Level Of Difficulty Research Articles

Difficulties Of Kindergarten Teachers In The Blocks Of Time

Teaching kindergarten comes with its fair share of challenges, but it can also be an incredibly rewarding experience watching your learners grow and learn during their time in school. In this context, this study aimed to determine the difficulties kindergarten teachers face in the blocks of time regarding learning domains, transition activities, and musical instruments. The study targeted 65 kindergarten teachers using a self-made questionnaire that passed stringent tests of validity and reliability to collect information from the respondents. The results revealed that kindergarten teachers’ level of difficulty in learning domain and transition activities was low, while musical instruments were high. In addition, there was no significant difference in the level of difficulties of kindergarten teachers in the blocks of time in terms of learning domains, transition activities, and musical instruments when compared according to age, civil status, number of training attended, and family income. The result provides evidence that kindergarten teachers need to improve themselves in the delivery of instruction in the kindergarten program and calls for conducting an enrichment plan focusing on learning domains, transition activities, and musical instruments in the kindergarten curriculum throughout the region. Keywords: Blocks of time, difficulties, kindergarten teachers, Bindoy, Negros Oriental.

Difficulties Encountered by Home Facilitators in Printed Modular Learning Modality

Parents or guardians acting as home facilitators may encounter obstacles while introducing printed modular learning modalities. It is a long premise that this paper sought to measure the difficulties encountered by home facilitators in printed modular learning modality in a mountainous public elementary school in a fourth-class municipality in the central Philippines for the school year 2021-2022. Data needed for this descriptive study was collected from grade five composed of 2 sections with a total of 58 home facilitators using 30 items self-made instruments that have passed the rigorous validity which obtained a rating of 5.00 from the three jurors interpreted as excellent and valid, and reliability which obtained 0.966 which means that instrument developed has a high degree of reliability. Statistical tools used were mean and Mann- Whitney U test. Data showed that home facilitators experienced a high difficulty in printed learning modality regardless of age, family income, number of children, and educational background. When grouped by age, family income, and number of children, no significant difference was found in the respondents’ level of difficulty with printed learning based on monitoring, support, and learning environment. Nonetheless, a significant difference was found based on groupings by educational attainment. The result calls for the allocation of more funds for possible alternatives, equipping teachers with rigid workshop/orientation/training, revisiting the most essential learning competencies lessening the number of pages in modules, and formulating a plan of action to offset difficulties encountered by home facilitators in printed modular learning modality. Keywords: Education, Communication with Teachers, Monitoring and Support, Learning Environment, Negros Occidental, Philippines

Reading Difficulties of Grade 4 Learners in the Post-Pandemic

The post-pandemic era exacerbated the reading difficulties of learners due to disrupted learning, limited access to resources, and potential gaps in foundational skills. Along this premise, this study analyzed the level of reading difficulties of Grade 4 learners in the post-pandemic. Data needed for the descriptive study was collected from 155 respondents using a self–made 40–item questionnaire that passed the rigorous tests of validity and reliability. Across areas of concern, the level of reading difficulties of Grade 4 learners was found to be moderate. Further, a significant difference was found in respondents’ reading difficulties in word decoding, fluency, reading comprehension, and vocabulary when grouped according to parents’ educational attainment, family income, and number of siblings. However, no significant difference was found in groupings by fluency and sex. These findings call for technical assistance and workshops for teachers to equip them with techniques and strategies in teaching reading and creating a sustainable reading program that will capacitate and strengthen learners’ motivation towards reading, aiming to improve their skills in word decoding, fluency, reading comprehension, and vocabulary. Keywords: Language education, reading difficulties, word decoding and fluency, reading comprehension and vocabulary, Negros Occidental, Philippines

Difficulties of Teachers in Teaching Reading to Grade 1 Learners

Reading is the basis for all academic learning. A youngster who struggles with reading may have missed the chance to utilize the educational tools offered by the government and the school system because they need to understand their importance fully (Roque et al.,2023). Along this line, this study explored teachers’ difficulties in teaching reading to Grade 1 learners in selected districts in a large school division in Central Philippines during the school year 2022-2023. Data needed for this descriptive paper was collected from 38 Grade 1 teacher-respondents using a 30-item survey questionnaire that has hurdled the rigorous tests of validity and reliability. The ensuing analysis showed the level of difficulties of teachers in teaching reading to Grade 1 learners was moderate in content knowledge (m=2.51; sd=0.843), low in the availability of teaching and reading materials (m=2.3; sd=0.837), and teaching strategies (m=2.02; sd=0.624). There was no significant difference in teacher difficulties when grouped according to the aforementioned variables. There was a significant difference in the availability of teaching and reading materials when grouped according to age. The study’s results called for regular checking of DLL/DLP and providing proper guidance to teachers on effectively utilizing the Teachers’ Guide alongside supplementary materials from LRMDS. The findings are equally provided. Keywords: teachers’ difficulties, teaching reading, Grade 1 learners

