Half Of Teachers Research Articles

INFLUENCE OF TEACHERS’ PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF LEARNERS WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENT (VI) IN INTEGRATED PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN NAIROBI COUNTY, KENYA

The purpose of this study was to influence teachers’ professional qualifications on the academic performance of learners with visual impairment (VI) in integrated public primary schools in Nairobi County, Kenya. The research assumed an expressive survey design exploiting quantitative techniques. The targeted audience was 206 respondents, whereas the sample population would be 68 respondents comprising four head teachers, 31 teachers and 33 learners with VI. The research was conducted in integrated community primary schools in Nairobi municipality. Purposive sampling was employed to select 31 teachers from the four integrated public primary schools. For the learners with VI, convenience sampling was used to select 33 out of 98 available learners across the four schools. All 4 head teachers from the selected schools were included in the study using purposive sampling. Piloting allowed the researcher to test the clarity, relevance, and comprehensiveness of the questions and items included in the questionnaires and observation checklists. The research employed both qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques. Quantitative data was analyzed and coded using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS V 23.0). The findings showed that at least half of teachers had received training on special education; only about a third lacked formal training and had no training on special education. Most of them, followed by teachers with bachelor's degrees, Diploma education had certificate P1, master's degree, and diploma PGDE, while only a tiny fraction had PhD qualifications. The study concluded that professional qualification significantly influenced the academic performance of learners with VI, braille proficiency of teachers significantly influences the academic performance of learners with VI, and ICT integration has improved the quality of assessment in school, thus advancing the academic performance of learners with VI. The study recommended that the government needs to put down measures to ensure adequate assessment instruments for the learner and offer the necessary training to teachers on adequately using the instruments. Policymakers and education stakeholders should formulate policies ensuring that most teachers receive special education when dealing with learners with VI and other disabilities.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0736/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Teachers' Perceptions of the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Their Implementation of an Evidence-based HIV Prevention Program in the Bahamas.

Information on how school-based programs is implemented and sustained during crises is limited. In this study, we assessed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the implementation of a HIV prevention intervention in The Bahamas. Data were collected from 139 Grade 6 teachers in 2021-2022. Teachers attended virtual training and received implementation monitoring from coordinators. On average, teachers taught 26.4 (SD = 9.2) of the 35 core activities, and 7.4 (SD = 2.4) out of 9 sessions. More than half (58.3%) of teachers completed 28 or more core activities; 69.1% covered eight or all nine sessions, which is equivalent to 80% of the HIV intervention curriculum. Almost half of the teachers (43%) reported that the pandemic negatively impacted their ability to teach the program; 72% of teachers maintained that the program remained "very important" during times of crisis. Greater self-efficacy and supports increased implementation fidelity.

Implementing different teaching methods in geography during the remote learning period in 2020

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the teachers were required to adjust their previous teaching methods, test both their pedagogical skills and their digital competence, as well as the digital competence of the students. The purpose of the research was to map out teaching methods by geography teachers in Estonia, the efficiency levels of those methods, while also receiving feedback about the teaching process as it applied to remote learning. Mixed methods research was conducted amongst 76 geography teachers, data collection method was a questionnaire. The results revealed: if the most efficient methods of learning were forms of discussion which called for active communication between the students themselves, as well as between students and teachers, then the least efficient method was teacher-centered lecture. Forms of discussion were used by teachers most often in synchronized video lessons, but they requested suitable short educational videos and a uniform repository of teaching materials. Half of teachers didn`t use map-related work, minority used work with maps in the e-testing environments or into worksheets. More than half of teachers adjusted the assessment system without making any compromises in terms of learning outcomes. Half of the teachers were so far satisfied with the teaching process and with their contact with the students, half of the teachers believed that their students failed to achieve the planned learning outcomes.

