Educational Disadvantage Research Articles

A Qualitative Study of the Perspectives of Music Students on Distance Piano Education

The aim of this study is to determine whether distance education is a viable option for music department students to receive an adequate piano education. Furthermore, the study seeks to discover encountered in distance piano education and to make recommendations about how piano education could best continue during the current pandemic. The study examines the conditions under which university students who receive piano education through distance education are affected either positively or negatively. It highlights the importance of student attitudes toward distance learning as this can determine student feelings, expectations and the desired outcomes of their education. The findings were obtained by conducting qualitative research using the phenomenological design method. For this study, an interview form was prepared and used as a data collection tool to gather student perspectives about piano education. The results of the study revealed that students found piano education through distance learning as not beneficial overall, the overall achievement of students was found to be negatively affected in distance education. Significant disadvantages of piano education were found through distance learning platforms. According to the results of the research, further recommendations are made to improve the current distance education methods.

Benefits and Difficulties of Integrating Mobile Technologies in the Academic Learning

Exploring students' perceptions of the advantages and disadvantages of mobile technologies (MT) is necessary in the dynamic context of their increasing use in learning. The data obtained from 532 students from a state university were analyzed. The students mentioned three advantages and three disadvantages of using mobile technology in the learning activity. Based on the content analysis, the main categories referring to the benefits and difficulties of using MT were identified. The main categories in terms of benefits are: technological advantages, information using mobile technologies, efficient communication, opportunities for educational process, personal development, facilities at the economic and environmental level. Referring to the difficulties of MT, there was identified: negative influence on personal development, technological difficulties, damaged information, diminishing communication and socialization abilities, the negative effects on the educational process, economic, ecological and ethical disadvantages. The novelty of the study consists in highlighting the importance of MT integration in achieving academic learning activity.

Social justice in education from the perspective of the Roma in the Czech Republic – A case study

Abstract This paper addresses the current educational rights of the Roma community (in the Czech Republic). The aim of the paper is to present the educational system, its advantages and disadvantages and the ways in which the legal system supports educational rights. The second part of the paper focuses on the exercising and negotiation of rights in the contemporary social context. The work is based on ethnographic research conducted since 2005 by the Levínská, Bittnerová, & Doubek team in socially excluded localities. The data analysis is based on the theoretical concept of cognitive anthropology and the cultural models theory (D’Andrare, & Strauss, 1992). Cultural models and the ways in which parents, students and teachers negotiate rights are presented. The tension between rationality and morality (Bateson, 1958) is demonstrated by the models’ endurance; communication, cognitive and material support; and independence. Although the system itself provides equal opportunities, the prospects that education affords are a fundamental problem. One obstacle is racial bias, which influences members of the dominant group. Another significant obstacle is poverty and the costs of higher education, which are beyond the financial capacity of poor families. A third obstacle is knowledge, which is insufficient in excluded localities and poor families, and that families are unable to give students adequate support in navigating the full scope of student responsibilities.

E-Learning in a Postmodern Society

The relevance of the chosen direction of research is that e-learning at the present stage of development of society is one of the most popular forms of organization of the educational process. This primarily applies to vocational and postgraduate education. Its main advantage is that it focuses on creating a barrier-free learning environment, ensuring the availability of quality education without separation from work and family and regardless of the place of residence. The article analyzes the features of updating the education system in the postmodern era and the urgent problems of the education system that need to be addressed (improvement of national educational legislation; changing the image of research and teaching staff; preservation of classical universities; change of system and support for business, which is used to develop science and education; securing the technical and technological needs of the education system). Features of e-learning as a means of meeting the demand for educational services, its advantages and disadvantages are characterized. The peculiarities of functioning of open educational resources as prospects of e-learning development are analyzed. Continuation of the initiated research is to study the specific characteristics of mobile learning as one of the possible options for e-learning.

Gendered dimensions of educational premium disadvantage in earnings in USA, 2019.

