Predictors of Secondary School Students’ Future Technological Academic and Professional Readiness: A Study of Teachers and Students’ Factors in Learning Online

This research endeavors to investigate the factors that influence satisfaction with online learning among secondary students in hybrid or blended environments in the United States. With a focus on social-emotional learning and digital citizenship, the study begins the exploration and the impact of teacher interactions, teaching presence, self-management of learning, and academic self-efficacy on students’ satisfaction with learning online and how this satisfaction can impact their future readiness to use technology effectively. The study involved a sample of 320 secondary students and a supplemental survey of 32 teachers who completed online surveys that took no longer than 10 minutes to complete over a 4-week period. Results indicate that academic self-efficacy, self-management of learning, interactions between students and instructors, and teaching presence are positively associated with students’ satisfaction with online learning. Additionally, satisfaction with online learning was found to predict both students’ intention to continue using to use technology and their future readiness. These findings have significant implications for educators as they provide insight into effective strategies to enhance student satisfaction while learning online and contribute to the understanding of the complex relationship between satisfaction and intention to use online learning activities among secondary students in hybrid or blended environments, particularly in the context of social-emotional learning and digital citizenship

Early Childhood Science and Engineering: Engaging Platforms for Fostering Domain-General Learning Skills

Early childhood science and engineering education offer a prime context to foster approaches-to-learning (ATL) and executive functioning (EF) by eliciting children’s natural curiosity about the world, providing a unique opportunity to engage children in hands-on learning experiences that promote critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, persistence, and other adaptive domain-general learning skills. Indeed, in any science experiment or engineering problem, children make observations, engage in collaborative conversations with teachers and peers, and think flexibly to come up with predictions or potential solutions to their problem. Inherent to science and engineering is the idea that one learns from initial failures within an iterative trial-and-error process where children practice risk-taking, persistence, tolerance for frustration, and sustaining focus. Unfortunately, science and engineering instruction is typically absent from early childhood classrooms, and particularly so in programs that serve children from low-income families. However, our early science and engineering intervention research shows teachers how to build science and engineering instruction into activities that are already happening in their classrooms, which boosts their confidence and removes some of the stigma around science and engineering. In this paper, we discuss the promise of research that uses early childhood science and engineering experiences as engaging, hands-on, interactive platforms to instill ATL and EF in young children living below the poverty line. We propose that early childhood science and engineering offer a central theme that captures children’s attention and allows for integrated instruction across domain-general (ATL, EF, and social–emotional) and domain-specific (e.g., language, literacy, mathematics, and science) content, allowing for contextualized experiences that make learning more meaningful and captivating for children

Systematic review on digital transformation among teachers in public schools

Radical changes across almost all areas, including education, due to the COVID-19 outbreak. One of the rapid transformations is digital learning, also known as e-learning. Digital learning transformation has been taking place for more than a decade. However, little comprehensive analysis of digital transformation in teaching in public schools. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no comprehensive analysis incorporates external and internal barriers and examines the prominent theories to study successful e-learning integration among teachers. The aim of this study was to provide a thematic and theoretical understanding of digital learning transformation among teachers in public schools. The data for the study was acquired from the Scopus databases. The study employed content and comparative analysis and advocated a grounded theory approach to inductively analyze and criticize the theme construction for answering two research questions. Based on a set of criteria to determine whether each derived study should be included or excluded, 42 articles were reviewed between 2010 and 2022. The analysis uncovered 10 themes of antecedents that were constructed as a framework based on the first-second-order barriers. Results also indicated that CHAT, TPACK, TAM, and UTAUT are the most prominent theories used to conduct digital transformation research. The findings offered significant implications for digital transformation and educational technology communities, especially for policymakers to strategize and reflect on the practice they implemented and improvised if necessary for future sustainable education and efficient teachers’ performance in teaching

Predicting Success in First-Year Associate Degree Nursing Students

An associate degree of nursing program in the southeastern region of the United States has had significant increases in student attrition over the past few years. Admission requirements did not include an entrance exam, such as the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS), which may be useful in decreasing the deficiencies associated with poor student progression. Guided by the Knowles\u27 theory of adult learning and Bandura\u27s social learning theory, the purpose of this correlation study was to explore the relationship between the TEAS scores and the cumulative grade point average (GPA) of first-year students to determine if success at the completion of students\u27 first year in the nursing program can be predicted from the overall TEAS score and its subsections of reading, math, science, and English. Archival data for 130 nursing students enrolled from 2012 to 2013 were analyzed using stepwise multiple regression. According to the study results, there was a significant correlation of the total TEAS score and student GPA after the first year of nursing school. The first semester GPA was positively related to the TEAS English score and the TEAS science score; however, there was no significant correlation found for TEAS math and reading scores with students\u27 GPA. A 3-day workshop and a student mentoring program were developed to address academic deficiencies of at-risk nursing students, particularly in English and science. Positive social change can occur through improved retention, which will lead to a higher number of nursing graduates eligible to take and pass the National Certification Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses, provide job security for graduates, and improve the present critical shortage of nurses in the United States

