Pedagogical Formation Research Articles

Discovering Hidden Patterns: Applying Topic Modeling in Qualitative Research

In qualitative studies, researchers must devote a significant amount of time and effort to extracting meaningful themes from huge sets of texts and examining the links between themes, which are frequently done manually. The availability of natural language models has enabled the application of a wide range of techniques for automatically detecting hierarchy, linkages, and latent themes in texts. This paper aims to investigate the coherence of the topics acquired from the analysis with the predefined themes, the hierarchy between the topics, the similarity between the topics and the proximity-distance between the topics by means of the topic model based on BERTopic using unstructured qualitative data. The qualitative data for this study was gathered from 106 students engaged in a university-run pedagogical formation certificate program. In BERTopic procedure, paraphrase-multilingual-MiniLM-L12-v2 model was used as sentence transformer model, UMAP was used as dimension reduction method and HDBSCAN algorithm was used as clustering method. It is found that BERTopic successfully identified six topics corresponding to the six predicted themes in unstructured texts. Moreover 74% of the texts containing some themes could be classified accurately. The algorithm was also able to successfully identify which topics were similar and which topics differed significantly from the others. It was concluded that BERTopic is a procedure that can identify themes that researchers do not notice depending on the density of the data in qualitative data analysis and has the potential to enable qualitative research to reach more detailed findings.

ELECTRONIC ASSESSMENT ANXIETY SCALE: DEVELOPMENT, VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY

The widespread availability of internet access in daily life has resulted in a greater acceptance of online assessment methods. E-assessment platforms offer various features such as randomizing questions and answers, utilizing extensive question banks, setting time limits, and managing access during online exams. Electronic assessment enables real-time monitoring, customization, and scalability of feedback, benefiting students, academic staff, and administrative personnel. However, students encounter specific challenges in the electronic assessment environments. These challenges include limited control over test settings and the isolated nature of taking exams without peers. Furthermore, the technological proficiency of both instructors and students, along with resource constraints (computers, mobile devices, internet), can impede the effective utilization of these assessment tools. Technical issues like slow internet connection or disconnections can have significant consequences, especially in online exams, posing difficulties for corrections. The main goal of this study is to develop a Likert-type scale capable of measuring anxiety related to technical issues, social isolation, and the test interface experienced in e-assessment contexts. The study consists of two separate groups: the first group comprising 359 participants and the second group consisting of 356 participants. Both groups include undergraduate and pedagogical formation certificate program students from a university in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkiye. Construct validity was assessed through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Item parameters were examined using item analysis based on classical test theory. As a result of the study, a two-factor scale structure comprising 21 items measuring social and technical anxiety was developed. These two dimensions account for 59.89% of the total variance. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the entire scale was 0.93, the McDonald’s omega coefficient was 0.93, and the construct reliability was 0.99.

Lifelong Learning Center Trainers: What Are Their Perceived Curriculum Literacy and Digital Technology Usage Levels?

Education and training are crucial components of society's ever-changing nature, and having a strong understanding of curriculum literacy is necessary for trainers in adult education to successfully execute curriculum. Similarly, effective use and integration of digital technologies into educational settings is a necessary skill for trainers. These competencies are critical for K-12 and higher education educators, as well as for adult education trainers who guide the learning process in line with their assigned program. In this study, we have investigated the relationship between trainers' perceived competence in curricular literacy (CL) and their use of digital technologies in education (DTUE). This study employed a descriptive survey methodology to gather data from a total of 628 individuals. The average age of the participants was 41.7 years, and they were all employed at a lifelong learning institution in Türkiye. MANOVA and correlation analysis were executed. We examined whether there were any differences in the trainers' perceived CL and DTUE levels based on the specified variables. The results revealed a positive and weak correlation between trainers' perceived curriculum literacy levels and their use of digital technology. Also, the trainers without prior formal pedagogical training had significantly lower scores in CL and DTUE compared to the trainers who had either graduated from the Faculty of Education or earned a pedagogical formation certificate.

