Widening access to advanced mathematics: Teachers’ perspectives on the impact on secondary school teaching

The need to instill and engender efficiency and effectiveness in the implementation of curriculum for Business subjects calls for the utilization of e-learning technologies in instructional delivery. This study aimed to determine the extent of availability and utilization of e-Learning technologies for teaching of business subjects in the senior secondary schools in Anambra State. It specifically examined the extent of availability of e-Learning technologies; and assessed the extent utilization of various e-Learning technologies (hardware, software, and internet) by teachers of business subjects in the senior secondary schools in Anambra State. Four research question posed in line with the specific objectives guided the study; and has four corresponding hypotheses for mean differences. The study adopted a descriptive survey design to study a population of the 1260 out of which 164 samples were taken from the business subject teachers in Anambra State. The instrument for data collection is the Extent of E-learning Technologies Availability and Utilization Questionnaire (ETAUQ) structured in a Likert type format. The instrument was validated and have reliability of 0.9266 established using Cronbach Alpha. Data was analyzed using mean and standard deviation for the research questions and t-test for the hypotheses. The results showed that e-learning technologies availability at the secondary schools in Anambra State are considered to be at a moderate extent; e-learning hardware and software technologies were utilised at moderate extent; while the internet technologies was considered to be utilised at a low extent for teaching business subjects in the secondary schools in Anambra State. The hypotheses testing revealed that location (rural or urban) and gender (male and female) has no significant difference in the mean ratings of business subjects teachers on the extent of availability of e-Learning technologies for utilization; and the extent of utilization of e-Learning hardware technologies. However, teaching experience (above 10 years’ experience and below 10 years’ experience) in secondary schools in Anambra State differ significantly in their mean ratings on the extent of utilization of e-Learning software technologies in teaching. More is, business teachers with high qualification makes more effective utilization of the internet technologies than the low qualified business subject teachers in Anambra State. Among the recommendations were that curriculum planners should develop the curriculum that should include the use of e-learning technologies by secondary school teachers; and that secondary school administrators should sponsor the re-training of business subject teachers on the utilization of e-learning technologies in education so as to enhance their teaching skills.

The Elementary School Journal Volume 85, Number 1 o 1984 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved. 0013-5984/85/850 1 -0001 $0 1.00 The purpose of this article is to describe the self-worth theory of achievement motivation, to summarize the research generated under this model, and to consider the implications of research for classroom teaching and learning. The self-worth theory assumes that a central part of all classroom achievement is the need for students to protect their sense of worth or personal value. Perceptions of ability are critical to this self-protective process, since for many students the mere possession of high ability signifies worthiness. Moreover, ability is widely perceived as a major cause of success, and success in turn reflects well on the individual. For these reasons, I will focus on the topic of ability perceptions and on developmental changes in these perceptions. A second main theme of this article concerns the various strategies that students employ to maintain a sense of worthiness in the face of failure, an outcome that would otherwise lead to suspicions of inability. A third theme concerns a potential conflict of values between teachers and students. Specifically, the failure-avoiding strategies that students often use to maintain a sense of competency involve various subterfuge such as procrastination, not trying, and excuses. These tactics come in direct conflict with

