The Reality of Employing Student-Centred Learning Strategies in Psychology Course from the Teachers’ Perspective in Kuwait

The present study aimed to explore the reality of employing student-centred learning strategies in psychology course from the teachers’ perspective in Kuwait. Those strategies are represented in the problem-based and project-based strategies.  The researcher selected a purposive sample that consists from 40 female and male teachers who teach psychology course. Those teachers were selected from 40 schools located in Al-Farwaniyah, Kuwait. Questionnaire forms were distributed to those teachers. All the forms were retrieved and deemed valid for analysis. SPSS software was employed for having the data analysed. It was found that the extent of employing the student-centred learning strategies (i.e. problem-based and project-based strategies) in psychology course from the teachers’ perspective in Kuwait in high. The researcher recommends conducting studies about the effectiveness of employing student-centred learning strategies in other courses in Kuwiat. Keywords: Student-centred strategies, psychology¸ Kuwait, teachers, reality. DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/10-22-01 Publication date: November 30th 202

Effective use of multimedia in the classroom: Enhancing third grade science curriculum

This project involves the development of a unit in science that integrates the use of technology in the problem-solving approach and the development of information literacy skills

Teacher Candidates' Attitudes, Knowledge Levels and Sensitivities towards Environmental Problems

A people without children would face a hopeless future; a country without trees is almost as helpless (Theodore Roosevelt). Humans both have been affected by environmental events and have affected their environments by a variety of activities since man has been on earth. However, because of the lack of population for a long time and the absence of technology that can fight nature, people have contended with those given by nature and lived harmony with nature. As technology began to progress rapidly with the industrial revolution, humans have preferred to dominate it rather than being a part of natural balance. Human pressure on natural environment has been increased because of this preference. This increase has led the excessive use of natural resources and to environmental problems. The most effective solution to the problems seems that environmental literacy gives individuals. The aim of this study is to assess the teacher candidates' attitudes, knowledge levels and sensitivities towards environmental problems. Keywords: environmental problems, environmental literacy, teacher candidates

THE IMPACT OF THE PROPOSED MATHEMATICS ENRICHMENT PROGRAM ON THE UAE STUDENTS’ MATHEMATICAL LITERACY IN LIGHT OF THE PISA FRAMEWORK

Mathematical literacy is an important skill that students must possess, as it helps students understand and use mathematics in the real world. The main aim of this dissertation is to investigate the impact of a proposed mathematical enrichment program developed based on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) framework. This assessment is particularly important because it is on the National Agenda as the UAE aspires to be among the top 20 countries in the world in PISA by 2021. An explanatory mixed method design was adopted to achieve the purpose of this study. Subjects included were 102 grade 10 students taken from two schools. In the first phase, a nonequivalent pre–posttest quasi-experimental research method was conducted. Mathematical literacy test and motivation scale were used to collect data. There was a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups with an effect size above the mean as indicated by the covariate analysis. Female students recorded greater improvement than male students in all areas of mathematical literacy except for reasoning. However, there was no significant difference in motivation to learn mathematics between the experimental and control groups, nor between male and female students. The second phase included qualitative data collected by a perceptions survey. The students showed positive feelings towards their participation in the mathematical enrichment program as revealed by the thematic analysis. The study suggested that to improve students’ mathematical literacy, schools should carefully implement the mathematics enrichment program. Findings from this study are expected to serve a larger goal of informing mathematics leaders in the UAE on how to improve the students’ mathematical literacy. This study was one step up to fill in some of the gaps in the literature, and in the long term, much remains to be investigated and learned about mathematical literacy

ASSESSING ASSESSMENTS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THREE ASSESSMENTS OF INQUIRY SKILLS IN TENTH GRADE HIGH SCHOOL BIOLOGY STUDENTS

Inquiry is an educational technique where students develop scientific knowledge and understanding through processes similar to those used by scientist. One of the obstacles to implementing the techniques is the need for teachers to self-evaluate their teaching and determine the effectiveness of inquiry-based teaching techniques with respect to developing higher-order thinking (HOT) skills in students. Feedback from an assessment permits teachers to adjust their curriculum to incorporate the most effective inquiry-base lessons. This report considers three short assessments of inquiry that were modified for use in the high school biology classroom. First there three assessments were compared against one another for equality and applicability. Then, each of these three assessments were compared to a longer performance-based assessment for the application to evaluate HOT skills. The purpose of comparing these three assessment to the performance-based assessment was to determine the degree to which each assessment measured HOT skills. Two assessment tools were determined to conform to the requirements of being equally accessible to all students, applicable to being realistic and manageable to use in the classroom and able to evaluate HOT skills