FABLE: A New Horizon in Digital Learning and Serious Game Design

Serious games have stood out as a new pedagogical format capable of motivating students through interactive learning. The lack of standards in the conception of these video games has led to the creation of different models, where the ludic aspects often prevail over the educational ones. This research analyzes the models present in the literature to identify those key elements in the design of serious games and to determine the presence of ludic-pedagogical elements. A systematic review is carried out following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) statement to identify the existing models for creating serious games. A qualitative analysis of the selected models is carried out to extract the key elements that should be present when creating a guide for designing serious games and to evaluate a ludic-pedagogical approach. Finally, a directed content analysis is performed to evaluate the presence of ludic-pedagogical elements in the selected models. The results show a lack of attention paid to the elements of the pedagogical dimension of the game in the studies reviewed. Other elements, such as the format or the audience, are not specified, and most models prove incomplete. From this study emerges FABLE (Fun And Balanced Learning Experience), a model that incorporates both the playful and pedagogical dimensions of the serious game.

Development and evaluation of a blended learning training programme for pharmacy technicians’ continuing education

ObjectivesThe role of the pharmacy technician (PT) has expanded in recent years, requiring new competencies, better communications skills and high-level knowledge about drugs. The objective of this study is to...

Investigation of Prospective Teachers’ 21st Century Skills Competency Perceptions Based on Various Variables

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to assess the self-perceived competency of prospective teachers regarding 21st century skills. The study seeks to understand how prospective teachers perceive themselves in terms of the skills they will need to teach and thrive in the rapidly evolving educational landscape that is shaped by globalization and technological advancements. Design/Methodology/Approach: This study utilizes a quantitative method with a descriptive survey model to assess the competency perceptions of 341 prospective teachers’ 21st century skills from a Turkish state university, using random sampling for representativeness. The "21st Century Skills Competency Perception Scale for Teacher Candidates" was employed to collect data, exhibiting high reliability (Cronbach Alpha of 0.98), and data analysis included descriptive statistics, T-tests, and ANOVA to explore differences in skills perception, with the scale's validity and reliability confirmed for the sample group. Findings: The findings indicate that prospective teachers rate their competency in 21st century skills highly, with the greatest confidence in Information, Media, and Technology Skills and the least in Learning and Innovation Skills. Significant gender differences were found, with female candidates reporting higher competency perceptions than males. Age also influenced competency perceptions, with older groups (25-31 and 32+) rating their skills higher than the youngest group (18-24). Furthermore, pedagogic formation graduates rated their competencies higher than their peers from other faculties, indicating that educational advancement correlates with higher self-perceived 21st century skills. Highlights: The research suggests that teacher education programs should focus on strategic development of learning and innovation skills and integration of technology into teaching, with findings indicating that perceptions of competency increase with age and are higher among females and graduates.

School buildings as performative machines: the new architectural devices of control

ABSTRACT The past two decades saw a growing attention to the role of design for the geography of education and simultaneously shifted architectural attention towards the understanding of different forms of pedagogy. Yet, careful empirical engagements with the material architecture of contemporary school buildings and the experiences they mediate are still scarce or missing. Focussing on how mechanisms of control are imagined and practiced in the design and use of school buildings, this article fleshes out a picture of the performative spatial machinery of schools. It will do so drawing on designers’ accounts, plans and visions for a Building Schools for the Future (BSF) building in Liverpool, UK and on accounts of the experiences of different school dwellers. Overcoming the dualist understanding of education as an activity that happens in objective frames of learning (the static architecture of the schools) or the subjective interpretations of users (the perception of teachers and students), we trace specific practices of ‘dwelling’ in the school building and identify architectural and designerly techniques for modulating control. Instead of dissipating or reducing control, or merely re-producing the classic forms of power, this versatile and porous type of architecture, we argue, multiplies and diversifies the forms of ‘polycentric’ control exercised through various intersecting lines of sight and sound.

How Should a Teacher Be According to The Teacher’s Views?