Uspostavljanje modela filmske edukacije u srednjoj školi

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of school facilities on learners’ academic performance in science subjects in secondary schools in Rutsiro district, Rwanda. The following objectives guided the study: The study aimed to investigate the impact of physical facilities and physical instructional materials on students' academic performance in science subjects in Rutsiro district secondary schools. Furthermore, it aimed to investigate the influence of electronic instructional materials on the academic performance of science students in Rutsiro district secondary schools. Environmentalist Bandura's theory of learning, also known as the social cognitive learning theory (SCLT), guided the research. Based on the descriptive research design and mixed-methods approach, the study was conducted in five selected secondary schools in the Rutsiro District. The study's target population consisted of 460 respondents: five head teachers, five directors of studies, 150 teachers, and 300 students. The study involved 214 participants, including 2 head teachers, 2 directors of studies, 70 teachers, and 140 students. Systematic sampling was used to select the five schools, purposive sampling to select the student sample size, and the census sampling technique to select the head teachers and directors of studies. Data was collected using structured questionnaires, interview guides, and documentary reviews. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics. The study found a significant correlation between the availability of school facilities and academic performance. There were positive and significant correlations between academic performance and school facilities in Rutsiro District, Rwanda, and measures of the availability of school facilities were as follows: physical facilities (r = 0.814, p<0.01), electronic and technology facilities (r = 0.826, p<0.1), and physical instructional materials (r = 0.949, p<0.01). The findings from regression analysis revealed that physical facilities have a positive and significant effect on learners’s academic performance in science subjects in Rutsiro district secondary schools (β = 0.814, P value <0.05), The findings from regression analysis revealed that physical instructional materials have a negative and significant effect on learners’s academic performance in science subjects in Rutsiro district secondary schools (β = -0.417, P value <0.05), The findings from regression analysis revealed that electronic instructional materials have a positive and significant effect on learners’s academic performance in science subjects in Rutsiro district secondary schools (β = 0.308, P value <0.05). Teachers, district education officials, and head teachers all agree that school facilities influence academic performance in science subjects positively. Specifically, physical facilities motivate learners and enhance their performance. It was observed that students taught in classrooms equipped with school facilities outperformed those without access. Consequently, the study recommends that science teachers utilize available school facilities for instruction and adapt when materials are unavailable.

<strong>Research aim to:</strong> - Structure a job engagement scale for physical education teachers in secondary schools in the city of Mosul - Identifying the level of occupational involvement of physical education teachers in secondary schools in the city of Mosul. The descriptive approach was used by survey method. The construction and final application samples included (146.98) teachers, respectively, of physical education teachers in secondary schools in the city of Mosul, distributed among middle, secondary and preparatory schools. Arithmetic mean, standard deviation, simple correlation, Gittmann equation and Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The researchers drew several conclusions, the most important of which are - The validity of the occupational involvement scale by physical education teachers, which was built by the researchers on middle, secondary and middle schools in the city of Mosul. - The degree of occupational involvement of physical education teachers in middle, secondary and preparatory schools in the city of Mosul is at a (very good) level. <strong>Therefore, the researcher recommends:</strong> - Holding intensive educational seminars and courses that encourage job engagement in all other specializations in secondary schools in the city of Mosul. - Applying the job engagement scale to other samples of all specializations. - Develop an evaluation form for the performance of physical education teachers in secondary schools that includes all aspects of their work in order to ensure the objectivity of the evaluation and circulate it to all secondary schools throughout Iraq

This article draws from a study that explored how Ugandan secondary school teachers' competences are continuously developed to cope with the ever changing trends in Science and Mathematics teaching. The study was premised on a framework of professional development that views teacher education as a continuum that includes training, recruiting, retaining, and retraining. The article argues that in Uganda more research has been focused on the first two levels of the continuum, with evidence on the last one remaining less documented. Data was largely collected from qualitative semi-structured interviews with selected policy makers, school administrators, and teachers. The interviews were complemented with an analysis of relevant documents and a workshop with the participating teachers. A thematic analysis of the data revealed three categories of existing Continuing Professional Development programmes in Uganda including those initiated by government agencies and donors; those initiated by schools; and those initiated by individual teachers. The article highlights the need for a critical examination of these existing programmes with a view to ensuring that they reinforce each other.

The aim of this paper is to look at how teachers of English used various instructional strategies in teaching the subject in public secondary schools in Turkana Central Sub-County, Kenya. This paper is guided by Rogers’s innovation-decision process theory. The study specifically examined the commonly used innovative instructional strategies in the teaching of English in public secondary schools and their effect on students’ performance in English subjects in secondary schools in Turkana Central Sub-County. The study was anchored on mixed-method research methodology. The study target population involved all Heads of Department of Languages (10), Teachers of English (35) and Form III students (486) from 10 public secondary schools in Turkana Central Sub-County. A sample of 10 HODs, 35 teachers of English and 146 students was selected to represent the entire population. Data collection was through questionnaires and interview schedules. Data analysis was performed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Research results showed that the two most commonly used innovative teaching strategies were communicative language teaching and constructivist language teaching. It was found out that majorly many teachers resort to the conventional teacher centred approaches of teaching. The research recommends that KICD needs to align secondary school syllabus with innovative instructional approaches, teachers need to be trained regularly on innovative instructional strategies, and supportive infrastructure to be provided in schools to ensure innovative and technological approaches are used in English subject teaching and learning in secondary schools in Turkana Central Sub-County.

