-level were sampled to generate retrospective data on their work engagement experiences during the school-based training. A third of the population who had participated in school-based academic service-learning training (for whom current contact details were available) were purposively sampled (n = 38, female = 31, male = 7) to be representative of diversity (training objective, year group, home language, gender). Subsamples included academic service-learning educational psychology professionals (n = 22, female = 18, male = 4) and educational psychology research graduates (n = 16, female = 13, male = 3). Retrospective qualitative data sources include open-ended questions (verbatim transcriptions of audio-recorded interviews, electronically captured questionnaires), and long-term observation data (visual data and researcher journals) of school-based training. From thematic analysis it appeared that professionals recollect experiencing work engagement (positive emotions, involvement and dedication) during their training with minimal instances of student-related occupational distress ascribed to contextual and diversity constraints. Data was silent on work engagement from research graduates, with an instance of cynicism regarding long-term benefits to clients of short-term services. Academic service learning in a challenging education setting afforded educational psychology professionals training opportunities to be energized, absorbed in developing professional efficacy to address barriers, and empathetically committed to contribute professionally. Implications of training educational psychology professionals for work in transferable challenging school settings are discussed
Mathematical Practical Sessions with Manipulatives: Trainee Teachers&apos; Perceptions of Their Utility
Author: Maz-Machado, Alexander
Date: 2019-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Mathematics Instruction,Teaching Methods,Manipulative Materials,Elementary School Mathematics,Teacher Education Programs,Preservice Teachers,Student Attitudes,Foreign Countries,Instructional Effectiveness,Learner Engagement,Student Motivation

This study presents the perceptions of trainee teachers regarding the realisation of practical mathematical sessions to expand on the concepts that are taught in primary education using manipulatives. For a 4-month period, a practical session with the mentioned characteristics was carried out weekly with Year 1 students of the Primary Education Teaching Degree. After their completion of the module the students were requested to comment in writing on the utility of such practical sessions. The resulting information was analysed qualitatively through content analysis using ATLAS.ti software (Version 7.5.4). Six broad categories grouping the utilities considered by the students were found.
At-Risk Students in Selected Schools in Zimbabwe: An Ecological Perspective
Author: Mabhoyi, Lloyd Chaurika
Date: 2019-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Socioeconomic Influences,At Risk Students,Secondary School Students,Attendance,Graduation Rate,Dropout Rate,Academic Persistence,Low Achievement,Student Attitudes,Family Income,Employment Level,Social Support Groups,Parent Influence,Hygiene

This study investigates the impact of socio-economic conditions on at-risk students in 2 selected Chitungwiza secondary schools in Zimbabwe. At-risk students are characterised by irregular school attendance, high dropout rates, poor grade retention or sustained diminished academic achievement. At-riskness has increased in Zimbabwe's school population since the adoption and subsequent failure of the Economic Structural Adjustment Programme (ESAP), which has contributed to concomitant poor social conditions. A qualitative narrative enquiry on the impact of socio-economic factors on at-risk students explored the life stories of 3 male and 3 female students from each of the 2 selected Chitungwiza secondary schools. Bronfenbrenner's Ecological System Theory, where the individual is viewed as developing within a complex system of relationships, informed the study. Semi-structured interviews with participants, based on the Dan McAdams Framework were used for rich data gathering. The findings confirm the notion that poor socio-economic conditions experienced by families in Zimbabwe make a major contribution to at-riskness in secondary schools. Based on the empirical inquiry, the study recommends family support to enhance the functioning of socio-economically stressed families for the improvement of parent-child relationships/intra-familial relationships towards regular school attendance (The Children's Society, 2013). Further recommendations are presented for a more inclusive educational model to reduce school at-riskness in Zimbabwe.
Examining Teachers&apos; Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge in the Era of Cloud Pedagogy
Author: Hsu, LiWei
Date: 2019-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Technological Literacy,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Information Technology,Elementary School Teachers,Secondary School Teachers,Foreign Countries,Technology Uses in Education,Models,Factor Analysis,Hospitality Occupations