An analysis of calculus application questions in grade 12 mathematics exams in South Africa

This study employed a quantitative survey methodology to analyze the 2021-2023 grade 12 calculus application exam questions in the context of South Africa. A total of 11 grade 12 teachers and 220 grade 12 students participated in the study. Analysis of the survey data and students’ test results points to the view that examiners sometimes misjudge the level of difficulty of the exam questions and include questions that are very difficult, which fail to discriminate between strong and weak candidates. It was noticed that calculus applications questions that most students could not correctly answer included multiple mathematical skills that were compacted in a short statement. This paper recommends that mathematics examiners should continuously reflect on their own work and find ways to improve their skills in setting future exam papers. The inclusion of item difficulty and item discrimination indices in post-exam analysis of results could be part of the examiners’ reflective practice. Feedback from the grade 12 mathematics teachers on the standard of each exam question is just as important to the examiners as the examiners’ reports are to the teachers.

Difficulties Encountered by Mapeh Teachers in the Blended Learning Modality

Examining the challenges MAPEH teachers face in the blended learning environment aims to shed light on the difficulties they encounter. In this context, this study aimed to determine the difficulties experienced by MAPEH teachers in the blended learning modality (BLM) in three schools of District VI Division of Bacolod City during the school year 2021-2022. Data for this descriptive study was collected from 101 teachers using a researcher-made instrument that has gone through rigorous tests of validity and reliability. The ensuing analysis showed MAPEH teachers encountered high-level challenges in delivering instruction and utilizing technology in blended learning, with a moderate level of difficulty in assessing learning. Younger teachers with shorter teaching experience, particularly those assigned to primary grade levels, faced moderate challenges in technology literacy and application and assessment, whereas older teachers experienced higher difficulty levels. Significant differences were found in the challenges MAPEH teachers face across age groups in technology literacy, application, and assessment in blended learning. The findings of this paper call for support through seminars and training for the teachers, especially in delivering instruction and effectively utilizing technology in blended learning. Keywords: MAPEH teachers, empirical-based approach, difficulties in blended learning modalities, Bacolod City, Philippines

Developing and Validating Monosyllabic Speech Materials with Psychometric Homogeneity for Young Adult Turkish-Azeri Speakers in Iran and Compiling the Equivalent Word Lists

Background and Aim: For the Word Recognition Score (WRS) test, homogenous lists of words with similar difficulty levels are needed. This study aimed to develop and validate Turkish-Azeri monosyllabic words with phonetic balance and psychometric homogeneity for the WRS test in young adult Turkish-Azeri speakers in Iran and to compile four 25-item word lists. Methods: In this cross-sectional/comparative study, four lists of 25 monosyllabic words with phonetic balance were created by extracting common words from Turkish-Azeri dialects and assessing them in terms of ease of use, familiarity, and relevance. Then, the lists were tested on 40 young adult Azari speakers aged 18–25 years to determine the validity and reliability. Results: All four lists showed adequate face and content validity. Cronbach’s alpha and split-half values for all four lists were above 0.9, indicating acceptable internal consistency and reliability. Construct validity was confirmed the factor analysis with one-dimensional variance of 77.9%, 80.0%, 79.9%, and 88% for the word lists 1 to 4, respectively, and reported the single-factor solution of the index in all four lists. Also, test-retest reliability with a two-week interval with Pearson correlation coefficients of the lists were 0.94, 0.97, 0.97, and 0.96, respectively. Conclusion: The four developed Turkish-Azeri word lists have phonetic balance and psychometric homogeneity with a high level of validity and reliability, which makes them suitable for evaluating the recognition of monosyllabic words by young adults in hearing centers of Azeri cities in Iran. Keywords: Speech audiometry; speech discrimination test; Azeri; monosyllabic; validity and reliability; psychometric function

Students’ Perceptions of Using Reciprocal Teaching Groups Strategy in Extensive Reading Activities