In Hong Kong, environmental education is not regarded as a compulsory learning subject in secondary schools and it is also not assessed as an independent subject in any public examination.&#13;\n&#13;\nAs there is no specific and formal role for environmental education in secondary schools, educators tend to make use of various subjects such as Geography, Social Studies, Physics, Chemistry and Liberal Studies etc. to deliver contents, themes and issues related to environmental education. Also, in some secondary schools, the organization of some extra-curricular activities through Geography Society and Environmental Education Clubs etc. supplement the work of subject departments in delivering environmental education. Beside these efforts other schools may have other inputs for environmental education, however, from a macro perspective, is such context of environmental education delivery represents a holistic and high-quality environmental education delivery in secondary schools of Hong Kong?&#13;\n&#13;\nBecause of the lack of formal position of environmental education in the education system, schools have great autonomy to decide on the ways in delivering environmental education. It is therefore worthwhile to understand in reality, how secondary schools in Hong Kong carry out environmental education in their own ways? Schools may have different practices of environmental education in their own context, but are there any similarities of their practices? The attempt to generalize several patterns of the selected school in practicing environmental education would be helpful to provide an angle for understanding environmental education in a more structural and holistic way.&#13;\n&#13;\nMore importantly, it is significant to understand to what extent are the current practices of the examined schools effective in delivering environmental education. After the evaluation of school’s effectiveness in environmental education, it is certainly a good news if any examined school is performing well and they should continue to strive for improvement, otherwise, for schools that are weaker in environmental education, educators should reflect upon and rethink more how can they do better in environmental education for cultivating more environmentally-literate citizens of Hong Kong in future.

The study was conducted to explore the implementation of inclusive education in public secondary schools in the Division of Camarines Norte, it answered the following problems: (1.) The profile of secondary schools implementing inclusive education in the Division of Camarines Norte; (2.) The implementation practices of the secondary schools for learners with special needs; (3.) The significant relationship between the profile and implementation practices; (4.) The behavior of the special education teachers and parents; (5.) The issues and challenges; and (6.) The intervention program proposed to address the implementation of inclusive education in secondary schools in the Division of Camarines Norte. The study employed descriptive research. The respondents were 116 Receiving Teachers and 105 parents. The study utilized Survey-questionnaire checklist. Focus group discussion was conducted for triangulation of data. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied to facilitate the interpretation of the data gathered by the researcher. Findings of the study: (1). As to enrolment, School G has the highest number of enrollees with 72 or 20.6% as compared to School B with only 58 or 16.6% enrollees out of 349 learners. As to human resources with special designation as Receiving Teachers, School G, D and A has the highest number of receiving teachers. As to budget allocation for schools with inclusive education, School A and School J has the higesst budget of Php 120,000.00. As to equipment, facilities and services, School A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H have manual alphabet while School A,E,H,G have chart slides on sign language and mirror for speech correction. For visual impairment, only three schools, Schools A, G, H have snellen charts required for eye check-ups and only one school with model on eye mechanism. Available equipment to 10 secondary schools catering learners with learning disability includes tests used for assessment. As to services provided by the schools to learners with special needs, eight school, Schools A,C,D,E,G,H,I have identification and referral process and assessment services; all schools adapted the K to 12 Curriculum for LWDs and only six schools developed Individualized Educational Plan (IEP); (2). the implementation practices of secondary schools for learners with special needs along identification and placements got an average weighted mean of 2.93. (3). The study failed to correlate between the profile and implementation practices of secondary schools for learners with special needs (4). The behavior of the special education teachers and parents of learners got an average weighted mean of 2.74 and 2.65. (5). There were 76 or 65.52% out of 116 teachers’ encountered issues and challenges along lack of training to cater different exceptionalities. There were 89 or 84.76% out of 105 parent’s encountered issues and challenges along behavioral issues of their child; (6). An Intervention Program in the form of Toolkit for Schools addresses the implementation of inclusive education in secondary schools in the Division of Camarines Norte. The following conclusions were deduced: (1). The profile of secondary schools implementing inclusive education in the Division of Camarines Norte for School Year 2022-2023 varies. (2). The implementation practices of the secondary schools for learners with special needs along identification and placements, developing individual education plan, assistance, and reporting were interpreted as agree. (3). The profile of the schools are not correlated with the implementation practices; (4). Teachers and parents of learners with special needs agree as to the development and implementation of an Individualized Education Plan or its counterpart. (5). Teachers and parents encountered various issues and challenges in the implementation of inclusive education in public secondary schools in the Division of Camarines Norte. (6). Implementation of inclusive education in secondary schools in the Division of Camarines Norte may be addressed as reflected in the objectives and activities presented in the proposed intervention program.

