High School Courses Research Articles

From social origin to selective high school courses: Ability grouping as a mechanism of securing social advantage in Israeli secondary education

This paper focuses on ability grouping in middle school as an important mechanism enabling students with privileged social backgrounds to increase their likelihood of enrollment in the most selective and prestigious high school programs, thus paving the way to higher academic degrees and more lucrative occupations. Using data from Israeli national standardized tests administered in primary and middle schools and matriculation data from the end of high school, we demonstrate the crucial role played by middle school ability grouping in transforming socioeconomic advantage into educational advantage. We thus contribute to a growing body of research that aims at enhancing our understanding of mechanisms of educational tracking in comprehensive systems that rely on complex and nuanced types of formal and informal within-school curricular differentiation.

Effectiveness of ｢Food Safety and Health｣Program as a Home Economics Elective Course in High School

Effectiveness of ｢Food Safety and Health｣Program as a Home Economics Elective Course in High School

일본 고등학교 역사교육 변혁과 주제학습 강화

This paper compared the 2009 edition and the 2018 edition of Japanese high school course of study, and analyzed the reinforcement of theme-based learning in Geography and History and the change in history education thereof. The results of analysis are as follows; First, instead of abolishing the four history subjects (World History A·B, Japanese History A·B) of the 2009 edition of the high school Geography and History, the required subject, Modern and Contemporary History, and optional subjects, Advanced Japanese History and Advanced World History, were newly established. These three subjects introduce the content composition and learning method with theme-based learning as the key element. Second, while the 2009 edition described the purpose of theme-based learning as cultivating historical thinking skills as before, the 2018 edition reflects the nature of the competence-based curriculum and presents the qualities and abilities (knowledge and skills, thinking skills, judgment, expressive power, etc.) to be fostered in history subjects. Third, from the perspective of content composition, the 2009 edition relates to theme-based learning on the premise of syntactic composition as before, but the 2018 version shows a switch to a new composition that relates the entire content centering on theme-based learning, instead of syntactic composition. Fourth, in the 2009 edition, the learning method was systematized to improve learning ability and learner''s subjectivity step by step, while considering the characteristics of each subject, which was passed on to the 2018 edition too. The biggest change in the 2018 edition was to develop a new type of learning activity, connecting content composition and learning methods focusing on theme-based learning. The major items of each subject were organized in the form of unit learning with theme-based learning as an important element. In addition, the 2018 edition connected major items so that students can develop independent learning activities step by step. Fifth, the prerequisites and tasks to settle theme-based learning in the schools are; ①improvement of history textbook composition system and description method, ②changeover from teacher’s fact-delivery class to course that promotes students'' independent learning and exploratory activities, ③providing various and abundant teaching materials, ④ implementation of teachers’ training to develop skills necessary for new types of class, etc.

Utilization of Philippine Aptitude Classification Test (PACT) Result in Career Awareness Program

This study determined the alignment of students’ Senior High School track and course preference in college with their aptitude and probable performance in educational programs. It is descriptive in nature. The respondents were the Junior High School students who took the Philippine Aptitude Classification Test (PACT) of School Year 2014–2015 and were enrolled Grade 12 at the Senior High School of Holy Name University for School Year 2017–2018. Frequency counting of the aptitude, probable performance in different educational programs, preferred school track and career choice were made. Results revealed that majority of the respondents were enrolled in the STEM track. More than half of the respondents got low aptitudes that fit to only one to three educational programs based on the nine (9) clusters of educational programs identified in the PACT and a significant number of respondents did not fit to any educational programs. Many of the college courses chosen by the respondents while they were still in Grade 9 are under services, engineering and manufacturing, and health and welfare clusters. More so, college course preferred by the respondents in STEM track are related to health and welfare followed by engineering and manufacturing cluster while those in ABM and HUMMS track preferred Social Science, Business and Law cluster. Career choices made by the respondents are not aligned with their aptitude which could be a source of future job-skills mismatch or misfit graduates. Career guidance is seen as an imperative for a successful future career choice and career awareness program is viewed as a possible intervention as early as Grade 7 to Grade 10.

