Advancement Of Teaching Research Articles

Resilient Pedagogical Advancements: Fostering ICT Tools for Post-Pandemic ESL Learning Through Sustainable Development – A Review

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic spurred a revolutionary shift in education, notably in language acquisition. Rooted in the principles of sustainable development, this study probes the post-pandemic linguistic pedagogy, spotlighting the refinement of English as a second language's (ESL) receptive and expressive competencies within this novel framework. Method: With a targeted approach to Language Skills (LSRW) acquisition, employing 25 meticulously selected eLearning applications, it addresses the reconfiguration of English language instruction following the pandemic-induced disruption of conventional methods. Results: These digital resources facilitated unprecedented levels of engagement, ensnaring students' focus through compelling visual aids. Furthermore, they bridged the scholastic divide between educators and learners. Consequently, students found these platforms indispensable for acquiring English as a second language in the online setting. This inquiry propels a call for further investigation into harnessing technology-driven learning to enhance ESL environments, all firmly grounded in the foundational principles of sustainable development. It emphasizes the imperative of fostering environmentally conscious and socially inclusive educational practices. Conclusion: Ultimately, it stands as an invaluable compendium for English language educators worldwide, furnishing insights to surmount the pandemic-induced pedagogical hurdles and embrace the innovative learning prospects it has ushered in, while advancing the cause of sustainable development in education.

University teachers’ professional learning for academic development: Q methodology research

ABSTRACT This article reports on an evaluation study of the Qatar University Pedagogical Development (PD) Program. The PD program advocated pedagogical advancement towards student-centered learning (SCL), which has been highlighted as an important part of the university’s overall strategy. This study explored 30 university teachers’ perspectives on the sources that best supported their professional learning from this long-term PD program. Q methodology research was adopted to collect and analyze data qualitatively and quantitatively. A three-dimensional theoretical framework addressing individual characteristics, choice of actions, and interactions with the environment was used to generate the data collection tool. Q factor analysis yielded four diverse viewpoints as follows: 1) applying newly-learned pedagogical knowledge and skills to prac- tice, 2) being provided supportive environmental conditions, 3) developing new pedagogical beliefs, and 4) taking agentic actions. The implications of this study emphasized institutional systemic and systematic supports as essential for long-term success of academic development.

Development of an Infographic Assignment for an Introductory Chemistry Laboratory Curriculum

In recent years, pedagogical advancements have allowed the adoption of more engaging forms of course assignments to help students better understand and communicate chemistry. In this context, informational graphics, known as infographics, emerge as an effective teaching aid in educational settings and in disseminating scientific content to the public. This article describes the design of an infographic assignment and its implementation in a first-year chemistry laboratory course at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus. The overarching goal of this assignment was to incorporate the thematic framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals into the laboratory curriculum while encouraging systems thinking and promoting science communication initiatives. The students’ attitudes toward this assignment via submitted self-reflection survey results are also discussed. Our findings reveal an overall positive student experience suggesting the infographic assignments’ ability to foster student engagement and critical thinking skills.

Schools, religion, and affect: unpacking Australian educator discomfort

ABSTRACT Religious bigotry, including incidents of discrimination and violence based on religion, continues to rise across Australia. Religion is consequently considered a destabilising factor in Australia’s commitment to diversity. But does Australia’s religious diversity pose a threat to social cohesion or an opportunity? In Australia’s public schools, despite significant curricular and pedagogical advances in the areas of equity and inclusion, it remains unclear how and to what extent educators support the diverse religious identities of learners. Informed by an affective-discursive analytic, this study unpacks a series of emotional encounters at one primary public school in Sydney that serves a community where most families self-identify with a religion. Educators were invited to discuss how their school responds to religious diversity. This article explores the discomforting affects that entangle liberal humanist commitments to freedoms and secular schooling that emerged in focus groups. The article argues that emotional responses to learners’ religious diversity, particularly of fear or apprehension, speak to a broader national teacher education context in which how religious and secular beliefs and knowledges should come into conversation remains unsettled. If Australian teacher education is to prepare educators for social cohesion, how can learners’ religious identities be genuinely included in curriculum and pedagogy?