Mathematics has been viewed as the most difficult subject in the secondary school particularly by children in developing countries (Skemp 2008). And yet in spite of it being perceived as a difficult subject, mathematics is a fundamental part of human thought and logic and integral at attempts to understanding the world and ourselves. Evidence shows that students in many countries fail mathematics (Lynons 2010). Literature has a plethora of reasons for high failure rate of mathematics. For example, Polya (2011) states that shortage of well-trained teachers, inadequacy of teaching facilities, poor quality textbooks, large classes, poorly motivated teachers, poorly coordinated supervisory activities, incessant transfers of teachers and heads, automatic promotion of pupils, the negative role of public examinations, and inequality of educational opportunities, all hamper the smooth acquisition of mathematics knowledge. As a result of this situation, there has been a sudden deluge of supplementary tuition or extra-tuition. The practice of offering extra tuition has both social and economic implications on those involved. Parents pay the regular school fees and are then asked or volunteer to part with more money in the form of tuition for extra-lessons. This study sought to investigate teachers’ perceptions on the role played by supplementary-tuition or extra-lessons on the performance of pupils at ordinary level in secondary schools in Hwange District in Zimbabwe. The population comprised of 450 secondary school teachers in the district. Random sampling was used to arrive at a sample of 100 respondents who comprised of 58 females and 42 males. The study adopted the descriptive survey design and the questionnaire was the major instrument for collecting data. The main findings indicated that teachers felt that supplementary tuition in mathematics improved the results of those pupils who received it. The study also revealed that teachers felt that time allocated for mathematics was inadequate. The recommendations are that time allocated to mathematics should be increased right from the primary school to the secondary school level. Another recommendation was that properly qualified teachers to teach mathematics should be deployed in all the schools to avoid supplementary-tuition. Keywords: Supplementary tuition, Ordinary level, Student, Mathematics, Teachers, Tuition, Extra-tuition

Problem statement: The practice of contemporary teaching methods that looked into student diversity had started to dominant most classrooms. In recent years, teachers had adopted a multiple intelligences approach in teaching to meet the needs of a wider range of students. Objective of the present study was to determine the Multiple Intelligence (MI) profile and teaching styles of primary and secondary school teachers. The study also focused on identification of the difference in teaching styles adopted between primary and secondary school teachers. Approach: This study involved 310 randomly selected primary and secondary teachers had applied a descriptive design in which questionnaires were used for the purpose of data collection. Correlation based techniques were used to determine the relationship as well as the magnitude among multiple intelligences. Results: Research findings showed that significant differences were present in five MI profile (spatial, naturalistic, logic/mathematics, interpersonal and musical) with t = 2.75, 2.55, 3.56, 3.05 and -2.32 respectively and three significant differences in the teaching strategies (naturalistic, musical and intrapersonal) with t = -2.58, -3.78 and 2.70 respectively between secondary and primary school teachers. Conclusion: It can be concluded that both primary and secondary teachers had utilized the theory of Multiple Intelligence (MI) in their teaching approaches in today’s classroom.