Reading plays a pivotal role in language learning, particularly in acquiring proficiency in English. However, Indonesian secondary students often struggle with comprehending reading materials due to their difficulty level exceeding their proficiency and a less conducive learning environment that contributes to disengagement. This gap in reading comprehension prompted the initiation of this research, which aimed to investigate how reciprocal teaching groups could enhance extensive reading activities for students. This research conducted qualitative methods within a microethnography framework, the study engaged six junior high school students as participants. Data collection involved observations, interviews, and students' reflective journals to gather comprehensive insights. The results highlighted that implementing reciprocal teaching group strategies positively impacted students' motivation and comprehension levels during reading activities. Moreover, these strategies fostered a more interactive and independent learning atmosphere, addressing the monotony often associated with traditional reading sessions. By actively involving students in reciprocal teaching groups, they were able to deepen their understanding of the study materials more effectively. Thus, the findings suggest that integrating reciprocal teaching group strategies is a beneficial approach to enhancing students' learning outcomes in extensive reading. This research underscores the potential of collaborative learning methods in improving reading proficiency among secondary school students, offering insights into how educators can innovate teaching practices to better support students' language learning needs.

Item Analysis of School Examination Questions Using the Iteman Program

This study aims to analyze and describe question items based on validity, reliability, difficulty index, differentiation index and the effectiveness of distractors on the final exam of the odd semester of class X SMA Kartika 1-5 Padang in the 2023/2024 school year. The method used is descriptive quantitative. Data obtained in the form of answer sheets of 23 students of SMA Kartika 1-5 Padang using the Iteman program. The results showed that the reliability of the questions carried out on students obtained an Alpa Cronbach score of 0.830 in the Iteman program. The question is declared reliable because the reliability index is above 0.60. Based on the Differentiation Index, it is known that 23 questions are categorized as feasible, 7 questions are categorized as inappropriate and need to be revised. Then based on the Difficulty Level Index, it is known that 5 questions are at a difficult level, 21 questions at an easy level and 5 questions at a very easy level.

Development of auditory cognition in 5- to 10-year-old children: Focus on speech-in-babble-noise perception.

Speech-in-noise perception is consistently reported to be impaired in learning disorders, which stresses the importance of documenting its developmental course in young children. In this cross-sectional study, ninety children (41 females, 5.5-11.6 years old) and nineteen normal-hearing adults (15 females, 20-30 years old) were tested with a newly developed closed-set speech perception in babble-noise test, combining two levels of phonological difficulty and two noise levels. Results showed that speech-in-babble-noise perception takes a definite maturation step around 7 years of age (d = 1.17, grade effect) and is not mature at 10 years of age when compared to young adults (d = 0.94, group effect). Developmental trajectories of both accuracy and response times were evaluated, with influences of psycholinguistic factors, to foster the development of adequate screening tests.

List coloring based algorithm for the Futoshiki puzzle

Given a graph G=(V, E) and a list of available colors L(v) for each vertex v\in V, where L(v) \subseteq {1, 2, ..., k}, List k-Coloring refers to the problem of assigning colors to the vertices of $G$ so that each vertex receives a color from its own list and no two neighboring vertices receive the same color. The decision version of the problem, List k-Coloring, is NP-complete even for bipartite graphs. As an application of list coloring problem we are interested in the Futoshiki Problem. Futoshiki is an NP-complete Latin Square Completion Type Puzzle. Considering Futoshiki puzzle as a constraint satisfaction problem, we first give a list coloring based algorithm for it which is efficient for small boards of fixed size. To thoroughly investigate the efficiency of our algorithm in comparison with a proposed backtracking-based algorithm, we conducted a substantial number of computational experiments at different difficulty levels, considering varying numbers of inequality constraints and given values. Our results from the extensive range of experiments indicate that the list coloring-based algorithm is much more efficient.

Automated Test Creation Using Large Language Models: A Practical Application

The article presents work on developing a software application for test creation using artificial intelligence and large language models. Its main goal is to optimize the educators’ work by automating the process of test generation and evaluation, with the tests being stored for subsequent analysis and use. The application can generate test questions based on specified criteria such as difficulty level, Bloom’s taxonomy level, question type, style and format, feedback inclusion, and more, thereby providing opportunities to enhance the adaptability and efficiency of the learning process. It is developed on the Google Firebase platform, utilizing the ChatGPT API, and also incorporates cloud computing to ensure scalability and data reliability.