Pedagogical Advancements through Teacher Professional Development: Impacts on Classroom Instruction and Student Attainment

Teacher professional development plays a pivotal role in improving classroom instruction and ultimately enhancing student achievement. investigates the pivotal role of teacher professional development in driving pedagogical advancements, thereby exerting a direct influence on classroom instruction and student attainment. In an era characterized by evolving educational paradigms and the growing importance of individualized learning, this study delves into the significance of continuous teacher training and its ability to adapt and improve instructional methodologies. Drawing upon an extensive review of literature and empirical evidence, this paper scrutinizes various professional development programs, both traditional and innovative, to discern their efficacy in enhancing teachers' instructional capabilities. Moreover, it examines the ways in which these pedagogical advancements translate into tangible improvements in classroom teaching practices. The study further assesses the tangible outcomes of such advancements by analyzing the impact on student achievement, including academic performance, engagement, and overall learning experiences. The findings of this research underscore the critical importance of teacher professional development as a catalyst for educational improvement and its direct correlation with enhanced classroom instruction and student success, shedding light on strategies to nurture a more effective and responsive education system.

Subjects Adaptation Techniques for Primary School Pupils with Special Educational Needs

The research on the adaptation of children with disabilities in general education institutions is topical, as the education of children with special educational needs provides helps them to acquire a profession and become self-sufficient. The aim of this work was to develop subjects adaptation techniques for primary school pupils with special educational needs. The teachers’ attitudes to inclusive education were determined through the Attitudes Towards Inclusion Scale (AIS Scale). The Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practices (TEIP) Scale was used to establish the teachers’ effectiveness in implementing inclusive practices. The Concerns about Inclusive Education Scale (CIES) was used to study concerns about inclusive education, while the intention to teach in an inclusive classroom was identified through the Intention to Teach in Inclusive Classroom Scale (ITICS). The impact of general education alongside ordinary children on children with special educational needs was determined through Stott’s Observation Charts. The techniques proposed in this study involve the use of different methods, tools, technologies by teachers that are required for the adaptation and correction of subjects. It is necessary to take into account the individual capabilities of pupils with special educational needs, as well as to meet the educational needs of ordinary pupils. It is worth to further work on finding new methods and techniques for adapting curricula to the inclusive educational environment based on new advances in pedagogy and innovative technologies.

Nexus 20/21, Relationships Between Architecture and Mathematics: Part II

This letter from the editors introduces Vol. 24(3) of the Nexus Network Journal, which is the second special issue of selected papers from the Nexus 20/21 conference. The papers in this issue are categorised into four themes: (i) spatial distortion and perception, (ii) computational design methods, (iii) design concepts in historical examples and (iv) stereotomy, vaults and domes. In addition, papers in the Didactics section of the journal are dedicated to research about pedagogical advances which connect architecture and mathematics.

Improve Social and Academic Innovation Through Governance Reform

Governance Reform for Economic and Social Progress. Recent years have seen an increase in the number of research concentrating on interactive forms of governance, perhaps as a response to the growth of governance networks across all levels and policy domains. This study is an effort to further the field of governance studies by investigating the potential of governance networks to promote social and pedagogical advancements through collaboration. The study begins by outlining what governance networks are and then moves on to systematically reviewing the various ideas that attempt to account for their recent proliferation. Next, it offers a working definition of innovation and explores the ways in which networked cooperation fosters creative output. Finally, it explains how novel approaches to leadership and management can spark, foster, and catalyze collaborative innovation. Reform in the Classroom.

