FROM DRAWINGS TO MAPS: LINKS BETWEEN DRAWING CATEGORIES AND SPATIAL ERROR IN STUDENTS’ MENTAL MAPS OF THE DESERT BIOME

Depiction of a geographical area through drawings is an individual ability,significantly variable over time. The essential development of such ability canprimarily be observed during the period starting from what is termed youngerschool age to the period of pubescence. This study presents the results of a researchfocused on monitoring the development of the ability of students aged between6 and 15 to reproduce their mental image of a well-known geographical area inthe form of a drawing (cognitive or mental map). The research was carried outby the method of analyzing the drawings of comparative mental maps producedby primary and lower secondary school students. The data obtained from theresearch were then statistically evaluated on the basis of selected criteria in orderto find identical or different stereotypes in the drawings. Research results point tothe existence of significant differences in the ability to graphically illustrate a wellknowngeographical space, reflecting, in particular, the age (or degree of experiencegained) and, to a lesser extent, the gender. Such findings are important from thepedagogical point of view, because the creation of graphic representation of a certainarea belongs to the basic geographical competencies of students.Keywords: drawing; mental map; perception of space; primary and lower secondaryschool; spatial concept development

For several decades, reports on increasing levels of mental illness among youths, in Sweden and globally, have multiplied. In investigating reasons for this, one finding has been that self-reported complaints could frequently be related to everyday problems rather than mental illness, among students in lower secondary school. Three areas of everyday problems have been identified in the questionnaires that alarm reports are often based upon: the body, school, and relationships. The aim of this article is to further investigate adolescents’ experience of everyday problems connected to relationships and to social norms. Data from seven focus groups with students from lower secondary schools in southern Sweden was qualitatively analysed, with a phenomenological ethnographic approach. The findings show how adolescents navigate social norms and the multiple pressures to achieve. This knowledge will be important in developing school-based interventions and demonstrates the importance of including young people’s perspectives in mental health research.

The animal migration is one of the natural processes and is important not only for animals but also for people. Although this process is inseparable part of the nature, its incorporation into curriculum is on low level, not only in Czech Republic, but also in many other countries. The aim of the research was to identify lower secondary school students' knowledge of and misconceptions about animal migration and to identify if gender, grade and residence of respondents have an influence on it. The sample size was created by 184 Czech lower secondary school students. The researcher himself created the research tool. It was a test and consisted of 18 questions. The test questions were also analyzed by the proportional determination and also by the methods of descriptive and inferential statistics. The knowledge of migration was very low among lower secondary school students. The grade level had the strongest influence on the knowledge from the examined variables. In the conclusion part implications for pedagogical practice are suggested and also suggestions for the further research in this field of study. Key words: animal migration, knowledge of migration, lower secondary school students, misconceptions about migration.

The objectives of this study were (1) to study the extent to which lower secondary demonstration school students had experienced communicative and non-communicative activities, (2) to study lower secondary demonstration school students’ opinions towards the usefulness and the enjoyableness of communicative and non-communicative activities, (3) to find relationships between perceived usefulness and perceived enjoyableness of communicative and non-communicative activities, and (4) to compare opinions towards the usefulness and the enjoyableness of communicative and non-communicative activities of low, medium, and high English proficiency students. The participants consisted of 400 lower secondary school students from five demonstration schools in Bangkok. The study was divided into two phases: the survey phase and the experiment phase. In the survey phase, the research instruments were a questionnaire and an interview form. In the experiment phase, four lesson plans were conducted to study the students’ opinions about six communicative activities. Another questionnaire was administered in this phase. To analyze the questionnaire data, the researcher employed percentages, mean, standard deviation, Pearson correlation coefficients and One-Way ANOVA using SPSS Version 11.0 for Windows. The interview data were analyzed using content analysis. The findings in this study revealed the followings: (1) the participants had experienced both communicative and non-communicative activities in their English classes; (2) the participants perceived that both communicative and non-communicative activities were useful but they thought communicative activities were more enjoyable; (3) there were positive relationships between perceived usefulness and perceived enjoyableness of communicative activities and non-communicative activities at the 0.05 level of significance; (4) there were not any significant differences in opinions towards the enjoyableness of communicative activities of low, medium, and high English proficiency students but there were significant differences in their opinions towards the enjoyableness of non-communicative activities and towards the usefulness of communicative and non-communicative activities at the 0.05 level of significance.