Blocking Fraud, Advertising, or Campaign-Related Calls with a Blockchain-based Mobile App

The use of a person's cell phone to commit fraud is known as cell phone fraud. Such scams are usually carried out through fake phone calls or text messages. The victim receives a call from a cell phone scammer, usually claiming to have an emergency or a legal problem. The purpose of the scam is usually to convince the victim to provide personal or financial information. This may include private information such as social security numbers, bank account details or credit card information. In addition, users are often subjected to unsolicited calls for marketing and information gathering initiatives such as campaigns, advertisements and surveys. In this study, a smartphone application built on the blockchain is created to stop these nuisance actions. Transaction times and performance tests have been rigorously performed according to the difficulty levels of the blockchain structure.

Indirect markers of muscle damage in military physical training session with neuromuscular and aerobic exercises in circuit (Cross operational): acute effects and recoverability

The Brazilian army recently developed the military physical training “Cross Operational” (CO), composed of four different difficulty levels. The moderate/high intensity character of CO can damage the muscle fibers, characterized by alterations at the cellular level, which can be evaluated indirectly by intramuscular proteins showing up in the bloodstream. In this context, the analysis of muscle damage biomarkers can be used as part of an initial injury prevention tool and in the evaluation of training progression and post-exercise recovery. This study aimed to observe the acute effect of CO on indirect markers of muscle damage in military personnel of the Brazilian army. Twenty-four male recruits aged between 18 and 26 years participated in the study. The four sessions corresponding to the CO levels were performed in cross-design, with a seven-day washout period, and blood samples were collected at rest, immediately after, 24 and 48 hours after each training session. The measured markers were creatine kinase (CK), myoglobin (Mb) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). In all CO levels, CK had a significant increase 24 hours after CO, whereas Mb and LDH incresead immediately after CO. Regarding recovery time, LDH returned to baseline values within 48 hours in all levels, whereas CK and Mb, after 48 hours of recovery, reduced but did not return to baseline in level 4. The serum elevations of the biomarkers studied, like those found in studies with other consolidated physical training methods, suggest that CO can contribute to the improvement of the physical training of military personnel.

Multi-Scale Candidate Fusion and Optimization-Based 3D Object Detection Algorithm

To address the issues of target omission and the inclusion of a large number of background points in keypoint sampling for point cloud-based object detection, an improved algorithm based on the PV-RCNN network is introduced. This approach employs both a regional proposal fusion network and weighted Non-Maximum Suppression (NMS) to merge proposals generated at various scales while eliminating redundancy. A segmentation network is utilized to segment foreground points from the original point cloud, and object center points are identified based on these proposals. Gaussian density functions are employed for regional density estimation, which assigns different sampling weights to solve the problem of difficult sampling in sparse areas. Experimental evaluations on the KITTI dataset indicate that the algorithm enhances the average precision at medium difficulty levels by 0.39%, 1.31%, and 0.63%for cars, pedestrians, and cyclists, respectively. Generalization experiments were also conducted on the Waymo dataset. The results suggest that the introduced algorithm achieves higher accuracy compared to most of the existing 3D object detection networks.

Analysing Game Data to Evaluate Children’s Learning Progress with the EDURINO App

Game data offers a unique way to examine children’s learning progress in a gameplay context. Despite its relevance in evaluating the efficacy of game-based learning, this area is less researched than engagement and usability study. This paper presents a quantitative investigation of EDURINO, an educational gaming app targeting children aged 4-8. We implemented learning metrics to track children’s performance in EDURINO games. Specifically, the measurements included standardised variables from educational and experimental psychology, such as error count and duration. Here we reported data from a total of 18 EDURINO minigames in Literacy and Maths. Game data was collected by the learning metrics tracking system. A total of 66,463 players’ data was analysed using generalised linear mixed models with the lm4 package in R. Overall, children have shown improvements while playing the EDURINO app. We examined the relationships between children’s game performance, player demographics and game-specific features and discovered different patterns. First, the significant main effects of age and gender indicated that EDURINO’s educational content was developmentally sensitive and age appropriate. Second, children made fewer errors and spent less time when they were in the later rounds within a game or have played the same game more than once. Third, higher difficulty level undermined game performance. Worth noting is that the effect of game-specific factors varied among different educational content, and such discrepancy could be attributed to the nature of game design. When presented with engaging and interactive content, children may have chosen to deliberately make mistakes for fun effects. These findings are discussed in relation to game-based assessment for learning in EdTech research and industry. We also considered the interpretation of learning progress in EDURINO’s gameplay context while highlighting the need for further efficacy research.