Education for Self-Reliance has been in practice in Tanzania for several years since 1967. The country made reforms in various education policies and programs to ensure that students in secondary schools are provided with Education for Self-Reliance (ESR) to realize national education objectives. This study sought to examine the relevance of ESR in secondary schools on helping students to have independent living after graduation. The study was guided by the following objectives, to assess the relevance of Education for Self-Reliance and to ascertain the subjects empowering students in Self-Reliance in secondary schools. The study adopted the human capital theory developed in 1776 and adopted by Theodor Schultz in the field of education in 1969. The researcher used a mixed research approach and convergent parallel research design to collate data. A sample size of 192 informants was used to provide data in quantitative and qualitative terms. Quantitative data were analyzed with the support of SPSS program version 20, while qualitative data was analyzed through coding, categories and themes. Content and face validity of the instrument were observed and reliability tested in split-half system to obtain 0.80 correlation coefficient which showed the research instruments were valid and reliable. The findings postulated that ESR is relevant as it helps students to alleviate poverty, create employment, increase confidence, promote students’ knowledge and skills and free them from crimes and immoralities after graduation. Also, the researcher found that physical education, music, fine arts, commerce, business studies, computer studies and agriculture are very crucial subjects in empowering students in Self-Reliance, however, teachers do not teach these Self-Reliance subjects in public secondary schools. Therefore students are completed secondary schools with inadequate skills for Self[1]Reliance which leads to unemployment, engaging in crimes and failure to seize opportunities around. The researcher further recommended that the Ministry of Education Science and Technology to contrive an educational policy framework to emphasize the teaching of ESR subjects in secondary schools. Also, training and retraining of teachers on Self-Reliance can be an effective way to provide ESR in public secondary schools.

The study established the teachers' viewpoints on school-based assessment of secondary school science instruction in Anambra State, Nigeria. The research used a descriptive survey methodology. The 158 science teachers employed by the 32 public secondary schools in the Onitsha Education Zone of Anambra State made up the population of the study. Two of the three Local Government Areas of the Zone were chosen using the purposeful sampling technique, and the sample size was all 158 science teachers. "Questionnaire on Teachers Perception of the Use of Different Types of School Based Assessment in Teaching and Learning of Science in Secondary Schools" was a data collection tool created by researchers. It was validated, and Cronbach's alpha formula was used to determine its overall reliability, which was 0.71. For data analysis, mean and standard deviation were employed. According to the study's conclusions, science teachers in secondary schools use formative assessment in the teaching and learning of science courses to a moderate extent. Additionally, summative assessment is highly utilized in the teaching and learning of science subjects in secondary schools by science teachers, as opposed to diagnostic assessment, which is mostly underutilized (low extent). As a result, it was suggested, among other things, that science teachers be encouraged to utilize the many forms of school-based assessment for efficient science teaching and learning.