Alleviate the contending issues in network operating system courses: Psychomotor and troubleshooting skill development with Raspberry Pi

Abstract Despite the growing popularity of network operating system courses in vocational high schools, issues have been raised regarding the lack of appropriate computer hardware specifications and the limited use of real networking devices. The media that have been used in teaching network operating systems have been based on virtualization-based simulation. However, such virtualization does not expose students to real hardware. This results in less than optimal hands-on activities and students’ psychomotor abilities. Consequently, alternative authentic media are needed to accommodate practical learning and improve psychomotor skills. The aim of this study is to explore the implementation of a single-board microcomputer in learning network operating systems. The Raspberry Pi was chosen as it can replace the role of a non-simulation PC. The choice of Raspberry Pi was also based on the fact that in Indonesia it is still rare to find its implementation for teaching and learning activities in vocational high school, so it is necessary to introduce the device to students. The operating system used by the Raspberry Pi is similar to Ubuntu, which is one of the network operating systems that must be mastered by vocational IT students. The research made a comparison between the two learning media as employed by two groups of students in different classes, one using virtualization-based simulation and the other using the Raspberry Pi. Based on the results, it is concluded that the use of the Raspberry Pi is more effective than that of virtualization-based simulation in improving students’ psychomotor and troubleshooting skills.

Sustainable Education Using Augmented Reality in Vocational Certification Courses

In the field of vocational education, no studies have examined the use of augmented reality (AR) learning technologies in the teaching of cosmetology. However, this study proposed the “Makeup AR” learning approach and conducted a quasi-experiment to examine the interaction effect between said approach and students with active and reflective learning styles. The research participants were 70 students from a vocational senior high school. The experimental group comprised 36 participants who were taught using Makeup AR, and the control group comprised 34 participants who were taught using an e-book. The results revealed that the use of Makeup AR improved students’ learning effectiveness. The proposed approach also effectively enhanced students’ self-efficacy and reduced their cognitive load. The students with a reflective learning style had a higher cognitive load than those with an active learning style when using the e-book learning approach. No difference in learning motivation was noted between the experimental and control groups. Overall, Makeup AR is suitable for makeup design certification courses in vocational senior high schools and can enhance learning effectiveness, improve students’ self-efficacy, and reduce cognitive load. This study suggests that the implementation of AR technology in certification courses can be beneficial to learning outcomes.

Information Literacy in Nova Scotia: Systematic Mapping of High School Learning Outcomes

Information literacy has never been more important for the functioning of the democratic process, and for autonomy over one’s decisions. The Association for College and Research Libraries (ACRL) created a framework for information literacy, which lists six threshold concepts that an information literate individual possesses. This paper seeks to identify information literacy embedded in the Nova Scotia high school curriculum learning outcomes. Information literacy threshold concepts were mapped in the learning outcomes using qualitative coding. Findings from this study will reveal strengths and weaknesses in IL competencies in the Nova Scotia high school courses. This study also provides recommendation for future research.

The Treatment Effect of Business Education on the Supply of High School Entrepreneurs in Atlanta and New Orleans

Strengthening the pathway to entrepreneurship for high school students could be important in regions of the United States where economic mobility is low. We examine the impact of high school business education on the decision to be a self-employed entrepreneur in two southeastern urban U.S. high schools. We appeal to a potential-outcomes framework to estimate the treatment effect of having taken a business and coding/programming course in high school on actually being a self-employed entrepreneur, and planning to do so in the future. We find evidence that having taken a business course in high school increases the likelihood of actually being a self-employed entrepreneur, and on planning to be one in the future. Our results suggest that, at least in Atlanta and New Orleans, urban high school business education can be effective in increasing the supply of entrepreneurs, which could improve economic mobility in these urban regions. JEL Classification: C14, C21, E10, I26, J01, J20, J40, M13

Introducing Climate Change into the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Curriculum