Alignment of the Challenger Center Curriculum with the Washington State Essential Learning Requirements and the Use of Multiple Intelligences

The State ofWashington has recently adopted a set oflearning standards called the Essential Academic Learning Requirements. It is the intention of this Master\u27s project to align the learning objectives of the Challenger Center curriculum with the Essential Academic Learning Requirements for Science, so that it may be used as a sixth and seventh grade enrichment opportunity. Itis also within the scope of this project to include Gardner\u27s theory on multiple intelligence as an educational tool to improve student learning. It will be suggested that with the use of multiple intelligences and the integration of informal science learning experiences, students will develop improved problem solving skills and knowledge retention. This in turn may improve the overall performance on the State assessment for the new standards

A Case Study of a School-Supported Extracurricular Activity\u27s Influence on STEM Identity and Interest for Females

Even though there has been a narrowing of the gender gap in STEM, there is still a pronounced gap in the physical sciences, engineering, and computer science. Females who persist in these fields have a strong STEM identity, including developing specific STEM interests. Females can develop STEM identity through long-term, active involvement in extracurricular STEM programs. Extracurricular STEM programs significantly impact the persistence of females in the STEM pipeline. This case study examined the effect of Science Olympiad, an extracurricular STEM program, on current high school students and alumnae’s perceptions of their STEM identity and personal specific STEM interest. Potential participants were recruited from a Bay Area High School Science Olympiad program, both current students and alums. After completing an online survey, 17 participants were selected to participate. In individual interviews or a focus group, the participants reflected on their experiences in Science Olympiad and how those experiences influenced their STEM identity and personal specific STEM interests. The participants shared that a collaborative, team-focused atmosphere was most critical in developing their STEM identity. Additionally, exposure to and deep exploration of various STEM topics were essential components of developing personal specific STEM interests. The participants shared the features of the studied Science Olympiad program, which were most influential in encouraging their long-term, active participation and their frustrations. The program’s key component was the program’s team and partner-focused nature, which has led to the development of a strong community of practice. Additionally, the participants described attributes of STEM people. While they related the traditional characteristics of ambition, smartness, and problem solvers, the participants also described the charitable nature of STEM. While the participants acknowledged that those who work in STEM fields might not be there for the sole reason of helping others, they felt STEM, in its very nature, is a humanitarian field. A strong STEM identity is crucial for females to stay in the STEM pipeline. Participating in a program, such as Science Olympiad, that is more collaborative than competitive allows the females a safe space to develop STEM identity and personal specific STEM interests

PENGARUH KETERAMPILAN BERPIKIR KRITIS TERHADAP PROBLEM SOLVING SISWA BERBANTU MEDIA PEMBELAJARAN

Seiring perubahan zaman dan adanya persaingan global, dibutuhkan pula merancang para peserta didik untuk memiliki nilai-nilai pendidikan karakter yang diajarkan bagi para peserta didik, dan untuk dapat secara efisien memecahkan masalah dunia nyata. Keterampilan-keterampilan tersebut dapat dilatihkan sebelum memasukin dunia kerja yang sesungguhnya, dimana terdapat berbagai cara salah satunya adalah dengan cara menerapkan mengembangkan keterampilan berpikir (berpikir kritis dan problem solving). Maka dari itu, studi literatur ini bertujuan mengetahui hubungan keterampilan berpikir kritis dengan problem solving siswa, mengetahui aspek penilaian dalam pengukuran berpikir kritis dan problem solving siswa, dan mengetahui adanya pengaruh keterampilan berpikir kritis terhadap kemampuan problem solving siswa berbantuan media pembelajaran. Dalam studi litertur ini media pembelajaran yang digunakan berbatas hanya berbasis website. Hasil dari studi literatur ini menyatakan bahwa keterampilan berpikir kritis siswa terhadap kemampuan problem solving siswa berbantuan media web pada kelas eksperimen memiliki perbedaan nilai rata-rata disbanding dengan kelas kontrol. Kelas eksperimen memperoleh nilai rata-rata sebanyak 80,16 sedangkan pada kelas kontrol memperoleh nilai rata-rata sebanyak 75,31