The relationships between gender-based earnings disparity and gendered dimensions of human capital gains and labor market changes are quite complex. Some scholars have argued that gender bias improves the over economy of a country/society. Others, however, have argued otherwise, adding to the narrative that despite an overall positive role of educational/human capital gains by women, the benefits reaped by them is non-linear, often with declining premiums for educational progress. This research investigates gendered earnings disadvantage and (dis)parity across US counties by employing GIS-based maps, descriptive statistics, correlations and regression analyses wherein female earnings and female-versus-male earnings ratios are regressed against select explanatory variables representing educational attainments, gender-based work-status, and their occupational over/under-representation in the labor market. Five-years estimates data (2015–2019) from the NHGIS are used for computing location quotients for major occupation-types by gender and additional statistical analyses. Females with professional, Master’s and doctoral degrees have improved earnings, even though gender parity is better for both genders among the less educated. Sadly, gender disparity in earnings is higher when male-versus-female ratio increases for those majoring in science/engineering, science and engineering-related and business degrees. Greater gender parity, however, is noted when more men major in Education—a sub-field largely deemed as feminine. This research calls for focused policy interventions toward encouraging more women in STEM and science/engineering disciplines, along with strategic programs to help attract more women into working full-time—one of the several ways toward bridging the earnings gap.

Can Standardizing Applicant High School and Neighborhood Information Help to Diversify Selective Colleges?

Many selective colleges consider the backgrounds of applicants to improve equity in admissions. However, this information is usually not available for all applicants. We examine whether the chances of admission and enrollment changed after 43 colleges gained access to a new tool that standardizes information on educational disadvantage for all applicants. Applicants from the most challenging school and neighborhood backgrounds experienced a 5-percentage point increase in the probability of admission in the year of adoption relative to similar applicants in the previous year. The tool did not alter the probability of enrollment as a function of applicant challenge level in the full sample, but positive changes are concentrated among applicants to institutions that used the tool to allocate financial aid.

Young children’s perceptions of emergency online English learning during the Covid-19 pandemic: evidence from Kazakhstan

ABSTRACT This qualitative study explores the English learning experiences of 30 Grade 5 students from three mainstream schools in Kazakhstan during the Covid-19 pandemic. It was informed by Benson et al.'s (2011) four-dimensional model of language learning beyond the classroom: (a) location (physical vs. virtual), (b) formality (formal vs. informal agents), (c) locus of control (other-directed vs. self-directed goals) and (d) pedagogy. Data were collected through online individual interviews and students' drawings. The data suggest that the participants' English teachers used mainly Zoom and WhatsApp platforms for delivering the online classes. The participants were critical of their English teachers' practices, particularly, the overuse of WhatsApp, the scarcity of co-operative activities and delays in responding to inquiries. Consequently, 16 participants (53%) were receiving face-to-face and virtual private tutoring in English (PT-E). Although face-to-face PT-E may be unsafe during the pandemic, PT-E was a parental strategy to free themselves from the burden of tracking their children's progress. The participants acted agentively, not only reflecting on the disadvantages of online education but also on its benefits, including its being more convenient and able to help them improve their self-reliance and technology skills. The pedagogical implications and areas for further research are suggested.

Teaching Multilingual Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Austria: Teachers' Perceptions of Barriers to Distance Learning.

Providing high-quality education for students with emergent proficiency in the language of instruction (referred to here as multilingual students) presents a challenge to inclusion for educational systems the world over. In Austria, a new German language support model was implemented in the school year 2018/19 which provides language support in separate classrooms up to 20 h a week. Since its implementation, the model has been strongly criticized for excluding multilingual students from the mainstream classroom, which is argued to reinforce the educational disadvantages that they face. The study presented here provides unprecedented qualitative insight into how schooling for students within the so-called German language support classes (GLSC) was organized during the COVID-19 pandemic. It builds on results of a previous large-scale quantitative study (n = 3,400 teachers), which was conducted during the first lockdown (spring 2020) and indicated a high risk of exclusion for marginalized students, especially for multilingual students in GLSC. To gain deeper insights into the situation of these students during school closures, 37 teachers who work in these classes at both primary and lower-secondary schools in Vienna were interviewed, of which 18 interviews were considered for analysis. The interviews focus on the situation during the first and second school closures in the city of Vienna. A thematic analysis of the interview data reveals teachers’ perceptions of aspects which harmed or promoted inclusion for students in GLSC during these periods of school closure. Teachers’ perceptions of the most harming factors for students included strong language barriers between teachers and students, restricted access to technical equipment and supportive learning spaces, and low parental engagement. A development that promoted inclusion of these students was the option to allow them to come to school during the second school closure. Since existing studies on the schooling of students during school closures have hardly addressed the situation of students in GLSC, this study contributes to closing this research gap.

