Good Teaching Practices Research Articles

Profiles of Good Teaching Practices in STEM Disciplines: An Analysis of Mixed Methods of Academic and Assessment Variables of Teaching in the First Cycle of Civil Engineering

A relevant area to improve the quality of undergraduate education are the STEM disciplines: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. These disciplines have seen a drop in student interest and participation internationally. This study aimed to determine profiles of good teaching practices based on responses from a teaching evaluation survey and academic context variables of students in STEM disciplines using a mixed-methods design. The study was conducted at a state university in southern Chile, framed in the first cycle of STEM disciplines, the Faculty of Engineering and Sciences using data from 2016 to 2017. The quantitative results revealed four groups analyzed by cluster, together with the most frequent responses according to the highest and lowest scores. The qualitative results yielded five groups of codes of greatest frequency in the twelve analysis units, which were the students’ comments divided into mathematics, physical sciences, and chemistry courses. The findings suggest a need to continue developing pedagogical knowledge in STEM teachers and highlight student involvement. Actions for improvement could focus on orienting teaching skills: (a) with a special emphasis on pedagogical content knowledge to promote active learning; (b) in the knowledge of the classroom culture and its problems associated with poor outcomes, offering the students equal opportunities for academic performance in STEM; and (c) in the management of a learning environment suitable for all students, inclusive classrooms, alleviating the burden of academic success being only on students. Finally, the teaching evaluation instrument needs to be improved.

Using mentimeter to enhance learning and teaching in a large class

Mentimeter is a web-based Clicker, Audience Response System (ARS) or Student Response System (SRS) which allows students to answer digital questions using a mobile device. It has the potential to transform the classroom environment into a more interactive, engaging and inclusive one. In this paper, a brief literature review has been provided which addresses the benefits of using ARS including Mentimeter in a large class. Additionally, the mechanics behind how the workings of the Mentimeter, its features and applications have been evaluated in order to offer the instructors with the insights about using Mentimeter for their own practice. Finally, a case study has been explained where Mentimeter was used for the formative assessment. In the present study, a Mentimeter formative assessment model has been developed which can be implemented as a good practice in Higher Education (HE). A survey on perception of students about using Mentimeter has been assessed and from the results, it is evident that using Mentimeter has a positive impact on students’ attitude and performance, learning environment and technical aspects. These results will be further discussed by linking pedagogical theories and its benefits.

Mirror..mirror on the Wall Are We Real in Reality? Virtual Reality Learning Application in Malaysian Education

Virtual reality has a lot of promise, and its use in education and industry has recently piqued the interest of many in academia. In Malaysian educational environments, there are presently just a few thorough studies on how academics and educationists use immersive virtual reality. Until far, Virtual Reality-based education in Malaysia has received little attention in the literature. This is a systematic literature review paper that follows closely the methodology of PRISMA that consists of rigid and vigorous literature search. Findings showed in virtual reality's use, including not taking into account the best practices for teaching and lack of evaluations Keywords:: Virtual Reality; Learning Environment; Systematic Literature Review eISSN: 2398-4287 © 2022. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians/Africans/Arabians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.

How to Create, Maintain, and Reinforce Students’ Motivation and Engagement in Online Education: A Discussion

Online (virtual) education is a teaching and learning method selected by many institutions, including Eastern International University (EIU), to overcome the lockdown and curfew periods during the Covid-19 pandemic. In this knowledge transferring mode, maintaining students’ engagement and motivation is the concern of lectures and school administrators. This study discusses the origin, advantages, and disadvantages of online teaching, compared with on-campus face-to-face education. Also, using the results of a student survey conducted by the Student Services Office, this study highlights some serious issues related to online education in the Becamex Business School at Eastern International University, including poor internet connection, lack of interaction between lecturers and students, external noises, and students’ insufficient attention to the lectures. Then, this study proposes four solutions to remedy these problems: (1) student-friendly or familiar examples, (2) technology-aided teaching methods, (3) project-based assessment, and (4) seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education.