Practical Prosody: New Hope for Teaching German Plurals

AbstractGerman plural formation appears unsystematic and largely arbitrary to many second language (L2) learners. While some approaches have attempted to identify patterns and rules to help L2 learners (e.g., Anton et al., 2017; Di Donato & Clyde, 2020; Kraiss, 2014), one central observation from linguistic analysis has been absent from pedagogical advances: German plurals show a strong tendency to end in a syllabic trochee (e.g., Wegener, 1999; Wiese, 2000, 2001, 2009). This article seeks to bridge the gap between linguistic insights and L2 pedagogy by presenting an instructional approach integrating the trochee. We provide support for this approach based on an exploratory study comparing two groups of L2 speakers that both received several suffix‐predicting rules for specific word endings and completed controlled practice exercises on plurals. Crucially, only one group received additional instruction on the prosodic pattern of German plurals. While both groups made gains, the prosodic training group showed a greater increase in confidence and accuracy in plural formation, particularly among lower‐proficiency speakers. The prosodic training group also produced more trochaic plurals for nonce words, thus responding more like native speakers. Overall, we suggest that this linguistically‐informed strategy might help students learn plurals more effectively by delimiting suffix options based on prosody.

Assessing the impact of augmented reality application on students’ learning motivation in chemical engineering

Application of augmented reality (AR) in education has recently grown in interest due to distant, online, and self-directed learning. In this study, the impact of implementing an AR application on chemical engineering students’ learning motivation and performance was assessed. Two interactive AR lessons on common industrial equipment (i.e., centrifugal pump and shell-and-tube heat exchanger) were developed on the EON-XR platform. A cohort of 50 undergraduate chemical engineering students participated in the AR lessons and evaluated its impact on students’ learning motivation and usefulness as a learning resource. The level of students’ learning motivation was assessed with a 16-item questionnaire based on the Instructional Materials Motivation Survey (IMMS) from Keller’s ARCS model, and qualitative questions related to the future of AR technology in chemical engineering education. Results show that 82% of respondents found AR lessons helpful compared to conventional lesson delivery modes, while 92% were supportive for AR lessons to be an additional resource to existing learning materials. These findings demonstrated that AR technology impacted students’ learning motivation positively across multiple constructs, namely ‘Attention’, ‘Relevance’, ‘Confidence’ and ‘Satisfaction’ and showed great potential as an innovative pedagogical advancement in chemical engineering education.

Transgenic Drosophila lines for LexA-dependent gene and growth regulation.

Conditional expression of short hairpin RNAs with binary genetic systems is an indispensable tool for studying gene function. Addressing mechanisms underlying cell–cell communication in vivo benefits from simultaneous use of 2 independent gene expression systems. To complement the abundance of existing Gal4/UAS-based resources in Drosophila, we and others have developed LexA/LexAop-based genetic tools. Here, we describe experimental and pedagogical advances that promote the efficient conversion of Drosophila Gal4 lines to LexA lines, and the generation of LexAop-short hairpin RNA lines to suppress gene function. We developed a CRISPR/Cas9-based knock-in system to replace Gal4 coding sequences with LexA, and a LexAop-based short hairpin RNA expression vector to achieve short hairpin RNA-mediated gene silencing. We demonstrate the use of these approaches to achieve targeted genetic loss-of-function in multiple tissues. We also detail our development of secondary school curricula that enable students to create transgenic flies, thereby magnifying the production of well-characterized LexA/LexAop lines for the scientific community. The genetic tools and teaching methods presented here provide LexA/LexAop resources that complement existing resources to study intercellular communication coordinating metazoan physiology and development.

The transition of EAP practitioners into scholarship writing

EAP practitioner scholarship is a key element of EAP teacher professional development (Martin, 2014) and the credibility of EAP as a discipline (Hamps-Lyon, 2011; Ding & Bruce, 2017). It also allows a professional knowledge base to develop and pedagogical advancements to be made (Borg, 2013). Whilst the BALEAP community values and promotes such scholarship (Gillett, 2021), limited research has been conducted into EAP practitioner beliefs about the written outputs of this activity (Davis, 2019). In particular, there is an absence of research exploring the process by which EAP practitioners begin their scholarship writing. This paper presents a case study of an EAP setting in which a workload allocation has been introduced for scholarship. It explores the motivations, challenges and professional identity implications of scholarship writing for EAP practitioners in this context. The findings suggest that the institutional workload initiative facilitated a cultural shift in which scholarship writing became more normalised and academic identities of EAP practitioners were strengthened. The inclusive institutional understandings of scholarship were also seen to promote practitioner agency in overcoming perceived challenges to the production of early written scholarship outputs.