Two comparative studies of computer simulations and experiments as learning tools in school and out-of-school education

Interactive computer simulations and hands-on experiments are important teaching methods in modern science education. Especially for the communication of complex current topics with social relevance (socioscientific issues), suitable methods in science education are of great importance. However, previous studies could not sufficiently clarify the educational advantages and disadvantages of both methods and often lack adequate comparability. This paper presents two studies of direct comparisons of hands-on experiments and interactive computer simulations as learning tools in science education for secondary school students in two different learning locations (Study I: school; Study II: student laboratory). Using a simple experimental research design with type of learning location as between-subjects factor (NStudy I = 443, NStudy II = 367), these studies compare working on computer simulations versus experiments in terms of knowledge achievement, development of situational interest and cognitive load. Independent of the learning location, the results showed higher learning success for students working on computer simulations than while working on experiments, despite higher cognitive load. However, working on experiments promoted situational interest more than computer simulations (especially the epistemic and value-related component). We stated that simulations might be particularly suitable for teaching complex topics. The findings reviewed in this paper moreover imply that working with one method may complement and supplement the weaknesses of the other. We conclude that that the most effective way to communicate complex current research topics might be a combination of both methods. These conclusions derive a contribution to successful modern science education in school and out-of-school learning contexts.

Research on Online Task-Based Teaching in English Class

In numerous countries, the COVID-19 epidemic has interrupted school, impacting tens of billions of students. As a result, in the early phases of COVID-19, the educational reaction centred on developing distant learning options as an emergency solution. Teachers are more vital than ever before, regardless of the learning methods or technology available, they play a critical role. Teachers must receive regular and effective pre-service and continuous professional development. Support the development of digital and pedagogical tools for successful distance and face-to-face teaching and learning. Distance learning must allow for meaningful two-way contact between students and teachers for it to be successful. This may be accomplished by employing the technology that is most suited to the local environment. TBLT (Task-Based Language Teaching) is task-cantered, prioritising meaning-centred communication rather than putting it at the end of the course (as PPP does)—important for anyone who considers themselves a teacher of the language of communication; tasks can mimic what students have to do outside the classroom informal professional and educational situations, either directly through “target tasks” or indirectly by engaging learners in the functions necessary for everyday communication.This article uses the TBLT approach as a basis to help teachers implement English language teaching using online education in the context of the epidemic and is also critical of the disadvantages of online education and improvements.

Rural depopulation and the rural-urban gap in cognitive functioning among older adults.

As the population ages, the number of people with cognitive impairment will rapidly increase. Although previous research has explored the rural-urban gap in physical health, few studies have analyzed cognitive health. The purpose of this study was to examine rural-urban differences in cognitive health, with a focus on the moderating effect of population decline. The study used individual-level nationally representative data from the 2000-2016 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (N = 152,444) merged to county-level contextual characteristics. Hierarchical linear models were used to predict the cognitive functioning of US adults aged 50 and over by rural-urban residence, county depopulation, and their interactions while controlling for individual-level and county-level demographic and contextual factors. Older adults living in rural counties had lower cognitive functioning than urban adults. The interaction between living in a rural and depopulated county was statistically significant (P < .001). The rural penalty in cognitive functioning was 40% larger for those who lived in counties that lost population between 1980 and 2010 compared to those who lived in stable or growing rural counties. These results were independent of race-ethnicity, gender, age, education, income, region, employment status, marital status, physical health, and depression as well as the county's racial-ethnic composition, age structure, economic and educational disadvantage, and health care shortages. The results have important implications for those seeking to reduce health disparities both between rural and urban older adults and among different groups of rural people. Interventions targeting those living in rural depopulating areas are particularly warranted.