Variations in students’ conceptions of good teaching in engineering education: a phenomenographic investigation

ABSTRACT The growing need for good teaching practices in Engineering Education (Eng.Ed) that will improve the graduate's complex engineering problem-solving skills, has attracted a great deal of attention from researchers in recent years. This increasing interest demands that practitioners should examine their teaching practices from all corners, particularly from students’ lenses. This study aims to investigate the conceptions of good teaching as conceived by students from the engineering discipline by using a phenomenographic approach. A cohort of 15 students from five engineering universities of Bangladesh was interviewed to explore their different ways of understanding and experiencing good teaching. From the phenomenographic analysis, five categories of good teaching were revealed: managing the classroom effectively; simplifying the concept; ensuring communication between teacher and student; engaging students; and practicing in the real world. The five dimensions of variation were identified and a hierarchical relationship among the categories was constructed. The findings play a significant role in the clear understanding of good teaching practices in Eng.Ed from a new perspective. The findings also provide insights necessary for the development of a more robust engineering curriculum that takes into consideration a conducive learning environment (classroom management), logical arrangement of curricula content, engaging activities, and industrial attachments.

Online Education in Early Primary Years: Teachers’ Practices and Experiences during the COVID-19 Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, educational institutions around the world were forced to close and the academic process continued online. Online teaching can support students’ learning, but little research exists in the foundational early primary years (children aged 4–8). The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers’ practices and experiences in implementing online teaching during the pandemic period. The participants were 14 Greek teachers of early primary years, and data were collected via interviews. The findings indicated that most of the teachers used a combination of teaching practices-approaches, while the learning activities implemented mainly regarded language, psychomotor activities, display of videos, mathematics and interdisciplinary activities. Teachers’ feelings were initially negative, while afterwards they experienced more positive feelings. Disadvantages of online education, as experienced by teachers, mainly regarded technical problems, followed by limited resources/support for children at home, and limited training in online methodology. Teachers’ positive experiences regarded children’s familiarization with the technology and maintenance of contact with the school environment, while the role of the parents was revealed as essential. Implications and suggestions for future online education in early primary years include maintenance of good high-standard teaching practices, enhancement of digital culture and parents’ involvement with children’s activities at home.

Students’ perception on online learning during COVID pandemic in a tertiary care teaching hospital

Medical and Dental students are exposed to online classes for the first time during the COVID pandemic. The current study was planned to understand their perceptions about these online classes in contrast to classroom teaching and suggest strategies to improve them.A cross-sectional study was carried out among all the students of Malla Reddy Medical College for Women and Malla Reddy Dental College for Women during September 2020. The study questionnaire containing 20 questions was prepared, prevalidated and distributed to all the study participants as google form. Data from completed questionnaires was entered into an excel sheet and analyzed using descriptive statistics.Analysis of data from 279 students revealed that the 69% of the students used smartphones to attend online classes, 96% of them reported having internet problems and 42% of the students enjoyed the online classes. Understanding of the topic and knowledge gained during online classes were rated average and above average by 59% and 53% of the students respectively. Many students felt that long screen hours have made the classes less interesting and caused health issues like headaches, eyestrain, and backache. They also felt that online classes were less interactive and did not provide much clinical and practical knowledge.Students showed a negative response to online classes. There is a need to make online classes more interactive and interesting by using certain strategies like problem-solving activities, quizzes, discussions, surveys, and polls. Faculty should be trained in good online teaching practices to ensure its success.

3 - University Students’ Learning Experiences: Nuanced Voices from Graduate Tracer Study

To strengthen teaching and learning for university students in the East African region, universities can employ various strategies many of which resonate best teaching and learning practices. Around East Africa, good teaching and learning practices are highly sought by higher education governing bodies such as the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) and in-country bodies such as Ministries of Higher Education (MoHE) and Commissions for University Education (CUEs). Universities have a variety of approaches they apply to ensure quality assurance of services they provide to students, who are their key stakeholders. These include quality manuals and academic procedures, that if judiciously utilised can ensure effective teaching and learning. These quality instruments that are informed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), aspiring to quality in teaching and learning, but to date this pursuit is in its early stages their application. One recent and innovative way of ensuring quality learning at universities worldwide, is the utilisation of feedback from graduates for improvement of teaching and learning spaces, conditions, provisions and programmes. This feedback can be obtained and used from graduate tracer studies (GTS). Moi University researchers in Kenya developed and conducted a GTS, which yielded results indicating that there are challenges in the teaching and learning activities of the university. The GTS results further, reveal weaknesses in teaching and learning, that the university should address by aligning improvement plans to the lessons learnt to improve teaching and learning. The GTS was conducted between 2010 and 2013, using a survey tool that examined the following objectives: sociobiographic characteristics of respondents; study conditions, provisions and experiences; job search and transition to work; employment and work; work and competencies; study and work link. This paper reports how voices of graduates sought and reported through the GTS can be used to improve teaching and learning at Moi University by addressing study conditions, study provisions and study programmes. Results indicate how expansion into practical, field, outreach and skills and competencies-based teaching and learning is nuanced, clearly, the results are key to the university’s future directions and efforts.

