Science Teacher Learning of MBL-Supported Student-Centered Science Education in the Context of Secondary Education in Tanzania

Science teachers from secondary schools in Tanzania were offered an in-service arrangement to prepare them for the integration of technology in a student-centered approach to science teaching. The in-service arrangement consisted of workshops in which educative curriculum materials were used to prepare teachers for student-centered education and for the use and application of Microcomputer Based Laboratories (MBL)—a specific technology application for facilitating experiments in science education. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected to study whether the in-service arrangement impacted teacher learning. Teacher learning was determined by three indicators: (1) the ability to conduct MBL-supported student centered science lessons, (2) teachers’ reflection on those lessons and (3) students’ perceptions of the classroom environment. The results of the research indicate that the teachers’ were able to integrate MBL in their science lessons at an acceptable level and that they were able to create a classroom environment which was appreciated by their students as more investigative and open-ended

Technology skills and perceptions of online classes in the Social Studies Department at Merrill Senior High School as a foundation for organizational change

Includes bibliographical references

Information literacy skills for preservice teachers: do they transfer to K-12 classrooms?

This study surveyed current education majors (n=70) in two Kansas universities to gain a perspective on their understanding of Information Literacy (IL) concepts and skills and to learn whether they anticipated teaching such concepts to their future K‐12 students. School Media Specialists in the state were also surveyed (n=85) and asked to share their observations of teachers new to the profession as to their understanding and practice of IL. Results indicate many education students were not familiar with IL concept terminology and at least some new teachers in the state do not have a clear understanding or priority for teaching such skills in K‐12 classrooms

Applying the interaction equivalency theorem to online courses in a large organization

Finding effective ways of designing online courses is a priority for corporate organizations. The interaction equivalency theorem states that meaningful learning can be achieved as long as courses are designed with at least a high level of one of three types of interactions (learner-content, learner-teacher or learner-learner). This study aimed to establish whether the interaction equivalency theorem applies to online learning in the corporate sector. The research was conducted in a large Mexican commercial organization, and involved 147 learners (sales supervisors), 30 teachers (sales managers and directors) and 3 academic assistants (course designers, or Education support staff). Three courses of an existing Leadership Program (Situational Leadership, Empowering Beliefs and Effective Performance) were redesigned and developed to test three course designs, each emphasizing a different type of interaction (learner-content, learner-teacher or learner-learner). Data were collected through surveys (for diagnostic and evaluation purposes) and exams. All courses yielded high levels of effectiveness, in terms of satisfaction, learning, perceived readiness for knowledge transfer and return on expectations. This suggests that the interaction equivalency theorem not only applies in a business setting but might also include other indicators of course effectiveness, such as satisfaction, learning transfer and return on expectations. Further research is needed to explore the possible expansion of the theorem

Perceptions of Doctoral Graduates on the Usefulness of Written Reflections as an Instructional Strategy

One of the goals of the Ed.D. in Leadership and Professional Practice at Trevecca Nazarene University is for candidates to be reflective practitioners. Since the inception of the program in 1999, written reflections as an instructional strategy has been encouraged by the administration and used by several professors. This focus is supported by the conceptual framework that informs all courses and programs in the School of Education and includes the national standards adopted by INTASC (Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium) which calls for teacher education candidates to be reflective practitioners who plan, implement, and evaluate effectively. This standard is applied to all programs, including those at the master’s and doctoral levels. Research by Ballantyne and Packer (1995) in Studies in Continuing Education reported that the analysis of journal entries by 13 students enrolled in education doctoral programs confirmed the usefulness of journals in reflecting on and connecting academic learning and experience

An evaluative case study of a basic education and training programme in Indonesia : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Educational Administration at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the basic education and training programme (the DIKLAT ADUM) for Indonesian civil servants. This evaluative case study was based on the nature of formative evaluation that aims at providing feedback for the programme's improvement and development. This research used the methods of survey questionnaire and telephone interview. A purposive-random sampling was carried out for the interview. Using the Likert attitude scale and open-ended questions, the questionnaire asked the participants about their expectation of the programme, the programme's content and the perceived effects of the programme. The telephone interview enquired about participants' insights regarding some themes that had emerged from the questionnaire. The responses to the survey questionnaire and interview showed that the programme was reasonably effective in improving the participants' skills and knowledge of public administration and management as well as their attitude towards their job as civil servants. However, it was found that two main aspects of the programme, curriculum and its delivery, needed special attention from the stakeholders in order for the programme to be more effective. The study concludes with some recommended action plans for both the organisational and individual stakeholders. It also recommends a model for evaluating future DIKLAT ADUM programmes aimed at their improvement and development