Identifying and enhancing teacher competencies and qualifications is crucial for advancing the quality of education. This qualitative study aimed to explore teachers' qualifications and self-perceptions through interviews with 78 teachers across various disciplines. The objective was to understand discrepancies between teachers' self-views and critical perceptions of colleagues, thereby identifying essential competencies. Semi-structured interviews, employing a qualitative approach, facilitated a thorough exploration of teacher perspectives. The study group included classroom, English, Turkish, math, science, philosophy, religious culture, computer, biology, history, chemistry, physical education, music, Turkish language, literature, painting, and physics teachers. Open-ended questions elicited opinions on colleague qualifications, essential teacher competencies, and self-perceptions. The findings revealed that experienced teachers demonstrated higher confidence, while beginners expressed a commitment to improvement. Communication skills, empathy, love for students, subject knowledge, self-development, patience, tolerance, and passion for teaching were highlighted as crucial competencies. Teachers emphasized the need for a balance between personal and professional qualities, advocating for pedagogical formation, contemporary teaching approaches, and technology proficiency. The study concludes that continuous professional development is vital, emphasizing the importance of both human-oriented qualities and technical competencies for effective teaching. This research provides a foundation for raising teachers' awareness of competence assessment and development, urging educational institutions to support ongoing teacher growth.

Ethics Education in the Context of an Interreligious Encounter Day (IED): Empirical Research Results from Austria

This article adds an empirical contribution to international discussions on interreligious education, taking the point of view of the academic study of religion. It presents results from a Viennese research project that used a participant observation design to analyze one of the more recent pedagogical formats to deal with religious plurality at school—the so-called Interreligious Encounter Day (IED). More precisely this article focuses on the role of Ethics Education (EE) within the context of a specific IED that was organized in 2019. Along those lines, it highlights the ambiguity of IED practices at a school by presenting a threefold argument: first, the article makes the point that the IED opened up a space to explicitly make religion a subject of discussion at school. Second, it argues that—within the context of the IED—religion is constructed in a specific way that can be described as ‘school religion’. Third, it proposes that the observed IED format has the tendency to prioritize specific individual constructions of religion—especially those prompted by theology.

(Non-)Conceptualisations of teaching and learning in innovative learning environments – a meta-narrative review

A current trend in educational research on innovative learning environments is to focus on student-centred learning, rather than a teacher-focused classroom. This turn to learning environments comes with theoretical and conceptual challenges concerning the dynamics of the classroom context and the interactions that take place within it. The aim of this review is to map the conceptions of teaching and learning in studies focusing on innovative learning environments and how they are applied in relation to the collected data. The review shows that several studies do not relate their empirical data to theoretical concepts in a systematic way. It is also suggested that the complexity of a learning environment requires an operationalised, conceptual comprehension in order to gain a full understanding of its conditions for teaching and learning.

Development of Special Assignments for Online Group Learning

The research purpose is to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of special vocabulary and grammar tasks for groups learning English online. The sample consisted of 100 students from Middle Eastern University in Jordan. The scholar used an experimental method and methods of observation, description, comparison and testing to investigate the problem. The results showed that online English learning based on special practical assignments and involving lexical and grammar tasks can improve the level of student’s language knowledge and their conversational skills. The resulting value confirmed the statistically significant difference between the test results and improvements in the experimental group. The research found that the experimental group showed better speaking skills compared to the control group. It is recommended to integrate similar practical tasks into educational curricula to foster quality education and the development of conversational skills among students studying the English language in an online environment. This approach has proved to be advantageous for instructors of professionally oriented English language courses, equipping them with an effective tool to enhance the quality of instruction and facilitate the linguistic aptitude growth of their students. Such a pedagogical format fosters active participation and collaboration among students, potentially contributing to a more profound and well-rounded language acquisition process.

Lesson Study’s Effect on Math Teacher Candidates’ Attitudes, Self-Efficacy, and Teaching Anxiety

This study aims to examine the effects of the lesson study model on the attitudes, self-efficacy, and math teaching anxiety of math teacher candidates. A pre- and post-test control group quasi-experimental design was utilized with a quantitative research framework. The study group consisted of a total of 14 teacher candidates (seven in the experimental group and seven in the control group), who were senior-level undergraduate students taking the “Teaching Practice” course in the pedagogical formation group of the Faculty of Education at Düzce University during the fall semester of the educational year 2019-2020. Data collection was performed using the Attitude Toward the Teaching Profession Scale, Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale, and Math Teaching Anxiety Scale. Non-parametric tests, specifically the Mann Whitney U and Wilcoxon Signed-Rank tests, were employed for data analysis. The results achieved in this study indicate that the lesson study model used in the teaching practice course positively affected the attitudes towards the teaching profession and teacher self-efficacy perceptions of math teacher candidates, as well as reducing math teaching anxiety.