Online only: Future outlooks of post-pandemic education based on student experiences of the virtual university

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a widespread shift to online education around the world and in Hungary, too. Educational institutions from kindergartens to universities were forced to adapt rapidly to this new situation, when the space of education moved from classrooms to online video meetings; the regular methods and tools needed to be changed or modified. Nonetheless, we should keep in mind that online education itself was an already existing concept before the pandemic as part of digitalization as a current societal megatrend, however it was not widely used in educational institutions across different programs. By 2021, there are university students who have mostly or exclusively participated in higher education online. Online classes could be a new normal situation to these students instead of the pre-pandemic personal activities in physical classrooms, leading to altering the norms of participation. In our research, we collected answers to open-ended sentences from such students. As we wish to understand how students perceive the differences between online and offline education, we investigated the perceived advantages and disadvantages of online-only education, how this influenced their social networks, study efficiency and their whole experience in university education.

The practice of teaching a «Foreign language» course in a non-linguistic university in the format of distance learning

This paper is devoted to the problem of distance learning of the course Foreign language in Kursk State Agricultural Academy. The authors note the advantages and disadvantages of distance education compared to the traditional one as well as provide a variety of techniques and forms of work in order to develop communication skills and form a stable motivation to learn a foreign language. It is proved that the use of modern information technologies and the electronic information and educational environment (EIEE) facilitates the teachers work on the selection and application of relevant material in the classroom, both lexical and grammatical, contributing to the activation of students cognitive interests in a foreign language. The paper notes the importance of the practical application of video and audio materials, multimedia presentations, test tasks, online discussions of issues and educational films related to both household and professional activities. The methods and forms of work on the introduction, development and practical application of the material reflecting the specifics of students major in higher school are proposed. The paper contains examples of practice-oriented tasks, exercises, texts of general and special orientation, as well as the names of sites that can help in explaining the grammar of a foreign language.

Teacher Education for a Rural-Ready Teaching Force: Swings, Roundabouts, and Slippery Slides?

The preparation of teachers for rural schools has been a significant focus of research for many decades. In this paper we update previous reports of the extent of Initial Teacher Education courses that prepare teachers for rural schools in Australia. We found that despite significant and continued calls for rural teacher education, there are still very few rural-teaching units offered in teacher education courses, and there are no courses at all that seek this as an explicit outcome. As the Australian Professional Standards for Teaching claim the importance of teachers understanding students and their contexts, we argue that effective teacher education must not only focus on understanding rurality, and developing awareness of the affordances of place, but must also address the pedagogical requirements for present day rural teaching. We argue that the lack of teacher preparation for locational, geographic forms of social difference works to produce and sustain educational disadvantage when these intersect with economic and cultural difference. On this basis we call for government to address this major failing in the provision of education for Australian children through policy change to teaching standards.

Cross-Country Student Perceptions about Online Medical Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

(1) Introduction: Most educational institutions around the world have shifted from traditional face-to-face to online education amid COVID-19. This change may particularly impact medical students, whose education is heavily influenced by clinical learning experiences. Accordingly, we investigated medical students’ perceptions about positive and negative aspects of online medical education in Japan and overseas during the COVID-19 pandemic. (2) Methods: In-depth online interviews were conducted among 13 Japanese medical students and five medical students from Slovakia, Norway, and Hungary. Interviews were conducted from 23rd September to 3rd October 2020 using the snowball sampling method. Questions were focused on five main areas: Q1 the type of online education; Q2 advantages and disadvantages of online education; Q3 any changes in the relationship with teachers, friends, and family; Q4 any opinions about further improvements in online education; and Q5 any needs for affiliation with a particular university. Then thematic analysis was conducted. (3) Results: The results of the thematic analysis revealed the following four themes that represent the positive and negative aspects of online medical education; Theme 1: Timesaving and Flexibility; Theme 2: Technical problems and lack of digital skills; Theme 3: Unstandardized teaching skills; Theme 4: Lack of experience beyond medical school lectures. (4) Conclusions: While online education was found useful in terms of saving time and creating a flexible learning environment, many important drawbacks were noted such as internet and computer problems and unstandardized teaching skills, and lack of quality assurance. In addition, experiences outside the classroom such as making relationships with faculty and friends, conducting research and participating in extracurricular activities were missed, which they normally enjoy in college life.