Preservice Teachers’ Perceived Preparedness to Integrate Technology Into Teaching of Mathematics: A Mixed Method Study

This study explored preservice teachers’ (PTs’) perceptions of their preparedness to effectively integrate technology into mathematics teaching and the pedagogical strategies that contributed to developing their competencies in this regard. Their perceived preparedness was examined in terms of their knowledge within the TPACK domains and self-efficacy beliefs. Using a concurrent mixed method design, data were collected from 59 PTs in their last semester of study at a Canadian university. Quantitative data were collected through an online survey via three widely used instruments, namely: the TPACK survey, the Computer Technology Integration Survey (CTIS), and the Synthesis of Qualitative Evidence (SQD) Scale. Qualitative data obtained from three open-ended survey questions and follow-up interviews with six participants provided broader insights about PTs’ experiences and activities regarding technology integration into mathematics teaching. The results of descriptive statistics and thematic analysis indicated that PTs perceived their knowledge and self-efficacy beliefs related to integrating technology into mathematics teaching at a moderate to a high level. Correlation analysis also indicated positive relationships between the seven subscales of the TPACK domains and the confidence scale. Participants shared that while their respective programs’ ICT for Teaching and Learning course played an important role in developing their knowledge in the TK and TPK domains, activities such as coding processes, math games, dynamic mathematics software, and graphic calculators were effective tools that encouraged them to use technology in their teaching of mathematics (TPCK). Experiential learning, including practicum experiences, role modeling strategy, and collaboration with peers were identified by participants as effective pedagogical strategies that developed their preparedness to integrate technology into their teaching of mathematics. Some recommendations of this study for teacher education programs include providing math-specific technology courses; incorporating appropriate instructional design that connects the content course to curriculum to promote PTs’ active engagement in meaningful technology-rich learning activities; and using all six pedagogical strategies presented in the SQD model to prepare future teachers to effectively use technology in mathematics teaching

School district technology awareness: a descriptive study identifying implications for the 21st-century teaching and learning

Preparing students for 21st-century learning is a great responsibility and a challenge for many school districts across the country. A large body of research suggests that a school district’s level of awareness with regards to education technology and particularly those technologies that are on a positive trend correlates with a successful technology implementation program. District Administrators that lead the charge of developing technology policies and oversee the various aspect of the technology implementation must possess a solid awareness of modern education technologies and their interplays with curriculum and pedagogy. In addition, district Administrators must have the technological skill to overcome network infrastructure capabilities constraints as well as the leadership skill to prioritize technology. This study used a survey as its main method of data collection; the survey was guided by three research questions that helped gain valuable insight about California K12 school district Administrators’ familiarity with most relevant modern technologies and strategies for educating students in the 21st-century, knowledge of intermediation between (technology, pedagogy, curriculum), as well as what Administrators perceive as constraints that impede effective technology implementation. The data shows that majority of district Administrators reported to having insufficient knowledge of modern and emerging technologies or digital strategies that are most reliant on technology, in addition, the data suggest that district Administrators are finding funding, training, and infrastructure as main factors that impede implementation of technology appropriate for a 21st-century education. The results of this study propose recommendations that have implications for K12 school districts’ technology awareness, knowledge acquisition for technology preparedness, district technology plan, and minimum technology readiness requirement for school district Administrator positions for the 21st-century

Monitoring What Matters About Context and Instruction in Science Education: A NAEP Data Analysis Report

This report explores background variables in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) to examine key context and instructional factors behind science learning for eighth grade students. Science education is examined from five perspectives: student engagement in science, science teachers' credentials and professional development, availability and use of science resources, approaches to science instruction, and methods and uses of science assessment

Perceptions of Teachers on Instructing Remedial Mathematics Students

Approximately 12% of students at the study middle school failed to reach proficient levels on state assessments in mathematics from 2010-2012. Poor performance on assessments can limit future mathematical trajectories and opportunities for students. One of the causes for failing to meet proficient levels on mathematics assessments could be the inconsistent use of teaching practices targeted at supporting lower achieving students; according to such reasoning, a consistent use of research-supported practices could result in improved student performance. Kolb\u27s experiential learning theory, Vygotsky\u27s social development theory, and Maslow\u27s motivation theory provided a framework for this case study. Interviews and observational data were used to ascertain 5 teachers\u27 perceptions concerning instruction for students who fail to reach proficient levels on state assessments. Research questions examined teachers\u27 perceptions regarding implementing best instructional practices and regarding number sense, computational, problem-solving, working memory, and self-efficacy needs of lower level basic skills students. Data from 10 teacher interviews and 15 observations were analyzed using typological coding and thematic analysis. Results indicated that teachers perceived that homogenous groupings prevented teachers from meeting needs of students scoring below the proficient level and from using research-based strategies. The resulting position paper outlines the recommendation to de-track mathematics classrooms into heterogeneous groupings. Study results can be used to help provide teachers with research-based strategies targeted toward improving instruction for basic skills students