Anadolu Öğretmen Lisesi Mirası: Türkiye'de Öğretmen Yetiştirme Kalitesinin ve Öneminin Mezun Bakış Açısıyla Değerlendirilmesi

This qualitative research aims to delve into the practices and influence of Anatolian Teacher High Schools, which play a critical role in Türkiye's teacher training process, from the perspective of graduates who are now teacher candidates. The research was conducted using a case study design, one of the qualitative research methods, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten students at Hacettepe University Faculty of Education, who are currently receiving pedagogical formation training and have previously studied at Anatolian Teacher High Schools. Interviews were carried out using 20 (6 unstructured closed-ended questions and 14 semi-structured open-ended questions) comprehensive questions pre-determined by the course instructor. These questions aimed to comprehend the students' experiences, opinions, and evaluations. The data collected were examined through content analysis, and the findings obtained were analyzed with the MAXQDA 2022 analysis program. The research findings highlight the positive impact and importance of Anatolian Teacher High Schools in Türkiye's teacher training process, as perceived by the graduates. The teacher candidates emphasized the significance of receiving education in these prestigious and quality schools and suggested that this experience should be recommended to other students aspiring to the teaching profession.

The Energy of Non-Simple Stories: Humanities in the Form of Pedagogy and Educational Research

In the article, I put forward the thesis that research based on scientistic assumptions (in the sense of the tendency to make the humanities and social sciences similar to natural sciences, that is: based on ontological and methodological naturalism) is marginal and only auxiliary importance in the exploration of human practices (I consider it on the example of pedagogy as the science of a subjective and communicational undertaking called education). I argue that when the scientistic model of research becomes dominant – as it is nowadays – it obscures the basic subject of pedagogical research: education. As a result, the public image of education is reduced and distorted.

Evaluation Of Self-Efficacy, Self-Management and Achievement Motivation from The Perspective of Classroom Management

In this study, the effect of pre–service teachers' self–efficacy and self–management on their success motivation were discussed and evaluated from the classroom management perspective. The population of the study was the MCBU Pedagogical Formation Certificate Program in the 2022 – 2023 education year and 427 pre–service teachers participated as the sample of the study. SPSS 25 packet program was used for the analyses of the data. Pre–service teachers' self–efficacy, self – management and achievement motivation levels were examined with the help of descriptive statistics by using minimum, maximum, arithmetic mean, and standard deviation values. The effect of their self–efficacy perceptions and their self – management behaviors were separately analyzed with simple linear regression. The holistic effect of self–efficacy and self–management on achievement motivation was analyzed with multiple linear regression. According to the findings their self–efficacy, self – management and achievement motivation levels were observed at high levels. Also, the effect of self–efficacy and self–management on achievement motivation were found both separately and together. While self–efficacy and self – management affect achievement motivation at a normal level, they are affecting more strongly both together.

Öğretmen Adaylarının “Pedagojik Formasyon Sertifika Programı Öğrencisi” Kavramına İlişkin Metaforik Algıları

TThis study aimed to determine the metaphorical perceptions of pre-service teachers participating in the pedagogical formation certificate program about the concept of pedagogical formation certificate program student. Phenomenology design was used in the data collection. The study group of the research consisted of 417 pre-service teachers participating in the pedagogical formation training certificate program at the faculty of education of a state university located in the Western Black Sea Region in Türkiye in the 2022-2023 academic year. The data of the study were collected through a form prepared by the researchers asking "pedagogical formation program student is like (1)............/similar because (2)................" to an object, a shape, an animal or a living creature (metaphor/mental image) and to state the reason (justification/logical basis) for their similes. The documents were analyzed by content analysis method. As a result of the research, 52 metaphors developed by pre-service teachers taking part in pedagogical formation certificate program about the concept of pedagogical formation program student were collected in 16 different categories named as “dough, new born baby, storage space, warrior, turtle, guided person, lucky fish, mother, light, miserables, unprocessed mine, precious metal, dreamer, intermediary person, unconscious person, lego”.