Afghan EFL Lecturers’ Assessment Practices in the Classroom

The current study is conducted with the aim to explore the practices and perceptions of Afghan EFL lecturers toward assessment. A second aim of the study is to explore the challenges the lecturers encounter in the implementation of formative assessments in their classes. To serve these basic objectives, a qualitative case study method design was employed with three English language lectures as the participants. Semi-structured interviews were used as the main instrument to collect data. The findings of the study indicated that all three lecturers maintained positive perceptions toward formative assessment and favored it over summative assessment. However, the study also discovered that the lecturers practice summative assessments more than formative assessments in their classrooms. This, as indicated by the lecturers, was due to the fact that their choices of employing certain assessment practices were dictated in terms of certain challenges such as university rules and policies, large classes, and time constraints. Lastly, some suggestions are made that may prove useful to effectively apply formative assessment in Afghan EFL context

Student Evaluation of Teaching: The Inequity of Faculty Scores in Online versus Face-to-Face Courses

Researchers have conducted a multitude of studies over the last century on Student Evaluations of Teaching (SET); however, very few have been conducted in the new digital age (Loveland, 2007). More work is in progress as researchers try to define the differences in student responses and thoughts about the online teaching environment. The unfortunate side of this can be the administrative decision to use a one-size-fits-all mentality when many authors including Dziuban and Moskal (2011) have outlined several research-based alternatives for evaluation of online instructional effectiveness. SETs are important to faculty because they often are the determining factor in merit pay and tenure/promotion. Faculty use SETs to guide decision-making about their curriculum and instructional strategies used to deliver the course (Sheehan & DuPrey, 1999). The power of the SET is recognized as a driving force in academia. What are often not discussed are the differences between SET for face-to-face courses versus SET for online courses

Turning engineers into reflective university teachers

Increasing attention to quality and innovation in Higher Education (HE) is enhancing the pedagogic knowledge of faculty members and thereby encouraging the academic success of their students. This aim requires, from the institution and teachers, a greater degree of involvement than was previously the case. This is certainly borne out by experience in Portuguese universities. The growing concern of engineers with issues of pedagogy and academic success marks a sea change in the traditional conceptions of teaching and learning in Higher Education. There are, of course, indications that many academics are resistant to change. Our research indicates a tradition among Portuguese and Scottish academics to incline their effort toward research with a resultant decline in interest and effort on teaching. The present paper presents a meta-analysis of research conducted at the University of Aveiro (Portugal) and the University of Strathclyde (United Kingdom) between 2000 and 2004 involving academics who taught first-year introductory Programming courses. The purpose of our study was to promote reflection and research on teaching based issues as a strategy toward improved student learning. The findings of the study raised a number of salient issues for discussion and consideration. In this paper, we present some of these issues, aiming to explore the impact that the findings may have on teachers' attitudes towards teaching and students' learning in introductory programming courses

Evaluation Of Leading Education Program On Madrasah Aliyah Negeri Insan Cendekia Serpong Tangerang Selatan

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengevaluasi pelaksanaan pendidikan di MAN Insan Cendekia Serpong sebagai sekolah terkemuka, dalam perspektif anteseden, transaksi, dan hasil. Penelitian ini menggunakan model evaluasi Countenance dari Pasak sebagai dasar metodologinya. Data dikumpulkan dari seluruh elemen pendidikan di MAN Insan Cendekia Serpong, termasuk kepala sekolah, guru, dan siswa kelas dua dan tiga. Data dikumpulkan menggunakan kuesioner, dokumentasi, observasi, dan wawancara. Hasil penelitian mengungkapkan berikut ini. Pertama, hampir semua yang aspek anteseden, seperti jumlah siswa dan kualitas input mahasiswa, ketersediaan sumber pendukung pembelajaran, kualitas guru, dalam kondisi ideal. Kedua, Secara internal, proses pendidikan di MAN Insan Cendekia berjalan dengan baik, dan secara eksternal terkait dengan fungsinya sebagai model, implementasinya belum optimal. Para siswa dan guru memandang bahwa implementasi pendidikan di MAN Insan Cendekia berjalan dengan baik, sehubungan dengan fasilitas belajar yang lebih lengkap daripada di sekolah lain. Dan akhirnya yang ketiga, prestasi belajar siswa MAN Insan Cendekia, yang ditunjukkan oleh skor mereka di UN dan berbagai tingkat prestasi, meningkat dibandingkan dengan hasil tahun-tahun sebelumnya, dan ini bisa dinilai sebagai pencapaian yang baik dari MAN Insan Cendekia dalam melakukan proses pendidikan