As scientists and educators, we have a professional responsibility to discuss major contemporary scientific issues such as climate change, and its profound consequences for humanity with our students. They will be significantly affected by climate change, and they look to us for such knowledge and leadership. We propose that biochemistry and molecular biology educators routinely incorporate climate change into their classes and labs by using complementary examples from the climate change literature that support the traditional curriculum and classroom. Examples will be presented in the following areas: carbon cycle, CO2 chemistry, metabolic rates and fluxes, soil metabolism, isotopic analyses, data/models, uncertainty/bias, C3/C4 photosynthesis, carbon fixation, and finally phytoplankton ecophysiology. In addition, a case study on climate change effects on natural product synthesis as well as assessments dealing with temperature effects on biochemical reactions and pathways will be presented. Finally, integrating climate change curriculum into high school courses along with undergraduate and graduate research will be discussed with examples from the Climate Change Research Initiative (CCRI) program offered through NASA.

A sequence of experiments and models to grasp the strange nature of light

We present a sequence of activities designed to stimulate students to reflect on the nature of light and on the different models (ray, wave, classical and quantum particles) used in teaching and learning optics. These activities are also aimed to help students in evaluating the profound meaning of the “correspondence principle” and develop their own views about some aspects of nature of science even if it is not taught explicitly. In fact, optics is a paradigmatic case where different scientific models are proposed in the University (and high school) courses. Even the oldest of these models have non empty domains of validity and both Maxwellian electromagnetism and geometrical optics are largely still used in the Physics curricula. As a consequence students are often puzzled, and think that each of these theories works in a specific domain, without any connection one with the other. Thus we investigate students’ mental models of light in different contexts and we show how they develop hybrid models in explaining different phenomena or use models inconsistently.

Rural B-Learning Contexts to Support the Physics Area – An Academic Performance Analysis

In this work, the academic performance of a tenth-grade physics course of high school is analyzed over three consecutive years, a b-learning educational context is configured in a rural area based on a framework that integrates Open Educational Resources (OER) to a Learning Management System (LMS). The performance of students who used b-learning is compared to other groups that received the same classes in a traditional way.

The Effect of Internet Addiction in Students on Quality of School Life

Aim: Internet addiction in children is a mental disorder that negatively affects the quality of life. In this day and age, internet usage, and school life, which takes a significant amount of time for students, are specified as engaged concepts that affect each other. Therefore, this study has been addressed to investigate the effects of internet addiction on primary, middle, and high school students on school life quality. 
 Material and Method: This research was conducted as a questionnaire study by Dr. Sami Ulus Training and Research Hospital Pediatric Neurology in the 2018-2019 academic year for Primary School, Middle, and High School students. The questionnaire consisted of sociodemographic information, Internet Addiction Scale (IAS), and Quality of School Life Scale (QSLS). 
 Results: Seven hundred eighty-eight students were included in the study. Mean age was 12.94 ± 2.79 years (range 8 - 17). Internet addiction scores were 57.67 ± 20.63, and 106 (13.80%) children had internet addiction. The Quality of School Life Scale total scores were found as 112.65 ± 18.42. It was observed that school success and school life quality decreased as the internet addiction score increased. It was observed that the students' education and puzzle games compared to other websites caused lower IAS scores. The most significant differences were observed among high school students. While it was observed that IAS scores, internet addiction, family negative relationships, and exposure to violence rates were highest in high school students, QSLS scores, and course success were found below.
 Conclusion: There is a need to develop programs that would minimize the excessive and useless internet use of students and improve the environmental factors that regulate their relationships in the family, school, and other settings.

Caminhos para elaboração do currículo de Física no Ensino Médio Integrado: uma proposição a partir da realidade do curso técnico em Edificações do Instituto Federal da Bahia