With the ongoing innovation of instructional technologies there has been an emerging call to examine what types of knowledge teachers require to survive in the era of cloud pedagogy. In response to this call we proposed a research model -- TLPACK -- which is based on technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK), information communication technologies - technological pedagogical content knowledge (ICT-TPCK), and education technology, pedagogy and didactics, academic subject-matter discipline, educational psychology and educational sociology knowledge (TPACK-XL), to explore the types of knowledge that teachers at various levels -- from kindergarten to post-secondary level -- should equip themselves with in detail. TLPACK consists of five constructs (technology knowledge, learner knowledge, pedagogy knowledge, academic discipline, content knowledge, and context knowledge) but in total the TLPACK scale comprises 39 items. All items were converged based on the viewpoints of five experts from academia and practice following six rounds of the Delphi method, and the finalised version was prepared for reliability and validity examination. Proportional stratified sampling was adopted to conduct a questionnaire survey among teachers from kindergarten to post-secondary levels in Taiwan (n = 301). Rigorous statistical analyses were undertaken to examine the reliability and validity of this new model. Based on the results of statistical analyses, including item analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis, it is reasonable to state that the proposed TLPACK scale has good reliability and validity for practical use. The conclusion and limitations of this study were drawn based on the extracted results, and suggestions for future study are reported at the end of this report.
Identifying the Factors Influencing Mathematical Literacy in Several Spanish Regions
Author: Lara-Porras, Ana María
Date: 2019-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Achievement Tests,Foreign Countries,Secondary School Students,Mathematics Achievement,Scores,Student Characteristics,Institutional Characteristics,Rural Urban Differences,Immigrants,Grade Repetition,Economic Factors,Social Influences,Cultural Influences,Family Environment,Parent Background,Educational Attainment,Gender Differences,Books,Geographic Location

The aim of this paper is to analyse the students' performance in the mathematical competency aspect of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2015 tests and to compare 5 Spanish regions in this respect -- Navarra, Castile-León and Catalonia, with results above the national average; and Extremadura and Andalusia, with results below the national average -- in order to identify the factors causing these differences. To do so, we computed the degree of association between variables related to the students and to the schools with the scores obtained in the mathematical tests. The purpose of this analysis was to better understand the meaning of these scores and their causes and, above all, to propose educational policy actions for improving the students' mathematical performance. In this study, a 2-level regression model was applied to the data collected in the PISA 2015 tests. The first level included the factors related to the students and the second was composed of the variables related to the schools. Our results highlight the significant influence of factors such as immigrant status, grade repetition, location of the school (rural or urban) and economic and sociocultural status. The relevance of these factors to students' academic performance has been observed in previous editions of the PISA tests. We emphasise the need for action to improve students' mathematical performance and, therefore, their educational success.
The Effect of the Ideology of New Managerial Professionalism on the South African Education System
Author: Coetzee, Daniella
Date: 2019-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Ideology,Neoliberalism,Professionalism,Power Structure,Teacher Role,Administrator Role,Educational Administration,Educational Policy,Standards,Professional Autonomy,Goal Orientation,Accountability,Administrative Organization

If the intention of South African education legislation is to professionalise teachers, and if this is seen as empowering them for their task, connected to quality education, then it is indeed a worthy ideal. However, pedagogical values have been redefined within a neoliberalist framework, serving corporate culture and lowering the pedagogical role of teachers to a position of obedience to market norms. In the attempts of professionalising teachers, education has fallen prey to an ideology of new managerial professionalism -- the worthy ideal of professionalising teachers has become a mechanism for dominating the very people it set out to liberate. Within the context of a growing global economy the pedagogical values that embody the professionalisation of teachers have been replaced by values aligned with economic growth. The professional role of the teacher and educational reform has been driven by a political ideology committed to new managerial professionalism. The paper highlights the way in which an overemphasis of the professional status of teachers within a neoliberalist framework establishes and sustains relations of domination in South African education. The effects of new managerial professionalism on education are also explored.
Teachers&apos; Views of Inclusive Education in Serbian Schools
Author: Vuckovic, Smiljana Ðukicin
Date: 2019-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teacher Attitudes,Inclusion,Foreign Countries,Elementary School Teachers,Secondary School Teachers,Individualized Education Programs,Program Implementation,Students with Disabilities