Academics’ perspectives on good teaching practice in Switzerland's higher education landscape

Describing good teaching practice in higher education is a perennial challenge in educational research. This is to some extent influenced by the lack of consensus among academics themselves. The purpose of this research project was to investigate the range and diversity of perceptions about good teaching practice within the Swiss higher education sector. Q methodological data was collected from 26 current participants of a professional development program towards a certificate of advanced studies in higher education and Q factor analysis revealed two different perspectives. Each of these factors was preliminarily interpreted by participants significantly loading on them. Not only adds this participatory design to the credibility and validity of factor descriptions, but the process promoted a deep and reflective engagement with methods and instructional practices in higher education.

PETE Faculty’s Perspectives of edTPA: The Range of Change

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the extent of changes taking place within the context, structure, and culture of university physical education teacher education programs facilitating high-stakes educative Teacher Performance Assessment policy. Method: Utilizing a multiple-case study design framed by analytical dualism, eight physical education teacher education faculty from eight different programs who had direct involvement in the high-stakes educative Teacher Performance Assessment process were investigated. Data from semi-structured individual interviews, focus group interviews, and documents were interpretively analyzed. Results: Faculty reacted in three distinct ways to the process of change: prevailers, conceders, or exceeders. The process appeared to be based upon an implementation continuum from isolation to internalization. Discussion/Conclusions: University programs have a responsibility to prepare effective physical education teachers who use the best practices for teaching. It is imperative for physical education teacher education faculty to reflect upon the impetus and impact of changes made to their programs.

Digitising education in Nigeria: lessons from COVID-19

The sudden outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) dealt a great blow on the global educational sector, given the ill-preparedness of most countries to leverage digitisation. This study x-rayed the performance of the Nigerian educational sector and its response to COVID-19 pandemic with a view to underscoring the imperativeness of digitising education to forestall future shocks. The findings revealed the unimpressive performance of the Nigerian educational sector as learning came to a screeching halt during the pandemic, given the pervasive infrastructural deficits in the sector. Further result showed that Nigerian graduates are likely to face non-employability unless strategic steps are taken to expose them to digitisation, which the modern world of work requires. It, therefore, becomes pertinent to increase the budgetary allocation to the sector to bridge its infrastructural gaps. This would help Nigeria catch-up with global best practices in education and set the pace for improved educational service delivery in Africa.

Student Perspectives of Online Teaching: Lessons Learned for the Post-Covid Classroom

As instructors return to in-person teaching and learning following online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic, we can build from the experiences gained and incorporate various online resources into our campus-based classes. Drawing from student evaluations of teaching, a post-course student survey and learning management system (LMS) analytics, we documented students’ perspectives of online teaching and learning in a large introductory science course offered as a flipped classroom, and reflect on student and instructor perspectives as we return to campus-based teaching and learning. Results suggest that what students liked and what they perceived as effective often did not align, and that instructors need to consider good pedagogical practice when evaluating student comments. We identified strategies that we can carry forward to enhance our large introductory science course including a weekly course structure, synchronous classes and laboratories supported by asynchronous content, and taking advantage of recent advancements in online teaching and learning tools for discussion forums, practice exams and assessment.

Flipped Classrooms in PK-12 Settings: Research Review

Flipped classrooms have received more attention in recent years, primarily with a focus on their wide application in higher education settings. This article focuses on reviewing research on flipped classrooms as a potential contributor to educational reform in PK-12 settings. Review of research showed emergent themes within benefits found in classrooms across multiple levels and in many subject areas. Some of the primary benefits of flipped classrooms include student differentiation and improved engagement levels. As with any aspect of technology usage in schools and students’ homes, there are challenges to address. Ensuring that teachers and students are prepared to participate in this learning environment is a concern with increased participation in flipped classrooms. Evidence shows researchers need to study widely used flipped classroom platforms to uncover patterns of success and best practices in teaching and learning through flipped classrooms.