Peculiarities of using distance learning at universities of Ukraine during the Pandemic period

The main features, types, pedagogical methods and technologies of distant learning in the process of foreign language training of technical students and peculiarities of their adaptation to studying online at the pandemic conditions are considered. The article deals with the problems and methods of organizing distance learning at the universities of Ukraine during the quarantine period 2020. Recommendations on the organization of training, advice to teachers working with students at the university for the most effective implementation of this process are given. The features and conditions of professional activity of teachers of higher educational institutions are considered. The advantages and disadvantages of distance and traditional education are defined.

Formation of professional competencies of a future foreign language teacher in the field of distance education

The aim of this study is to evaluate the opinions of teacher candidates and teachers related to foreign language teaching through distance education and to make forward-looking recommendations in line with these views. The study group consists of 30 teacher candidates who studied foreign language teaching at various universities in Kazakhstan during the 2020–2021 academic year and 35 English teachers who teach English in secondary schools in Almaty. The study was carried out within the scope of qualitative research and research data were collected with two semi-structured interview forms created by the researcher. The data obtained from the research are categorised by content analysis. As a result of the study, teacher candidates found distance education more inefficient in education than formal education and inadequate to provide distance education. Teachers, on the other hand, saw distance education as advantageous in terms of saving time and space, disadvantaged by student motivation, teacher inexperience and technical glitches. As a result of the research, it has emerged that urgent solutions are needed to eliminate the need to provide a separate education on distance education to teacher candidates and teachers, student motivation and technical problems.&#x0D; Keywords: distance education, advantages of distance education, disadvantages of distance education, foreign language teacher candidates, foreign language teachers, teacher opinions

It's not late entry: human capital, welfare states and the pension penalty experienced by post-war migrants who retired in the European Economic Area

AbstractSince the 2000s, migration within and into the European Economic Area (EEA) has increased significantly. Some migrants will retire in their destination countries. This makes questions about their retirement protection increasingly relevant for social policy. To address this, we examine past experience. Using the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), we compared the pensions of post-1945 migrants, who settled in their host country, with non-migrants. We considered migrants who moved into and within the EEA, from poorer and richer countries. Where pensions were lower we sought to explain this in relation to the migration literature. As expected, we found some evidence that migrants’ pensions were lower, although significant variations were observed between EEA migrants and non-EEA migrants. However, surprisingly there were few indications that migrant pensions were lower because migrants as a whole were disadvantaged through late labour market entry or employment discrimination. Instead educational disadvantage mattered most, particularly for the highly educated: all highly educated migrants received lower rewards for their human capital than comparable non-migrants. Migrants who settled in countries with less-protective pension systems were also disadvantaged. Making retirement outcomes for migrants more equal would, thus, mean improving career opportunities for highly educated migrants and steps towards more-inclusive pension systems everywhere.

Teacher Training for Online Education in Oman: A Case Study at Two English Language Teaching Institutions

This study is a joint research project carried out in two different academic institutions in Oman during the Covid-19 pandemic. The research aims to identify the perceptions of teaching faculty and administrators on the advantages and disadvantages of online education. It also explores how the training process for online teaching occurs and what support is provided afterwards. Qualitative methodology was adopted and data were collected through semi-structured interviews from a representative sample of teaching faculty and administrators from both institutions. Interview data were thematically analyzed using NVivo qualitative analysis software. Findings suggest that participants perceive more disadvantages of online education than the advantages demonstrating a rather negative perception. The training was decided mainly by administrators and focused on essential technical skills. Participants expressed a need for effective online pedagogical training. Short, practical sessions suitable for teachers at different skill and experience levels were suggested by the participants as well as informal peer support groups for continuous professional development after the training. There was some indication of administrative support in mainly infrastructure areas, which can be improved by employing specialist online education support staff. Further, peer support through formal committees or informally through colleagues was found to be accessible and practical. Findings from this study and the literature review can be used in other international contexts for effective provision of online education.

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.