This study was conducted to determine the attitudes of teachers concerning inclusion in schools all over Serbia. The respondents were teachers of different subjects who were tasked to anonymously complete the provided closed-type questionnaire (970 respondents). Primary and secondary school teachers from urban and rural areas of the Republic of Serbia participated in the research. The results indicate that the teachers are supportive of inclusion. Despite significant differences in respondents' answers, the results of the research show that there are many similarities in teacher responses toward inclusive education. The results show that it is still necessary to work on the implementation of inclusive education in Serbia, especially to educate the teaching staff and involve experts in the planning and development of individual educational plans.
Well-Being for Whom? Unpacking the Teacher Well-Being Discourse of the South African Department of Basic Education
Author: Kruger, Erika
Date: 2019-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Neoliberalism,Well Being,Teaching Conditions,Teacher Role,Employers,Role,Work Environment,Self Management,Economic Development,Lifelong Learning

Neoliberalism has adjusted society's role allocations related to who is responsible for looking after the welfare of whom. Based on the assumption of advancing human well-being, the neoliberal narrative renders the individual free, autonomous, and selfsufficient, but also with the obligation to assume responsibility for their own welfare. This duty is also shared with non-state agents such as employers. This article analyses the well-being discourse evident in two reports of the South African Department of Basic Education (DBE) to establish how the department as employer and as public service department understands its role in taking care of the well-being of teachers. The analysis indicates that the texts portray a relationship of care and a desire to create a well-resourced and safe learning organisation in which teachers can be inspired to grow professionally and personally. However, this is a transactional relationship, and in return for investing in teacher well-being, the employer expects commitment to the aims and objectives of the state. The neoliberal rationality necessitates balancing the well-being of teachers as autonomous persons with teachers as economic-rational actors transforming well-being into self-care, which is defined and controlled by the employer.
Educators&apos; Subjective Experiences of Workplace Bullying within a Perceived Neoliberalist Education System
Author: Jacobs, Lynette
Date: 2019-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Teaching Conditions,Bullying,School Culture,Neoliberalism,Teacher Attitudes,Power Structure,Ideology,Secondary School Teachers,Faculty Workload,Teacher Responsibility,Administrator Behavior,Teacher Administrator Relationship

Teachers in South Africa experience exceptionally high levels of bullying in the workplace, in particular, bullying that relates to their profession. As research has shown that the organisational culture can either inhibit or promote bullying, in this paper we consider the possibility that neoliberalism creates an environment for workplace bullying to thrive. Based on unstructured interviews with 4 educators, we draw parallels between what they subjectively perceived as workplace bullying within the hierarchal structure of the school and school system and the ideology of neoliberalism. The value of this study lies in the awareness that it could raise among managers in the education system of how the system actually influences their mind-set and actions.
Reading on Paper or Reading Digitally? Reflections and Implications of ePIRLS 2016 in South Africa
Author: Combrinck, Celeste
Date: 2019-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Grade 4,International Assessment,Achievement Tests,Reading Achievement,Reading Tests,Paper (Material),Literacy,Electronic Learning,Educational Resources,Elementary Schools,Predictor Variables,Indo European Languages,Computer Uses in Education,Self Efficacy,Computer Literacy,Gender Differences,Language of Instruction,Socioeconomic Background,Disadvantaged Youth,School Libraries,School Location

South Africa participated in the electronic version of the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (ePIRLS) in 2016 but faced many challenges during implementation. Accurate databases on information and communication technologies (ICT) capacity of schools were not available for sampling in Gauteng, many schools had old and/or non-functional hardware and half of the schools had not used their computer laboratories in the last 3 years. Consequently, South Africa was excluded from the international report as the study requirements could not be met. In this paper we examine the implications of the problems experienced in the ePIRLS multiple case study, conducted in 9 schools (n = 277) in Gauteng. Multilevel models were built using data from the nationally representative Grade 4 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) data from 2011 (n = 15,744) and 2016 (n = 12,810). In the 2016 national study, principals and teachers reported fewer computers and libraries being available for learners than were reported in 2011. Computers and paper-based libraries being available were not significant predictors of reading literacy. Instead, the medium of instruction in the Foundation Phase, school location, gender, and socioeconomic composition of the school predicted reading literacy achievement. The ePIRLS results show no significant difference between paper-based and online reading. While issues of poverty, gender inequality, and historical disadvantage persist, Grade 4 learners may lack adequate opportunities to acquire paper and digital reading skills. We conclude that the most disadvantaged learners have increasingly insufficient opportunities and resources available to attain basic reading skills and this will have negative long-term consequences for South Africa's educational sector and economy.
Archaeology Goes to High School: Practical Approach to Archaeology Teaching in High School
Author: Vijand, Liia
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Archaeology,High School Students,Empathy,Interdisciplinary Approach,Foreign Countries,Field Trips,Instructional Effectiveness,Student Interests,Skill Development,Relevance (Education),Theory Practice Relationship