Contextualization in engineering education: A scoping literature review

AbstractBackgroundEngineering educators prepare students for responsible, ethical, and socially aware engineering practice by contextualizing engineering in a variety of ways. Recently, ABET and the NAE have prioritized engineers' ability to make judgments considering a variety of contexts and specifically advocated for building engineers' contextual competencies.PurposeEducators can often agree that contextualizing engineering work and problems is beneficial, while taking different approaches to that contextualization. It is important for engineering educators to know how their modes of contextualization compare with others, as well as how they define and achieve success.Scope/MethodThis scoping literature review answers two research questions: How are engineering educators contextualizing engineering through their programs, courses, and pedagogies? And what are the justifications, motivations, or desired ends of engineering educators' contextualization? The original search yielded 500 articles from pertinent engineering education venues. After detailed exclusion and inclusion criteria were applied, 104 relevant articles were analyzed.ResultsThese remaining articles were sorted into six modes of contextualization: context tools, professional skills, real‐world problems, design, sociotechnical thinking, and social impact. The categorization and analysis led to a complex understanding of the multiplicity of contextualization in engineering education.ConclusionsThe wide variety of modes of contextualization results in a variety of bettering strategies, or ways that these forms of pedagogy can improve engineering education, and, in turn, larger engineering contexts. We conclude that engineering content and context are “interactional” and co‐constructed, showing how different modes of contextualization demarcate different images of what engineering content and contexts are and ought to be.

Examination of Pre-Service Physical Education Teachers' Beliefs on Physical Education Profession

This research examines pre-service physical education teachers' (PPETs’) beliefs on the physical education profession (BPEP). A convergent mixed-method research design was administered. The descriptive information form, PPET-BPEP, and open-ended questions were used to collect the data. 218 PPETs’ studying in PETE program and pedagogical formation certificate program participated in this research. Non-parametric tests were used for quantitative data, and content analysis was used for qualitative data. While gender did not differ significantly between the programs, there was a significant difference in the "value of PE profession" sub-domain. There is a substantial difference between those whose first career choice is PE teacher and those who don't, and those who want to become a PE teacher after graduation and those who don't. Those whose first career choice is PE teaching tend to this profession for reasons such as having an athlete identity, dream job, role model effect, and a desire to make children love and teach sports. Those who want to be a PE teacher after graduation stated the following reasons for their preference: want to endear sports to children, love and want to take care of children, dream job, want to explain the importance of the profession, want to be involved in sports and some features of the work. In conclusion, it is recommended that more research should be done on PPETs’ beliefs on the PE profession.

Editing gender and editing life: DIY, digital artivism and new forms of pedagogy in the contemporary Portuguese society

In this article, we propose a theoretical-empirical cross-section of three basic themes: female migration, DIY practices and decolonial digital artivism. Adopting the case study typology and based on the use of a qualitative methodology, fostered by an indirect autobiographical interview, we proceed to sociologically analyse the migration trajectory of Tila Capelletto, a Brazilian activist responsible for the creation of Wiki Editoras Lx. We intend to discuss digital artivism and the DIY and DIT practices and ethos promoted by Tila and Wiki Editoras, as a formula for promoting processes of diasporic identity (re)construction, resistance, existence and social change, drawing parallels with the Global South and semi-peripheral countries such as Portugal, which are embodied in the editing of Wikipedia to combat the invisibility of women in contemporary societies.

Vocational Music Education Institutions and Music Teacher Training in Turkey in the 21st Century

In this study, the process of training music teachers working in primary, middle, and high schools affiliated with the Ministry of National Education in Turkey is examined. Within this scope, Higher Education Programs related to Music Education, Pedagogical Formation Education Certificate Program (PFECP) and Student Profile/Quality of Music Education Institutions were investigated to answer three fundamental questions. According to the findings obtained, it has been determined that there is a structure of music education in 16 different faculties with various names, apart from the Music Education program in the Faculty of Education, and students studying in these institutions have the right to be appointed as music teachers by completing the (PFECP). Furthermore, it was determined that the scores of the TYT (Basic Skills Test) determined for admission to 16 different faculties outside the Faculty of Education were very low/insufficient. The education process of the Pedagogical Formation Education Certificate Program does not meet the expected “competencies of the music teaching profession” in training music teachers. In our country, which has a tradition, experience, and accumulation of training music teachers for 100 years, there is a need to re-think and re-imagine the structure and policies of music teacher training in the 21st century. The Ministry of National Education (MONE), the Council of Higher Education (COHE), universities, academicians, civil society organizations, and all stakeholders in music education should take steps to correct the deficiencies, inconsistencies, and contradictions in teacher/music teacher training practices.