Irish teacher practice of differentiation for gifted students

In this study, we aimed to analyze Irish educators' differentiation practices and their relationship to teachers' sense of efficacy. We examined teachers' ( N = 470) reports of their curriculum modification practices and their provision of challenge or choice. When their students had mastered the required class work, more than half of teachers were willing to substitute assignments on a weekly or daily basis for both their average and gifted students. However, the frequency of differentiation was not high in practices that eliminate mastered curricular material or allow students to work at their own pace, which would allow gifted students to work at their ability level. More than 40% of teachers reported practicing these forms of differentiated instruction once a month or less frequently. Fifteen percent of teachers reported never engaging in these effective differentiation practices. Differentiation practice was positively correlated with teachers’ sense of efficacy, particularly for instructional strategies.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TEACHERS’ KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICES TOWARDS LEARNING DISABILITIES OF THE STUDENTS

The research was conducted with the aim of understanding the relationship between teachers’ knowledge, attitude, and practice towards learning disabilities of the students. For this study, 133 primary school teachers were chosen at random in 2022. The information on primary school teachers’ Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices (KAP) was collected by a KAP scale developed by the researcher. The scale wasvalidated and verified for reliability using Cronbach’s Alpha. The reliability score of the constructed KAP scale was 0.829, 0.854, and 0.700 correspondingly suggesting good reliability. Results showed that more than half of teachers (69.2%) had a moderate degree of knowledge and 54.9% were found to have a neutral attitude towards learning disability of the students. In terms of practices, a good level of practicesamong nealry three-fourth(72.9%) of the teachers was noted. A significant association was recorded between the knowledge and attitude of primary school teachers towards learning disabilitiesof the students. However, the results did not record practices being significantly interrelated to the knowledge and attitude towards learning disabilities of the students among primary school teachers, implying that knowledge or attitude might not influence practices as the practices remains self-regulated.

Assessment of Primary School Teachers' Knowledge and Attitude toward Conduct Disorders

Background: DSM-5-TR defines conduct disorder as groups of repetitive and persistent behaviors, including aggression to people or animals, destruction of property, deceitfulness or theft, and serious violation of rules in children and adolescents aged under 18 years. Objectives: To assess of primary school teachers' knowledge and attitude toward Conduct Disorders. Methodology: Descriptive study was carried throughout the period (1st December 2022 to 10th June 2023) to assess primary school teachers' knowledge’s and attitudes toward conduct disorders among children in Al-Najaf Al-Ashraf city. A (70) primary school teachers were selected by a non-probability (purposive) sample from candidate school were included in the present study, The Study Instrument consists of three parts, the first part contains demographic information. The second part contains six domains to measure teachers' knowledge toward conduct disorders, and the last part consists of fifteen questions to find out teachers' attitudes toward conduct disorders. Results: the result indicate that 71.4 % of study sample with poor knowledge toward conduct disorders, while 55.7% of sample with unfavorable attitude. Conclusion: The results of the current study indicate that two third of teachers' with poor level of knowledge and half of teachers with unfavorable attitude toward conduct disorders. Recommendations: The authors recommended collaborating between the Ministry of Education and mental health organizations to establish partnerships between schools and mental health professionals or organizations specializing in conduct disorders. This collaboration can provide additional support and resources to teachers and help create a more comprehensive approach to addressing conduct disorders in educational settings.

EDUCATIONAL DIALOGUE AS A METHOD OF FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT OF SCHOOL STUDENTS’ LEARNING OUTCOMES

The article discusses the use of educational dialogue for the organization of formative assessment and assessment discussions. We are talking about educational dialogue as a teaching method, a kind of interpersonal communication in which experience, relevant knowledge and skills are exchanged. The role of educational dialogue in the organization of formative assessment is to create an educational environment in which students develop the ability to reason and solve problems. The research conducted among teachers and students gives reason to conclude that educational dialogue is used in domestic school practice, but it is not widely used for evaluating learning results. Only a third of the interviewed biology teachers admitted that they use dialogues to evaluate the results of educational activities. Half of the teachers who took part in the study believe that they have enough knowledge and practice to organize the assessment. Educational dialogues involve students' ability to ask questions. This skill demonstrates the student's level of awareness of the educational material and is related to the search and processing of information. However, only a third of teachers agreed that they assess students' ability to formulate questions. Half of the biology teachers believe that in their pedagogical practice there is no assessment of students' ability to ask questions. Most students are also convinced that such practice does not exist at school. The results of the survey indicate a difference in the views of teachers and students on assessment during educational dialogues.