An Innovative Teaching Tool: Manga for KOMSAS’ Prose Comprehension

Studying literature encourages thinking both critically and creatively. It helps to understand and interpret life through the lens of prose, poems, essays, and novels. The KOMSAS genre of literary materials require good pedagogical practices to ensure academic success of a student. The pivotal focus of this study is to assess the advantages of using ‘Manga’ as a creative tool to teach KOMSAS or traditional Malay literary prose and to determine its effectiveness on students’ performance. The aim of the study was also to explore the impact of using ‘Manga’ to enhance creativity among students in the classroom where traditional prose comprehension is taught. A quasi-experimental design was chosen as methodology and a study was conducted with high school students of Form Four. The research instrument involved a statistical achievement test. Findings from this research indicated that there were positive changes in the performance of students who used this Manga module. Teaching methods which could stimulate students’ interest in learning were helpful for students. Additionally, this study also found that students’ perception towards the teaching methods used by the teachers influenced their performance The main finding also highlighted students’ increased creativity when ‘Manga’ was used as a pedagogical tool. Teachers and collaborators can use this study as a point of reference when promoting ‘Manga’ as a creative device to teach Malay traditional prose in today’s classroom.

Empathetic-reflective-dialogical restorying as a teaching-learning strategy in teacher education

ABSTRACT Employing empathetic-reflective-dialogical restorying as a teaching-learning strategy, pre-service teachers situated in two different geographical contexts, namely, South Africa and Norway, engaged in self-dialogue, self-narrative and in a Community in Conversation. Using Adobe Connect, together, they participated in a Community in Dialogue. By using this teaching-learning strategy in combination with a real-time, web conferencing app, this small-scale research project found that it is possible to facilitate online learning across geographical boundaries. Crossing geographical and contextual boundaries can possibly contribute to restorying pre-service teachers’ understandings of what constitutes best practice in teaching. It can also lead to the emergence of further collaborative initiatives for negotiating entrenched positions with regard to other aspects of education and pursuing restorying for transformation. The participants were encouraged, empowered and energised by the collaborative engagement. The two groups of pre-service teachers found one another in their common humanity, in their both being English second language speakers, and in their common goal to teach well and to be responsible to their learners in their respective contexts. Encouraging reflective and reflexive praxis has the potential to be transformatory for the classroom.

Blended learning design for teaching innovation: university teachers’ perceptions

Abstract In the Italian university context, almost all universities offer blended degree courses, digital environments and e-learning systems. In many cases, dedicated centres also provide technical support and, less frequently, teaching and methodological support. The development of digital learning environments often does not correspond to the spread of an effective culture of educational innovation in university courses. The research examined the experiences of instructional design among 44 university teachers of blended degree courses at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. The analysis focused on teachers’ level of satisfaction and the processes of teaching innovation linked to the blended methodology, investigating also the possible criticalities and strengths related to the process of (re)design and innovation. The activities of training and design for teachers contributed to the dissemination of good teaching practices and professional development. In line with what emerged from the research on blended learning, it seems necessary to build a framework for the adoption and implementation of ‘blended learning’ strategies at the institutional level, starting from the construction of a concrete agenda setting shared between the actors of the innovation process.

Abstract 9560: Identifying Best Practices for Education and Training of Resuscitation Teams for In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

Background: In-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) leads to poor survival. Research suggests provider skills may play a role, but little is known on how education and training differ across hospitals. Methods: We conducted a qualitative analysis of semi-structured interview data obtained from 9 diverse hospitals from the AHA Get With The Guidelines registry, selected based on IHCA survival performance (5 top, 1 middle, 3 bottom). Thematic analysis was used to identify best practices related to training and education of resuscitation teams. Results: In total, 129 interviews were conducted with hospital staff including nurses, respiratory therapists, physicians, pharmacists, and other staff yielding 78 hours of interview time. Four themes related to training and education were identified: engagement, clear communication, consistency, and leadership listening. Top hospitals encouraged employee engagement with branding and prioritizing hands-on learning over passive didactics. Clear communication was accomplished with debriefing, structured institutional review, and continual, frequent department education. Consistency was a cornerstone to culture change and achieved with uniform policies for simulation practice as well as routine practice (weekly, monthly, quarterly). Finally, sites excelling in IHCA survival had responsive leadership who listened and adapted programs to fit staff needs. A striking characteristic was also multidisciplinary leadership participation. Conclusions: Among top hospitals, we identified core elements for successful training of resuscitation teams. Developing tools to address these areas may help improve IHCA outcomes.

Best Practices for Education and Training of Resuscitation Teams for In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest.