Meningkatkan Mutu Evaluasi Pembelajaran: Analisis Soal Pilihan Ganda Bahasa Arab

<p style="text-align: justify;">Learning evaluation is one part of the learning process. Through evaluation, a teacher can find out students' abilities and understanding of the material they have studied. Evaluation instruments require quality tests or questions in terms of validity, reliability, level of difficulty, distinguishing power and effectiveness of distractors. Question items prepared by a teacher to test students' abilities must be recommended to be tested for suitability based on these aspects so that the instruments that have been prepared can be used according to their function. This research was conducted using a descriptive methodology and quantitative research form. The research instrument used was 15 grade 5 PAS Arabic multiple choice questions and the research subjects were 5th grade students at SDIT Al Inayah for the 2023-2024 academic year who were tested by 37 participants. The results of the analysis of the questions in this study in the validity aspect were still not good because only 3 questions (20%) were valid. Then, in terms of the level of difficulty, it is sufficient but not yet balanced because no difficult questions were found. From the aspect of discriminating power, the questions studied were quite good and produced a discriminating power of each question which was 40% and good, reaching 33%. The effectiveness of the distractors in this study was also sufficient because 25% of the distractors were found to be functional, and 25% were rejected. Thus, from the results of this analysis, a teacher can improve and develop question items that are still not good in some of these aspects.</p>

Ultrasound Assessment and Self-Perception of Pelvic Floor Muscle Function in Women with Stress Urinary Incontinence in Different Positions

Objectives: This study analyzed the effect of different positions on pelvic floor muscle (PFM) function in women with and without stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Methods: This study included women with (n = 17, research group) and without (n = 25, control group) SUI. Using abdominal ultrasound, PFM function (maximum contraction and endurance) was measured in four different positions: lying, sitting, standing and squatting. The level of difficulty perceived by the participants was recorded. Results: In both groups, the best contraction was observed in the standing position and the weakest in the lying position. Women with SUI showed a lower ability to perform PFM contraction. A significant difference was found between the groups in the sitting and standing positions, and it was smaller in the research group. In the research group, the contraction displacement during sitting was 2.68 (1.67) mm versus 4.51 (2.62) mm in the control. The displacement during standing was 6.92 (3.50) mm versus 9.18 (5.05) mm, respectively (p < 0.05). In the research group, 52.9% reported the sitting position as the most difficult compared with only 12% in the control group. Conclusions: Women with SUI have lower PFM function while standing or sitting, but not while lying, than those without SUI. Variations in PFM function across different positions exist. A new protocol for PFM examination should be written with the standing position included.

Determining the optimal challenge point for learning motor skills in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder

The purpose of this study was to investigate the optimal challenge point for learning motor skills in children with and without attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Ninety-six 9- to 10-year-old children, including 48 children with ADHD and 48 neurotypical children, were randomly assigned to one of four practice groups with varying levels of nominal and functional task difficulty. They performed 63 trials of a dart throwing task in the acquisition phase and 18 trials in the retention and transfer tests a day later. The results showed that neurotypical children outperformed children with ADHD in all phases of the study. Both groups improved in the acquisition phase and performed better in the retention and transfer tests. Interestingly, low nominal task difficulty was associated with better learning for both groups, despite lower average performance for children with ADHD. Thus, despite their performance differences, we did not find a difference in the effective challenge point between children with ADHD and their neurotypical peers.

Transforming science literacy: assessing the ability of chemistry teacher candidates through the viewpoint of Islamic values

Science literacy assessment is important to familiarize students with literacy questions based on aspects of science knowledge and its interaction with the environment, technology, and society. Students' low science literacy is often caused by teachers' low science literacy. This study aims to analyze (1) the science literacy skills of chemistry education students in basic chemistry courses; and (2) the science literacy skills of chemistry education students based on competency aspects which are divided into three achievement indicators. This research is a descriptive study with a quantitative approach, with subjects 21 semester 6 students of the chemistry education study program at UIN Sayyid Ali Rahmatullah Tulungagung. The instrument used was a scientific literacy test in the form of an essay test with 22 questions which have been validated by 2 chemistry education lecturers, and the test results with a test reliability of 0.629, as well as a difficulty level of 1 easy question, 19 medium, and 2 difficult. The results showed that (1) students' science literacy skills were in the "sufficient" category with an average score of 43.9. (2) Analysis based on competency aspects shows the ability to explain phenomena scientifically and identify scientific issues is in the sufficient category, but the use of scientific evidence is low. The findings are expected to provide input to improve learning and practice of science literacy in preparing students as future educators.