Chinese Preschool Teachers’ Use of Concept Development Strategies in Whole-Group Math Lessons and its Effectiveness

ABSTRACT Research Findings: This study investigated teachers’ Concept development (CD) strategy use in whole-group math teaching and its associations with children’s higher-order thinking processes in 25 Chinese preschool math lessons. We utilized the CD dimension within the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) to guide our exploration. CD identifies 12 specific cognitive strategies, grouped into four organizing indicators, and include analysis and reasoning, creating, integration, and connections to the real world. Results showed: (1) Chinese teachers rarely used strategies such as connecting concepts, integrating with previous knowledge, and real-world applications; (2) Over half of teachers’ CD strategies failed to facilitate children’s higher-order thinking. When teachers used clarification/comparison and brainstorming strategies, however, was positively associated with children’s displaying high-level cognitive processes. Practice or Policy: Findings shed light on the need to promote effective CD strategies during math instruction for preschoolers and have implications for teachers’ professional development.

Teachers’ Perception About Islamic Values Integration Into Mathematics Learning Through Comics

Aceh is one of 34 provinces in Indonesia that has a local education goal, that is, the education is implemented based on Islamic values. The integration of Islamic values into mathematics learning can be implemented by using learning media. This research is an early phase of developmental research. The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers’ perceptions of the integration of Islamic values ​​into mathematics learning through comics. The participants were 40 junior high school mathematics teachers in Banda Aceh who join the PMRI workshop. Data were collected through an open-ended questionnaire consisting of 11 questions and then analyzed descriptively. The results showed that teachers (87.5%) believed that Islamic values and mathematics ​​are integrated; moreover, mathematics teachers and religion teachers play a major role in teaching Islamic values. The majority of teachers (95%) believed that the knowledge of Islamic values influences the way they teach. However, more than half of teachers (62.5%) had never attended a workshop or seminar, or read articles that discuss the integration of Islamic values ​​into mathematics learning through comics. The result of the study also showed that the mathematics comics in Islamic values were limited. Therefore, it is necessary to develop mathematics comics in Islamic values contexts.

TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF INSTRUCTIONAL GUIDANCE IN ONLINE MATHEMATICS TEACHING

The purpose of the research was to examine teachers’ perceptions of the re- quirements and benefits of using indirect versus direct instruction in online mathematics teach- ing and its relation with socio-educational variables. Also, it is examined whether, compared to other subjects, teachers more often apply a certain type of instruction in mathematics classes, and what teaching materials and tools for communication they use when applying direct and indirect instruction in online mathematics teaching. The results showed that teachers perceive the benefits and requirements of indirect instruction compared to direct instruction, and this perception is a slightly determined by levels of their education and work experience. About half of teachers, use direct instruction more often in online mathematics classes, compared to the other subjects. They use a wide range of teaching materials and tools for communication. The results have implications for the further professional development of teachers in the domain of using direct and indirect instructions in mathematics teaching.

Teachers’ Agency in Shaping the Educational Success of Schoolchildren: Roles and Beliefs

All over the world, educational and, particularly, curriculum reforms face different issues, including communication with teachers. To implement reforms successfully, politicians should consider the teacher agency since teachers deliver all the innovations to schools. Agency is an autonomous activity to change routine practices. The high level of agency is related to teacher’s belief in the possibility to influence the results of the work. This study focuses on the teachers’ perceptions about the role of school, family and students themselves in academic success. A mixed methods strategy was used to analyze the results of a Russian national survey of over 4,000 teachers and 12 focus groups. Results showed that over half of teachers believed that their work and other school factors do not affect the students’ academic success. The most crucial factors of success, according to teachers, were students’ diligence and motivation, as well as family contribution. Many teachers believed that the academic success factors are beyond their control, the school is just an instrument to unleash the students’ potential. Thus, many teachers had attitudes that do not encourage a high level of agency that define teacher practices transformation during curriculum reforms implementation.