Este artigo apresenta uma discussão sobre o ensino de Física nos espaços de educação profissional tecnológica e tem como objetivo apontar caminhos para elaboração do currículo de Física em cursos de Ensino Médio Integrado (EMI) a partir da concepção de escola unitária e educação politécnica. A pesquisa é de natureza qualitativa e se desenvolve com base no entendimento de como é desenvolvido o ensino de Física no curso Técnico Integrado em Edificações no Instituto Federal da Bahia, partindo da análise dos Projetos Pedagógicos de Curso (PPC) nos campi de Barreiras, Eunápolis, Feira de Santana, Ilhéus e Salvador, e de dados decorrentes da aplicação de um questionário para docentes de vínculo permanente que exerceram suas atividades no EMI em algum desses campi entre os anos de 2017 e 2019. O que está apresentado no PPC, junto ao que os docentes pensam para a Física no EMI, à luz dos nossos referenciais teóricos, conduziu a definição de parâmetros a serem utilizados para a elaboração do currículo de Física. Nossa proposição se baseia em: repensar os conteúdos da Física, a partir de currículos menos engessados, mantido a mesma ou maior capacidade de formação; incentivar o trabalho interdisciplinar como forma de proporcionar a integração curricular; e fomentar o diálogo entre os professores integrantes dos diferentes núcleos de formação. Este trabalho contribui para uma discussão ainda escassa no âmbito do ensino de Física, ao trazer um debate denso e ampliado sobre esta disciplina no EMI, rompendo a linha de apenas apontar experiências de abordagens e metodologias de ensino nas quais a educação profissional figura apenas enquanto cenário. No âmbito político, atua na defesa do EMI na Rede Federal, como uma das ações de maior êxito quando se pensa em educação pública no Brasil.

La regulación de los obstáculos epistemológicos en el aprendizaje de la evolución

Los obstáculos epistemológicos son modos de razonar que influyen en el aprendizaje de las ciencias. El trabajo didáctico sobre ellos implica el desarrollo de una vigilancia metacognitiva de manera de prestarles atención cada vez que se construye o se utiliza un modelo científico. En este trabajo caracterizaremos los modos de regulación de los obstáculos que surgieron durante el desarrollo de una secuencia didáctica para enseñar evolución en tres cursos de nivel medio. En particular propondremos ejemplos de la regulación de la teleología, uno de los obstáculos más importantes para la enseñanza de la biología. A partir de la construcción de categorías en base a la teoría fundamentada distinguimos tres modos de regular: un señalamiento del obstáculo en explicaciones de los estudiantes, una regulación de tipo individual compleja y una regulación de tipo social compleja.

Development of instructional materials based on mobile learning media (MLM) and its benefits

This study aims to develop a learning model based on Mobile Learning Media (MLM), test its effectiveness, and describe its benefits. MLM was developed for Computer Numerical Control (CNC) programming courses in vocational high schools. The effectiveness is tested by indicators of students’ higher-order thinking skills (HOTS). Advantages are explored based on their performance in learning. Recently, CNC programming lesson is known as a difficult subject because it requires critical and creative thinking skills. The research design was experimental with a pretest-posttest random control group pattern. Research respondents totaled 120 students with 60 students in the experimental class and 60 students in the control class. The research data includes data on the effectiveness of the model and student learning outcomes. Analysis of research data used descriptive statistical techniques and independent sample T-test with the help of SPSS 2.0 software. The results showed that the use of MLM was effective to improve teacher performance in teaching. MLM can facilitate students to develop HOTS. This is proved by the increase in student learning outcomes after the application of MLM. Based on the analysis of answers accompanied by reasons, students are able to show significant improvement in all critical and creative thinking processes.

Misconceptions Arising From the Infinite Solenoid Magnetic Field Formula

Many high school and first-year university courses include discussion of the magnetic effect of currents. Frequently discussed textbook examples include long, straight wires, circular current loops, and solenoids, partly because these examples are tractable mathematically. The solenoid naturally leads to discussion on magnetic materials since it is readily demonstrated that a paramagnetic core significantly boosts the strength of an electromagnet. However, magnetic effects of solid and even liquid materials are subtle and confusing and the mathematics is not straightforward. This leads to confusion amongst students (and their teachers), which, when taken to more advanced study, leads to significant misconceptions about the nature of magnetic properties and fields. These misconceptions can become problematic when practical (rather than stereotyped) magnetic design and analysis is required such as for transformers, magnetic recording materials, geomagnetic sensors, or biological stimulators to name a few. In this article, I highlight examples of this confusion, in particular the failure in realistic situations of the well-quoted formula for an infinite solenoid with a paramagnetic core, and the physical interpretation of the relative permeability of a material, µr.