Background and Purpose: Knowledge and skills in programming and microcontroller courses among lower secondary school students are crucial as they will affect the number of enrolments in technical courses for upper secondary school students. Hence, this study was conducted to identify the knowledge and skills in programming and microcontroller courses among lower secondary school students and discuss its impact on their preferences for courses during the upper secondary school level. The study was carried out among 50 lower secondary school students in Arau district aged between 13 to 15 years old. Methodology: The study was carried out among 50 lower secondary school students in Arau district in Perlis aged between 13 to 15 years old. The students were chosen by using purposive sampling; to represent the lower secondary students’ population where age is the key criterion. A quantitative approach that consists of 18 items with 2 sections was used as the instrument in this study to determine the level of knowledge and skills in microcontrollers and programming courses. Findings: The data has then been prudently analysed. The objective of the analysis is to gain a deeper understanding of the level of knowledge and skills in programming and microcontroller courses among Arau lower secondary school students. The result of the study demonstrated that the majority of students have basic knowledge and skills in programming and microcontrollers. Contributions: It can be concluded that the basic knowledge and skills in programming and microcontrollers could affect the enrolments in technical courses for secondary school students.

ObjectivesThis paper investigates sickness presence (SP) among students. The research questions asked are: What is the distribution of SP among students in Norwegian secondary school? What characterises students with high...

Experiential activities help students reinforce positive habits and routines in learning and living. The article presents the current situation of managing experiential activities in the direction of developing quality and competence for students in lower secondary schools in cluster 1, Kim Bang district, Ha Nam province, analyzing strengths, weaknesses, subjective and objective causes, thereby proposing solutions to manage experiential activities in the direction of developing quality and capacity for students in lower secondary schools in Cluster 1, Kim Bang district, Ha Nam province in the current period.

The study sought to examine the contribution of the skills-based approach to teaching students in lower secondary schools after COVID-19 disruptions and poverty reduction. The study was purely qualitative in nature and data were obtained using interview guide and focus discussion. Findings revealed that skills-based education is given to students through class talks, but other living skills such as self-worth, decision-making, and successful communication are not given priority. HIV/AIDS prevention and health education initiatives are implemented to raise awareness, change attitudes, and promote healthy sexual behaviour. Skills-based education is an important tool for reducing poverty in communities by providing students with communication, debate, and tailoring skills, as well as computer skills, gymnastics, sports and games. These gains bring about employment and money to fight poverty. Parents are failing to provide instructional materials, leading to an increase in drinking alcohol and smoking, a lack of interest in reading, and an increase in the student-to-teacher ratio. This leads to late coming, dodging of school, and abolishment of punishment and promotion. The study concluded that skills-based education is an important tool for reducing poverty in communities by providing students with communication, debate, and tailoring skills, as well as computer skills, gymnastics, sports, and games. Also, other life skills such as self-worth, decision-making, and successful communication are not given priority. Based on the conclusion the study recommends that all teachers should be involved in the implementation of a skills-based curriculum for effectiveness, the government should supply schools with materials such as computer sets and sewing machines among others to enhance practical training of students and academics should be balanced with extracurricular activities such as debating and games for the cognitive and mental development of the learners.

The research objectives were to 1) study the current conditions, problems, and good practices regarding teaching and learning 2) develop a blended instructional model using problem-based learning with graphic organizers to enhance systems thinking skills in computational science for students in lower secondary school and 3) study the results of using the instructional model. The research and development process was divided into 3 phases. Phase 1; study the current conditions, problems, and good practices regarding teaching and learning, the sample group included 368 teachers and 11 teachers. Phase 2; develop a blended instructional model, the sample consisted of 8 and 7 experts,​ and Phase 3; study the results of using the instructional model, the sample consisted of 35 grade 7 students. Data were analyzed using basic statistics and hypothesis testing statistics. The research results found that 1) Current conditions and overall problems were moderate level. The good practices included blended learning methods, problem-based learning, and instructional media with graphic organizers 2) The blended instructional model using problem-based learning along with graphic organizers included 4 core components: principles, objectives, management of teaching-learning processes, and measurement and evaluation. Five experts evaluated and certified this instructional model as appropriate in all aspects at a high level. 3) The results of using the instructional model found that (1) the systematic thinking skills of students who studied using the instructional model overall post-test were significantly higher than pre-test at the .05 level. (2) Measuring students’ learning achievement overall score post-test was significantly higher than pre-test at the .05 level. (3) students’ post-test scores of the experimental were significantly higher than the control group at the .05 (4) students’ post-test scores of the experimental were significantly higher than the control group at the .05.

The article focuses on the value “health”, as a component of the value orientation of students of lower secondary schools and upper secondary schools in our country. At the same time, it focuses on the presentation and interpretation of the results of a research conducted on a sample of students of selected schools, which was a part of a more comprehensive research on subjective understanding and individual interpretation of selected life values of lower secondary and upper secondary school students in Slovakia.