Teaching during a pandemic: do university teachers prefer online teaching?

Universities worldwide have been conducting e-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic to continue education irrespective of faculties are familiar with e-education or not. This study assessed perception and preference for e-teaching amongst 438 faculty members. Results revealed that around half of teachers were conducting e-classes without any training, and they also had conducted examinations using online platforms. Teachers perceived e-teaching as effective during the pandemic, time-efficient, easy to share materials, unsuitable for monitoring or conducting practical classes and less effective for evaluation. More than three-fourths of the teachers preferred online teaching during the pandemic, and most preferred both physical and mixed teaching in the post-pandemic era. Their preferences were influenced by their age, teaching experience, academic discipline, current residency, training on online teaching, hours of online classes taught per week, internet connection used, types of classes and whether they had given online examinations. The major challenges in online teaching during COVID-19 were difficulty in practical work, difficulty in monitoring students and insufficient feedback. This study suggests online teaching during the pandemic and mixed teaching after the pandemic. Training faculty members on online teaching, designing e-platforms suitable for examinations and ensuring stable internet connections are also recommended for effective and smooth e-education.

Investigating Pronunciation Material Tasks and Method of Teaching in Sunrise Series 7-9

This study is an attempt to investigate pronunciation material and tasks and/or activities along with teaching methods in Sunrise 7-9 series adopted by the ministry of education in KRG to be taught in basic schools all over Kurdistan region of Iraq. The rationale of the study is the obvious deficiency of basic school students’ performance, more specifically of student's pronunciation and speaking skill. Pronunciation is regarded as one of the basic components in learning English, hence conducting this study is deemed necessary. This paper focuses on investigating pronunciation material, tasks/exercises and teaching methods used from the teachers' and researchers' perspectives. To this end, a questionnaire was administered to 51 English teachers who have taught these books for at least three years in Basic Schools in Erbil city and an observation checklist was designed to observe 30 lesson periods of teachers. The data are analyzed through SPSS program to find out the frequencies, percentages, mean and standard deviation. The results reveal that most of the teachers are (not quite) satisfied with the pronunciation material, more than half of teachers are not satisfied with the tasks and exercises due to time and lack of equipment, almost none of the teachers use effective and suitable teaching methods and the sound files found within the teachers' book of the series. Based on the results, some new pronunciation material, new tasks, exercises, teaching strategies and also some recommendations are presented.

Investigating instructional influence in teachers' social networks

PurposeThis study investigates the reasons teachers seek instructional assistance from their colleagues. By examining both the reasons why teachers seek assistance and considering which reasons for seeking assistance predict shifts in teaching practice, this analysis provides new insights into how schools can leverage teachers' social networks for organizational change.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on interview and survey data from a sample of 52 schools across seven districts in the United States, we first qualitatively explore the reasons teachers seek instructional assistance, based on patterns in teachers' self-reported descriptions of their instructional advice-seeking. Then, we apply hierarchical linear models to predict which individual characteristics and organizational features influence the reasons' teachers seek assistance and which reasons for seeking assistance influence their subsequent shifts in teaching practice.FindingsTeachers' positions in their social networks, their experience levels and their organizational contexts predict the reasons for which they seek instructional assistance. In addition, teachers seeking advice based on perceptions of their peers' experience or resource access predicts positive shifts in teaching practice; however, fewer than half of teachers' instructional-advice seeking ties reported in our sample were motivated by either of these two reasons.Practical implicationsThe findings highlight the potential for school leaders and policymakers to improve teaching practice by making educators' experience and resources more accessible within schools and creating structures that enable collaboration.Originality/valueThis paper addresses a gap in social network literature by moving beyond a structuralist analysis of teachers' collegial networks to investigate teachers' motivations for pursuing advice-seeking ties.