Authenticity, engagement, and performance in online high school courses: Insights from micro-interactional data

Increased reliance on online course-taking in high school may have a negative impact on educational opportunity gaps by exposing students belonging to marginalized subgroups to a pedagogy of poverty. Employing a mixed method design, I documented the prevalence and form of authentic work in asynchronous, vendor-developed online courses used primarily for credit-recovery in a large, urban school district serving a predominately low-income, minoritized student body. Rather than facilitating higher-order thinking and providing real-world relevance, lessons most often required students to recite information. However, through qualitative analysis, I identified that some types of authentic work were feasible within the asynchronous online course structure through the integration of student-directed research, writing-based tasks, and interactive assignments. The identification of only small magnitude associations with achievement indicates that authentic work should be viewed less in terms of closing the achievement gap and more as necessary to remedy the opportunity gap. Findings identify instructional practices likely to improve the authenticity, rigor, and relevance of students’ educational experiences online.

Selection Into Advanced Courses in Middle and High School Among Low-Income, Ethnically Diverse Youth

This study assesses the excellence gap by examining those who enroll in advanced, honors, and advanced placement (AP) classes among a low-income and a majority-Latinx population. Prospective longitudinal data come from a diverse, urban sample ( N = 32,885) where 82.2% of the students received free or reduced price lunch. We examined numerous predictors (i.e., demographics, school readiness skills, prior academic competence) for eventual enrollment in an advanced course (middle school advanced, honors in middle and high school, and AP courses in high school) via multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results suggest that demographic factors (socioeconomic status, ethnicity, English-language learner status) often played a smaller role in advanced course enrollment after controlling for school-entry skills and prior academic competence with the exception of AP courses, where demographic effects persisted. Implications include targeted early intervention to get qualified students in poverty enrolled in academically advanced courses.

Dimensional comparison effects on (gendered) educational choices.

Expectancy-value theory (EVT) proposes that students’ appraisals of success expectancy and task value are the main drivers of their study and career choices. Dimensional comparison theory proposes that these beliefs are themselves affected by students comparing their ability across different domains. However, only a few studies have aimed to integrate these approaches and clarify the role of dimensional comparisons within EVT. Using longitudinal data, we aimed to fill this gap by studying within- and cross-domain effects of achievement (grades and test scores), academic self-concept (as a surrogate for expectancy beliefs), and values on German adolescents’ (N = 519) high school course choices and their intentions to major in a STEM subject at university. We show that (a) self-concepts predicted course choices, whereas values predicted STEM study intentions; (b) dimensional comparison patterns (positive within-domain and negative across-domain relations) were present; (c) gender differences in course choices were mediated by differences in achievement, self-concept, and value; and (d) there was an incremental gender effect on STEM study intentions above and beyond achievement, self-concept, value, and previous course choices. Furthermore, overall, a model incorporating cross-domain paths representing dimensional comparisons fit the data better than a model without these paths. We conclude that direct and indirect dimensional comparison effects contribute to predicting choices of high school courses and university majors and to understanding gender differences in these choices. We recommend that studies in the EVT framework include cross-domain effects. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)

High school students’ math and science gender stereotypes: relations with their STEM outcomes and socializers’ stereotypes

This longitudinal study explores three research questions. First, what is the prevalence of math and science gender stereotypes among high school students, their parents, and teachers? Second, are parents’ and teachers’ gender stereotypes related to adolescents’ stereotypes? And third, are adolescents’ gender stereotypes associated with their math and science identity and outcomes? We used a nationally representative U.S. sample (N = 22,190, 50% girls, 53% White, 22% Latinx, 13% Black) of adolescents surveyed at 9th and 11th grade, their parents, and teachers. Adolescents’ transcripts were also collected at the end of high school. Adolescent gender stereotypes became significantly more traditional from 9 to 11th grade. Parents were three times more likely to believe that males are better at math/science (compared to believing females are better), and we found significant positive relations between parents’ and adolescents’ stereotypes. Finally, adolescents’ math/science gender stereotypes were significantly related to their math/science identity, which in turn was related to their STEM outcomes over the course of high school. Our findings give insight to the development of academic gender stereotypes in adolescence, their potential precursors, and their relations to academic outcomes.