Experiences of Middle School Students Following a Financial Literacy Simulation

The need for today's youth to acquire financial literacy skills cannot be taken lightly as this knowledge leads to better financial decisions. However, there is a shortage of qualified teachers to teach financial skills. When teachers are not available, one way to provide students with such skills is through simulations. This article describes the experiences of middle school students’ following the Reality Store®, a financial simulation. The activity, divided into 15 different stations, provided hands-on experiences and opportunities for students to think about their futures and career choices in relation to their economic well-being. One hundred fifty-six (156) eighth grade students participated in the simulation activity. Results from the activity indicated students: 1) overwhelmingly enjoyed the experience; 2) lacked knowledge of careers and the educational requirements necessary to achieve their desired life choices; and 3) liked the opportunity to make “life” decisions. Suggestions for teaching financial literacy and career awareness using simulations are provided. Keywords: Career awareness, Experiential education, Financial literacy, Simulation, Middle school DOI: 10.7176/JEP/10-15-06 Publication date:May 31st 201

Applying Alternative Teaching Methods to Impart a Rounded, Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) Education: Students’ Reflections on the Role of Magazines as Instructional Tools

In a constantly and rapidly changing social world, students from all disciplines ought to attain a rounded education within the tradition of a “Liberal Arts and Sciences” (LAS) context. Students outside of the natural sciences must be encouraged to appreciate the place of those sciences in their lives. Conversely, students in the natural sciences must be encouraged to envision the role of other subjects in their lives. In order to accomplish this, however, we need to go beyond basic instructional approaches by applying alternatives such as using magazines and newspapers. This paper reports students’ reflections on the use of newspapers as supplementary instructional materials to enhance learning. Data were collected from an introductory liberal arts physics course using a survey instrument. The survey had five descriptive measures: student perceptions; creativity based on activities learned; ability to link concepts learned in class to articles in the news journal; ability to impart knowledge acquired; and identifying lessons based on a case study of a selected news article from the newspaper. Student reflections indicate that magazines can effect a positive learning experience and stimulate curiosity to read. It is concluded that this approach can be used to enhance student motivation and persistence in introductory classes, particularly in schools where resources are limited. Keywords: improvisation, Liberal Arts and Science education, magazines, student reflections

Comparative Analysis of Participation of Teachers of STEM and Non-STEM Subjects in Professional Development

School administrators continuously consider teacher professional development (PD) as one of the key strategies to improving teachers’ pedagogical skills. Modern proposals for advancing education by improving student learning outcomes are centered on high quality professional development for teachers. However, teachers face a number of barriers when it comes to participation in PD. Also, students in K-12 levels taking Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and non-STEM subjects often report different learning experiences, most of which influence their decisions to enroll in STEM or non-STEM career-related programs in higher education. Understanding factors that influence the differential in teacher participation in PD is a critical step towards addressing student interest in STEM careers. Using the cross-sectional survey data from the Teaching and Learning International Survey of 2013, this study compared the participation of middle school STEM and non-STEM teachers in PD activities in the US. A bivariate analysis was used to compare STEM subject teachers versus non-STEM subject teachers’ participation in PD activities, its impact, and challenges. The findings showed that PD participation was higher among teachers of STEM subjects, but not significantly different from those for non-STEM subjects. Out-field teaching (no formal training of subject taught) accounted for 10.3% of the survey participants. Further, conflict with one’s work schedule was one of the major barriers to PD participation for teachers

Examining the purpose of technical education in Zimbabwe\u27s high schools

At the secondary school level, technical education programs serve numerous purposes ranging from narrow skill training to enhancing general education. However, implementation strategies may make the intended purpose of the educational program unclear. This study examined the purpose of technical education in Zimbabwe\u27s high schools, as outlined in the official curriculum documents and perceived by the program implementers. Data were collected in Zimbabwe from policy documents and program implementers (technical teachers, teacher educators, and program managers) using a questionnaire. Lack of clarity and differences between the purpose as viewed by implementers and that in official documents were found. The study recommends that the Ministry of Education: a) take a position on the desired purpose of the technical education program, b) check and institute appropriate measures to correct mixed messages in the policy documents regarding the purpose of technical education, and c) direct adequate resources toward the desired purpose. © 2005 Shannon Research Press