Распространенность факторов риска нарушения здоровья и эмоционального благополучия учителей в условиях дистанционного обучения

Distance learning (DL) changed the work-rest balance of teachers, increased risks of deterioration of their health and emotional burnout (EB). This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of risk factors affecting health and emotional state of teachers engaged in DL, as well as subjective assessment of the significance of these factors by teachers. We have surveyed teachers during traditional, in-person learning (TL) period (n = 224) and DL (n = 619), and took anthropometric measurements of 45 teachers during TL and 72 teachers when DL ended. EB was studied in 72 teachers with the help of V.V. Boyko questionnaire. Statistical processing was enabled by the Statistica 13 PL package, Student's t-test, χ2 test; to identify the relationship between indicators, we relied on regression analysis, effect occurrence probability calculation. Less than half of teachers are aware of the health risk factors (low level of physical activity — 36.1%, poor nutrition — 29.2%, lack of knowledge on disease prevention — 6.9%). After DL ended, only 30% of teachers considered themselves healthy; 13.1% reported lack of EB symptoms. An increase in the average body mass index value was established. Teachers underestimating EB and health risk factors were 2.3 times more likely to grow obese (OR = 0.40; 95% CI = 0.22–0.70). The study highlights high hygienic value of physical activity as a controllable health risk factor. Raising teachers' awareness of health preservation practices will help prevent deterioration of their health, development of EB and increase the efficiency of their professional activity.

The Challenge of Educating Purposeful Teachers in Finland

This article discusses the challenges of educating teachers in Finland. As a goal in teacher education for the 21st century we propose the purposeful teacher, referring to a teacher who has a long-term moral commitment to serve students, the school community and society. Our data collected from student (N = 912) and practising (N = 77) teachers yielded information on the purposes they identified as important in their lives. The survey included quantitative instruments and open- ended questions. The teachers identified happiness, relationships, work and self-actualisation as the most important contents of their aspirations. All the content categories could be understood as potential purposes in that the benefit extended beyond the teachers themselves. However, almost half of the student teachers (46%) and over half of teachers (55%) revealed only self-orientation. Less than half of them (43%, 36%, respectively) showed a beyond-the-self orientation, which is indicative of a purposeful teacher. Among the practising teachers, teaching appeared to be mainly a mediating factor in realising their purposes or aspirations. These results have implications related to contemporary teacher education in Finland. Both pre- and in-service teachers need to know about purposeful teaching in order to find meaning in their work.

Effect of physical activity on mental wellbeing among teachers of secondary school in Almadina city, Saudi Arabia.

Background:Physical activity has many beneficial effects on mental health. Benefit of physical activity appears proportional to the amount of activity rather than the intensity of physical activity.Objectives:The aim of this study was to assess the effect of physical activity on mental wellbeing of teachers of secondary school in Almadina city- 2019.Subjects and Methods:A descriptive cross sectional study was applied among a representative multi-stage random sample of secondary school teachers in Almadina. Two validated questionnaires, in addition to personal data were utilized to collect data; Short-form International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) version 2.0 to evaluate physical activity and the Warwick-Edinburg Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) to assess mental wellbeing both in Arabic language.Results:The study included 230 teachers. Their age ranged between 27 and 59 years with a mean ± (SD) of 39.4 (±7.6) years. Almost half of them were males (50.4%). Most of the teachers were either overweight (30%) or obese (40.9%). Almost half of teachers (48.3%) reported moderate level of physical activity whereas only 9.1% reported high level. Low level of physical activity was mentioned by 42.6% of the respondents. There was no significant difference between male and female teachers regarding physical activity level. The association between level of physical activity and body mass index was statistically significant, P < 0.001. Majority of the teachers expressed high mental wellbeing level while only 3.5% of them had low level of mental wellbeing. High level of mental well-being was observed among 95.6% of females compared to 85.3% of males, P = 0.008. There was a statistically significant positive association between levels of physical activity and mental well-being among teachers (P = 0.002).Conclusion:Level of practicing physical activities among secondary school teachers in Almadina is suboptimal, with no gender difference. Majority of the teachers have high mental well-being, particularly females. There is a positive association between levels of physical activity and mental wellbeing among teachers.