The tourism sector is now New Zealand’s number one export earner, contributing 17.4 percent to New Zealand’s total exports of goods and services [1]. In addition, the sector directly employs 8.4 percent of New Zealand’s workforce and a further 6.1 percent are indirectly employed [2]. Given the obvious importance of hospitality and tourism to both the national economy and local communities, one would expect that a potential career in the industry would be something for a young person to aspire to. Sadly, this is not the case, and recent research has found that much of the poor perception of a career in hospitality and tourism stems from the delivery of hospitality and tourism education in New Zealand secondary schools [3].&#x0D; In the New Zealand secondary school curriculum, secondary students gain New Zealand’s Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) by working towards a combination of achievement or unit standards. The Ministry of Education is the only developer of achievement standards, which are derived from the achievement objectives of the New Zealand Curriculum. Unit standards are developed by industry training organisations [4]. Both hospitality and tourism are deemed to be ‘vocational’ rather than ‘academic’ subjects in the NCEA structure and are delivered as unit standards. In a review of the list of approved subjects for University Entrance (UE) in 2011, only subjects delivered as achievement standards were eligible, hence the removal of hospitality and tourism after the revisions came into effect in 2014 [5].&#x0D; Students are often introduced to the study of hospitality and tourism at secondary school and therefore their early perceptions of a potential career are formed at this stage. These perceptions can be influenced by several factors, including the position that studying hospitality and tourism does not prepare students for further or higher education as effectively as other subjects might. Criticisms of hospitality and tourism as secondary school subjects include that the curriculum lacks both serious and relevant content and academic rigour. The idea that hospitality and tourism classes are used as a ‘dumping ground’ for the less academically able students is damning. The attitudes of teachers, career advisors, school management and parents also play a significant role in the development of a positive or negative perception of the industry, with some actively discouraging students’ interest. The removal of hospitality and tourism as UE approved subjects has only contributed to this poor perception both by students and the larger community, including parents [3]. There is an evident disparity between the importance of hospitality and tourism to the economy and local communities, and the perception of a career in the industry. Tourism Industry Aotearoa’s People and Skills 2025 report [6] identifies that an extra 36,000 full-time equivalent workers (approx. 47,000 jobs) could be required to service the visitor economy by 2025. The current delivery of hospitality and tourism education in secondary schools does nothing to enhance the perception of the industry, but instead contributes to its struggle for recognition and credibility. To address this disparity, there is an urgent need for discussion and strategic planning by all stakeholders. The government’s current review of the education system, including NCEA, provides this opportunity.&#x0D; Corresponding author&#x0D; Helen Andreassen can be contacted at helen.andeassen@aut.ac.nz&#x0D; References&#x0D; (1) Tourism New Zealand. About the Industry, 2018. https://www.tourismnewzealand.com/about/about-the-industry/ (accessed Mar 8, 2018).&#x0D; (2) Ministry of Business, Innovation &amp; Employment (MBIE). New Zealand Tourism Dashboard, 2018. https://mbienz.shinyapps.io/tourism_dashboard_prod/ (accessed Mar 8, 2018).&#x0D; (3) Roberts, M. D.; Andreassen, H.; O’Donnell, D.; O’Neill, S.; Neill, L. (2018). Tourism Education in New Zealand’s Secondary Schools: The Teachers’ Perspective. Journal of Hospitality &amp; Tourism Education 2018. https://doi.org/10.1080/10963758.2017.1413380&#x0D; (4) New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA). Standards, 2018. http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/understanding-ncea/how-ncea-works/standards/ (accessed Apr 26, 2018).&#x0D; (5) New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA). Processes for Maintaining the Approved Subjects List for University Entrance. http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/qualifications-standards/awards/university-entrance/processes-for-maintaining-the-approved-subjects-list-for-university-entrance/ (accessed Jun 12, 2018).&#x0D; (6) Tourism Industry Aotearoa. People &amp; Skills 2025, 2015. http://www.tourism2025.org.nz/assets/Uploads/People-Skills-2025.pdf (accessed Mar 8, 2018).

Objectives: To assess the acceptance of popular maize food products (phutu, thin porridge and samp), prepared with yellow, provitamin A-biofortified maize varieties, in 212 subjects between the ages of three and 55 years, from rural KwaZulu-Natal.Design: A cross-sectional study.Method: Preschool, primary school and secondary school subjects were randomly selected from two primary schools and one secondary school, respectively, while adult subjects constituted a convenience sample. Pre- and primary school children completed a paired preference test. Secondary school and adult subjects completed a five-point facial hedonic and a preference ranking test. Focus group discussions were conducted using adult subjects.Results: Preschool children preferred yellow maize to white maize food products: phutu (81% vs. 19%; p-value < 0.001), thin porridge (75% vs. 25%; p-value < 0.001) and samp (73% vs. 27%; p-value < 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in preference for white and yellow maize by primary school children. Secondary school and adult subjects preferred white maize to yellow maize. Focus group discussions confirmed the preference for white maize by the adults.Conclusion: The study findings suggest that yellow, provitamin A-biofortified maize has the potential to succeed as a new strategy of dealing with the serious problem of vitamin A deficiency, especially among children of preschool age. However, in older groups, this strategy is unlikely to be successful, unless other strategies are implemented, including intensive nutrition education programmes on the nutritional benefits of the maize, targeting the market price at which yellow maize is sold, increasing its availability in local grocery stores, and improving its sensory properties through breeding.