Purpose: The study investigated how various school subjects can be integrated into archaeology teaching and how this could lead students towards empathy and a more sustainable worldview. Design/methodology/approach: To meet the purpose of this multiple-case study, optional archaeology course development (2011-2019) and students' questionnaires and feedback group A (2018) and group B (2019) and various empirical material, was analysed in cross-case methods. Findings: Archaeology interdisciplinarity and analysing long-term human behaviour supports an understanding of human nature, emphasizes empathy and tolerance, and encourages social cohesion. Research limitations/implications: The study was carried out in Estonia as a multiple-case study and further research, especially in the empathy part, is needed for further conclusions. Practical implications: Archaeology is interdisciplinary and therefore as a school subject it links together various and sometimes abstract subjects. It gives an understanding of long-term human behaviour, which allows developing students' empathy and tolerance.
Academic Risk and Intellectual Adventure: Evidence from U.S. Honors Students at the University of Oxford
Author: Baigent, Elizabeth
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Honors Curriculum,Study Abroad,Foreign Students,Risk,Undergraduate Students,Writing Assignments,Essays,Graduate Study,Student Research,Faculty Advisers

Many study abroad programs promise students self-knowledge through adventure. Those that involve intense study seem at first sight not to offer adventure nor to entail risky dislocation nor to offer new insights into self. However, evidence from study abroad students at the University of Oxford reveals that they describe intellectual endeavor as adventure, finding that their academic experiences pose risks, demand courage, and are the means through which they and their new surroundings accommodate one another. Oxford faculty encourage academic risk-taking by posing hard intellectual challenges, helping students find their own voice rather than summarizing the views of others, and having a grading system that emboldens students and rewards those who learn through their mistakes. Oxford faculty encourage students to take risks in their writing and dare to apply to good graduate schools but help them to submit carefully prepared applications to avoid unnecessary hazards. Home campus advisers can help honors students by recognizing those for whom study is adventure and by encouraging them to risk a rigorous intellectual study abroad program.
Managing Teacher Absenteeism: Lessons from Independent Primary Schools in Gauteng, South Africa
Author: Bipath, Keshni
Date: 2019-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Teacher Attendance,Employee Absenteeism,Elementary School Teachers,Private Schools,Accountability,Teaching Conditions,Leadership Styles,Rewards,Discipline,Leaves of Absence,Educational Administration,Influences,Administrator Role,Principals,School Policy

Teacher absenteeism is of concern in today's developing educational climate. In South Africa, where education itself is a contested terrain, and decades of disadvantage still impact resources and skills, despite democracy, it is a compelling challenge. This paper, based on a study of how independent primary schools in Gauteng, South Africa, manage teacher absenteeism, offers an analysis of the management practices employed so that some lessons can be extrapolated. The paper draws from real teaching experience in South African primary schools, noting the huge impact of teacher absenteeism and its implications for teaching and learning. Five co-educational (with both genders), independent primary schools were selected for this qualitative study, using Christopher Hood's Cultural-Theory Framework, document analysis, interviews and observation. Findings homed in on processes used to track teacher attendance policies; directives and instruments that regulate teacher absenteeism; factors that influence teacher absenteeism; leadership styles; rewards for good attendance; penalties for abusing leave, and strategies and measures to manage teacher absenteeism. We conclude with recommendations in response to this challenge and emphasise the need for further research.