Regular Primary School Teachers’ Attitudes towards Inclusion of Pupils with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Bangladesh

The purpose of the study was to investigate the attitudes of teachers towards inclusion of pupils with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in regular classrooms and also aiming to examine the relationship between teacher-related factors and teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion of pupils with ASD in regular classrooms. Three hundred regular primary teachers were selected as participants by using random sampling. A demographic questionnaire and TATIS (Teacher Attitudes toward Inclusion Scale) developed by Cullen et.al.(2010) were used for measuring teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion of pupils with ASD in regular classrooms. The descriptive and inferential statistics were used for analyzing data. The findings indicated that teachers’ attitudes toward inclusion of pupils with ASD in regular classrooms were slightly positive. One interesting finding was that half of teachers are willing to make classroom modifications and to follow inclusion model to meet the individual needs of students with ASD. However, the majority of the teachers are still in favor of the option of maintaining special classrooms for students with ASD. The result also indicated that the statistically significant correlation was highlighted between teachers’ attitudes and the following teacher-related factors: gender, age, educational qualification, teaching experience, being personally acquainted with a person with ASD, adequate training and formal training on ASD. The regression analysis suggested that about 21% of the variance on attitudes due to the variables like gender, age, educational qualification, adequate training and formal training on ASD. These variables contributed significantly to the prediction of teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion of pupils with ASD.

The Understanding Of Science Teachers At SMP In Implementing SDG's Value Into Science Curriculum

Science curriculum at SMP (Sekolah Menengah Pertama) is an integration of Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Astronomy, and Earth Science. (SDG’s) sustainable development goals which has been created by UN (United Nations) should be infused into school curriculum. There are five points of SDG’s i.e ; (1) Clean water and sanitation, (2) Clean energy, (3) Climate change, (4) Life under water, and (5) Life on land, will be implemented into science curriculum. Method of this research is quantitative descriptive. Sample has been taken by puposive sampling technique. Preliminary data has been taken from 23 science teachers. After that, about 60 science teachers in SMP at Bandung contributed in this research survey. From preliminary data, half of teachers have never been implemented SDG’s value into learning process. Researcher found that more than 90% teachers agree if SD competences will be infused to learning process. This research can be a reference for education stakesholder, escpecially teacher and curriculum developer in connecting values of SD with science competences. Perception and understanding of teacher must be different each other. Because of that reason, the understanding of science teacher about SD values need to surveyed in order to develop science content curriculum.

Avaliação da saúde dos professores portugueses: O Questionário de Saúde Docente

Nas últimas décadas temos assistido a uma crescente deterioração da saúde docente, que afeta os professores e a escola enquanto organização. Este estudo pretendeu avaliar a saúde dos professores portugueses através do Questionário de Saúde Docente, numa amostra de 5009 professores. Os resultados das análises fatoriais suportam uma estrutura penta-fatorial (bem-estar profissional, esgotamento, distúrbios cognitivos, distúrbios musculosqueléticos, alterações da voz), com bons indicadores de qualidade do modelo com cinco fatores correlacionados (modelo 2). Os resultados indicaram que mais da metade dos professores apresenta problemas de saúde. Os do ensino público, 1.º ciclo, género feminino, com mais de 50 anos e 21 ou mais anos de serviço, são os que apresentam menor bem-estar e maior perda de saúde. A análise de clusters forneceu uma solução de três grupos: saúde alta, média e baixa. São discutidos os resultados e suas implicações individuais e organizacionais, bem como são fornecidas diretrizes para investigações futuras.