Survival outcomes following in-hospital cardiac arrest vary significantly across hospitals. Research suggests clinician education and training may play a role. We sought to identify best practices related to the education and training of resuscitation teams. We conducted a descriptive qualitative analysis of semistructured interview data obtained from in-depth site visits conducted from 2016 to 2017 at 9 diverse hospitals within the American Heart Association "Get With The Guidelines" registry, selected based on in-hospital cardiac arrest survival performance (5 top-, 1 middle-, 3 low-performing). We assessed coded data related to education and training including systems learning, informal feedback and debrief, and formal learning through advanced cardiopulmonary life support and mock codes. Thematic analysis was used to identify best practices. In total, 129 interviews were conducted with a variety of hospital staff including nurses, chaplains, security guards, respiratory therapists, physicians, pharmacists, and administrators, yielding 78 hours and 29 minutes of interview time. Four themes related to training and education were identified: engagement, clear communication, consistency, and responsive leadership. Top-performing hospitals encouraged employee engagement with creative marketing of new programs and prioritizing hands-on learning over passive didactics. Clear communication was accomplished with debriefing, structured institutional review, and continual, frequent education for departments. Consistency was a cornerstone to culture change and was achieved with uniform policies for simulation practice as well as reinforced, routine practice (weekly, monthly, quarterly). Finally, top-performing hospitals had responsive leadership teams across multiple disciplines (nursing, respiratory therapy, pharmacy and medicine), who listened and adapted programs to fit the needs of their staff. Among top-performing hospitals excelling in in-hospital cardiac arrest survival, we identified core elements for education and training of resuscitation teams. Developing tools to expand these areas for hospitals may improve in-hospital cardiac arrest outcomes.

Kahoot! Predicts exam scores and promotes student engagement

PurposeKahoot! is a free e-learning tool that employs game-based learning which is often considered a best practice in education. The aim of the current study is to assess the effectiveness of Kahoot! in a child development course.Design/methodology/approachSections of child development were randomized in terms of review format prior to exams one and two. All sections had a Kahoot! review prior to the final exam. Regression analyses were employed to determine the optimal set of predictors of exam scores. Students also completed a survey assessing their opinions of Kahoot! reviews.FindingsKahoot! scores accounted for 31.3% of the variability in exam 1 scores, 11.1% of the variability in exam 2 scores and 19.9% of the variability in final exam scores. Students reported that Kahoot! made class more interactive and that Kahoot! helped their learning of course concepts. These findings indicate that Kahoot! is an effective review tool. Furthermore, students reported that the use of Kahoot! was a positive experience that added to their understanding of the topics taught in the child development classroom.Practical implicationsTo foster student engagement, instructors should consider incorporating game-based learning in their courses.Originality/valueThis study demonstrates that Kahoot! is an effective review tool in a sample of undergraduate students. Furthermore, this study indicates that Kahoot! promotes student engagement.

First steps towards international competency goals for residency training: a qualitative comparison of 3 regional standards in anesthesiology

BackgroundCompetency-based medical education (CBME) has revolutionized approaches to training by making expectations more concrete, visible, and relevant for trainees. Designing, applying, and updating CBME requirements challenges residency programs, which must address many aspects of training simultaneously. This challenge also exists for educational regulatory bodies in creating and adjusting national competencies to standardize training expectations. We propose that an international approach for mapping residency training requirements may provide a baseline for assessing commonalities and differences. This approach allows us to take our first steps towards creating international competency goals to enhance sharing of best practices in education and clinical work.MethodsWe chose anesthesiology residency training as our example discipline. Using two rounds of content analysis, we qualitatively compared published anesthesiology residency competencies for the European Union (The European Training Requirement), United States (ACGME Milestones), and Canada (CanMEDS Competence By Design), focusing on similarities and differences in representation (round one) and emphasis (round two) to generate hypotheses on practical solutions regarding international educational standards.ResultsWe mapped the similarities and discrepancies between the three repositories. Round one revealed that 93% of competencies were common between the three repositories. Major differences between European Training Requirement, US Milestones, and Competence by Design competencies involved critical emergency medicine. Round two showed that over 30% of competencies were emphasized equally, with notable exceptions that European Training Requirement emphasized Anaesthesia Non-Technical Skills, Competence by Design highlighted more granular competencies within specific anesthesiology situations, and US Milestones emphasized professionalism and behavioral practices.ConclusionsThis qualitative comparison has identified commonalities and differences in anesthesiology training which may facilitate sharing broader perspectives on diverse high-quality educational, clinical, and research practices to enhance innovative approaches. Determining these overlaps in residency training can prompt international educational societies responsible for creating competencies to collaborate to design future training programs. This approach may be considered as a feasible method to build an international core of residency competency requirements for other disciplines.