Effect of Scratch Programming Language (SPL) on Achievement in Geometry among Senior Secondary Students in Ibadan, Nigeria

The knowledge of Mathematics is germane to the scientific and technological development of nations all over the world. In addition to this, the integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) cum advances in pedagogy have made educators all over the world adopt innovative approaches that are ICT-inclined to enhance students’ acquisition of mathematical skills and also to enhance their academic achievement. In view of this, this study determined the effect of scratch programming language (SPL) on achievement in Geometry among senior secondary one (SS 1) students in Ibadan North Local Government Area of Oyo State, Nigeria. The study adopted the pretest-posttest control group quasi-experimental research design. The participants were 116 (75 males and 41 females) Senior Secondary School students in two intact classes from two public schools in Ibadan North Local Government Area. The instruments used for data collection were the Students Achievement Test in Geometry (SATG) (with a reliability coefficient of 0.75) and the Instructional Guide or Manual for the use of Scratch Programming Language (TGUSPL). Data were analyzed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). Results revealed that there was a significant main effect of treatment on students’ achievement in Geometry (F(1, 111) = 124.80; p<0.05, partial η2 = 0.53). Gender also had a significant main effect on students’ achievement in Geometry (F(1, 111) = 20.25; p<0.05, partial η2 = 0.15). It is, therefore, recommended that teachers and curriculum developers should adopt the use of Scratch programming language (SPL) for teaching Geometry for improved achievement in this aspect of Mathematics.

METHODICAL COMPONENT OF THE SYSTEM OF DEVELOPMENT OF DIGITAL COMPETENCE OF FUTURE TEACHERS OF THE HUMANITARIAN PROFILE

The development of digital competence of new generation teachers is a priority of a modern higher education institution. It is important in this context to develop a methodological component of the system of digital competence development of future teachers of humanities, which will determine the goals, content, methods, forms and means of digital competence development. Therefore, the aim of the article is to substantiate the methodological component of the model of development of digital competence of future teachers of humanities. The study analyzes the international framework of digital competence for citizens, in particular the framework of digital competence DigCompEdu, UNESCO standards “UNESCO ICT Competency Framework for Teachers. Version 3”, which reflects the latest technological and pedagogical advances in the use of ICT in education. It is important to describe the digital competence of the pedagogical worker, which includes the requirements to a humanities teacher and a set of skills to acquire, as well as the levels of digital competence of a pedagogical worker. A new Digital Education Action Plan (2021–2027) has been substantiated, outlining the European Commission's vision for high-quality, inclusive and accessible digital education in Europe. In the context of the study the analysis of the Concept of development of digital competencies adopted in Ukraine in 2020, the ways and means of solving the problems outlined in the document and the expected results are very important. The action plan for the implementation of the Concept of development of digital competencies includes regulatory, scientific and methodological, information support, deadlines and performance indicators. The described methodical component of the system of digital competence development of future teachers of humanities is developed in accordance with the European framework of digital competences, the concept of digital competence development and the description of digital competence of a pedagogical worker. This system is focused on application in the system of higher education. The methodological component of the system of development of digital competence of future teachers of humanities, which is carried out in the digital educational environment of Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University, has been also substantiated.

#ImmigrantRights #SWTwitterAdvocacy: Using Twitter as an advocacy platform in social work education

ABSTRACT The Trump administration’s immigration policies, over the course of four years, repeatedly conflicted with social work ethical principles, resulting in family separation and pervasive fear in immigrant communities throughout the US. The ethical principles of the social work profession are reflected in social work education competencies, including engaging in policy practice to advance justice. Using immigration policies as context, this paper provides details of a classroom activity that teaches social work students how to use Twitter to engage in advocacy and policy practice. Guided by experiential learning theory, the classroom activity can inform future pedagogical advancements in social work education.