Bu arastirmanin amaci ortaokula devam eden ergenlerin yasam doyumu duzeylerini okul turleri baglaminda incelemektir. Bu amacla Dogu Anadolu Bolgesi’nde yer alan bir ilde yer alan uc Yatili Bolge Ortaokulu (YBO) ve uc ortaokula devam eden 633 ergenlerden veri toplanmistir. Orneklem 267 kiz ve 362 erkek ergenden olusmustur. Katilimcilarin yas ortalamalari ise 13,26’dir. Arastirmanin verileri Cokboyutlu Ogrenci Yasam Doyumu Olcegi ile toplanmistir. Verilerin cozumlenmesinde ikili karsilastirmalar icin t-test, coklu karsilastirmalar icin ANOVA testlerinden yararlanilmistir. Arastirma sonucunda kizlarin yasam doyumu puan ortalamalarinin erkeklere gore genel olarak daha yuksek oldugu gorulmustur. 8. sinifa devam eden ergenlerin okul doyumu puan ortalamalarinin 7 ve 6. siniflara devam eden ogrencilere gore daha dusuk oldugu gorulmustur. Okul turlerine gore yapilan karsilastirmalarda ise benlik boyutunda yatili bolge ortaokuluna devam eden ogrencilerin daha dusuk, cevreden algilanan doyum boyutunda ise daha yuksek puanlar aldiklari gorulmustur. Arastirmadan elde edilen bulgular ilgili alanyazin isiginda tartisilmistir.

Children’s concept of biological phenomena differs from scientific thought in many aspects. The revelation of wrong concepts contributes to better education, especially when that information is described in a specific field of science. Not only children, but also adults often use anthropomorphic and theological explanations to express their ideas, which confirm their lack of understanding of biological phenomena. A great deal of research has proved retaining of children’s misconceptions in the fields of zoology and botany. How accurate, however, are their ideas about organisms of a microscopic size? The aim of the research was to find out the influence of selected factors (perceived vulnerability, grade, gender and type of group) on concepts about diseases among lower secondary school students. The research sample consisted of 400 students of lower secondary education from Slovakia. Data were collected through Likert type questionnaires. The correlation was found between perceived vulnerability to diseases, age and concepts about diseases. The statistically significant difference in the results between boys and girls was not confirmed. The higher impact should be aimed at their importance for humans and nature for a better understanding of this concept. Keywords: concepts about diseases, lower secondary school students, perceived vulnerability, quantitative research approach.

This study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of digital game-based learning through the Genially platform to improve the understanding of Marabu Thodar comprehension among lower secondary school students. Marabu Thodar is a type of idiomatic expression that is also hard to understand by many lower secondary school students. This challenge occurs due to the traditional teaching method which is not engaging the students. Therefore, Genially the digital game-based platform that uses gamfication and visuals to create engaging effective learning of Marabu Thodar among lower secondary school students. The method applied in this study is mixed method. The data collected in pre and post test are quantitative. It was analysze with to get conclusion with the qualitative feedback from students. Findings shows that students exposed to the digital game-based approach like Genially significantly improved their comprehension of "Marabu Thodar". This approach reported higher motivation and interest in the subject matter. The results highlight the potential of digital game-based learning tools to improve the language education, demonstrating their ability to improves understanding and classroom engagement.

Recent studies have shown that preservice teachers often struggle to effectively implement formative assessment practices to support students’ inquiry skills development. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate factors related to the successful implementation of these practices by preservice teachers. In this study, the relation between the inquiry skill levels of preservice science teachers and the accuracy of their judgments and the quality and quantity of feedback given on lower secondary school students’ laboratory reports of different levels of achievement were examined. Therefore, 61 preservice science teachers evaluated laboratory reports and provided feedback using a rubric, after their inquiry skills were assessed with a paper-and-pencil test. The results show that preservice teachers’ inquiry skills significantly explained the variance in judgment accuracy for all reports. Additionally, the inquiry skill levels of preservice teachers were positively related to the amount of correct feedback they gave in all reports and the amount of prescriptive feedback they gave in the low-achieving report. Finally, there was a negative correlation between the inquiry skill levels of the preservice teachers and the amount of false feedback they gave in high-achieving reports. The results are discussed in terms of effective formative assessment practices in the context of inquiry skill.

Effective long term teacher support is key to promoting and sustaining students' study well-being at school. However, little is known about individual variations in the development of perceived teacher support and how such variations are associated with study engagement and study-related burnout. Also, understanding of the differences between age cohorts across school levels is still limited. To address this limitation, we used latent growth mixture (LGM) modeling to study whether teacher support trajectories influenced study engagement and study-related burnout among Finnish primary and lower-secondary school students. Two cohorts of students, namely primary school students from the 4th to 6th grades (N = 2,204) and lower-secondary school students from the 7th to 9th grades (N = 1,411), were followed for three years. LGM revealed four latent trajectories for teacher support, which were labeled high stable (72%), low stable (12%), decreasing (11%) and increasing (5%). The teacher support trajectories were strongly associated with students' study engagement and study burnout. Moreover, heightened study-related burnout symptoms and decreased study engagement were associated with a decline in perceived teacher support, while higher levels of study engagement and low levels of study burnout symptoms were associated with a continuum of positive teacher support experience. Primary school students were more likely to employ stable and high levels of teacher support, compared with lower-secondary school students, highlighting the importance of improving conditions in lower-secondary school so that the teacher support will better reach all their students.