The continuum of simulator-based maritime training and education

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges to the maritime supply chain and called for accelerated adoption of digital technologies in various aspects of maritime operations, including the area of maritime education and training (MET). This paper aims to discuss the current maritime simulator-based training and educational practices that forms an integral part in seafarer training and competency development. The study provides a review of the existing simulators in use in MET, and discusses upon the technological and pedagogical advancement of maritime simulator-based training interventions with predictions regarding the future MET practices with use of virtual reality and cloud-based simulators. This study—by focusing on ship’s bridge operations—highlights the characteristics of various types of simulators and also discusses the role of instructors, challenges, and opportunities involving future simulator-based MET due to accelerated adoption of digital technologies and the need to comply with pandemic-related restrictions for MET institutes. The analysis generated in the paper may contribute to the ongoing discussion regarding the future of simulator-based MET and the fulfillment of the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 in the maritime sector.

Connecting Funds of Knowledge to Funds of Identity through a Bilingual Multimodal Project-Based Approach

This study analyzed how bilingual multimodal projects that children and families from Mexican immigrant backgrounds created together facilitated expressions of their funds of knowledge and funds of identity as part of classroom instruction. Twenty-two students and their families participated creating biliteracy family projects that integrated their lives, experiential knowledge and bilingualism into classroom learning in their first-grade bilingual classroom in a U.S. school. Drawing from a sociocultural theoretical lens informed by funds of knowledge, funds of identity and multimodal social semiotics perspectives, children’s projects depicted their transnational experiences and their close family networks of support as important funds of knowledge in their lives. Findings illustrate how children internalized these experiences as funds of identity, which included their self-expressions and identity constructions that asserted 1) their Mexican heritage and cultural simultaneity, 2) their roles to maintain family ties and contribute to the family’s well-being, and 3) their future selves and aspirations. A culturally sustaining project-based approach toward inviting and integrating children’s funds of knowledge and funds of identity can afford pedagogical advances that also foster family collaboration and challenge deficit ideologies by illuminating the depth and richness of children’s experiences, and how these are incorporated to construct their identities.

Technology-Supported Learning In and Out of the Japanese Language Classroom: Advances in Pedagogy, Teaching and Research

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Lessons learned from exploring the potential of California's mini-corps tutors as future bilingual teachers

ABSTRACT Currently, there are 1.3 million English Learners (EL) in California public schools (CDE 2018). The passage of Proposition 58, which presented multilingual education as key to students’ future economic success without every using the word bilingual, lifted the previous restrictions on bilingual education programs and increased the demand for programs and bilingual teachers. Recent studies have examined knowledge related to increasing the number of bilingual teachers (e.g. Martínez-Alvarez, P., I. Cuevas, and M. Torrez-Guzmán. 2017. “Preparing Bilingual Teachers: Mediating Belonging with Multimodal Explorations in Language, Identity, and Culture.” Journal of Teacher Education 68 (2): 155–178). A state-wide study of California school districts in 2017 showed that 58% intend to begin or expand bilingual education programs (Harris, V., and A. Sandoval-González. 2017. “Unveiling California’s Growing Bilingual Teacher Shortage: Addressing the Urgent Shortage, and Aligning the Workforce to Advances in Pedagogy and Practice in Bilingual Education.” Californians Together. 4–8). The research questions guiding this work were (1) Does the California Mini-Corps (CMC) program serve as a potential pool for today’s bilingual programs?, (2) If so, what cultural community wealth do tutors bring to teaching?, and (3) What support do tutors identify as critical in a teacher education credential program? In this quantitative study (n = 179), we examine how CMC tutors can address the critical teacher – shortage and identify the assets that graduates of the program bring to teacher education programs. We also explore the needed supports identified by the tutors as critical to their success in teacher credential programs.

Comparative Analysis of the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of First to Third Grade Teachers of Private and Public Schools Toward Free Play

With limited studies that focus on middle childhood education and free play, this study aimed to determine the knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) related to free play of 120 early grade schoolteachers in private and public schools of Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines. The data were gathered via self-administered questionnaire. The study used descriptive and statistical means to analyze data. Findings show that teachers have knowledge on free play; however, there were negative attitudes toward play, and play was not practiced. Thus, teachers and education administrators are recommended to make adjustments for teachers’ pedagogical advancement on play in middle childhood.