Instructional Planning Research Articles

Czech and Slovak intended curricula in science subjects and mathematics: a comparative study

ABSTRACT A curriculum is generally regarded as an instructional plan that describes what, why and how students should learn. In this comparative study, we analysed the Czech and Slovak intended curricula of science subjects (physics, chemistry, biology, geography, and geology) and mathematics by comparing their national curriculum documents in terms of learning outcomes at the lower secondary level (ISCED level 2). Our analysis showed significant differences in the number of obligatory learning outcomes, which were much higher in the Slovak curriculum than in the Czech curriculum. The structure of these outcomes also differed across subjects and between countries. Nevertheless, the cognitive demands of the learning outcomes analysed using the revised Bloom’s taxonomy were similar in the two countries, but metacognitive knowledge and higher-level cognitive processes were rarely represented in either. Additionally, by inductive content analysis of the Slovak curriculum document, we identified two significant groups of cross-curricular requirements, namely outcomes related to scientific inquiry and outcomes requiring working with information. Overall, these learning outcomes are underrepresented in both analysed documents (particularly in the Czech document) even though the skills that these outcomes develop are in high demand in the current context.

Teacher Planning Templates: Helpful Tool or Waste of Time? A Comparative Analysis of the Perceptions of Novice and Experienced Teachers in the UAE and USA

Lesson plan templates are a frequent requirement in schools around the world. School administrators often choose a standard lesson plan style and require the consistent layout for all teachers of all grade levels and across all disciplines. Lesson planning, when done well, should be a guide for both teachers and administrators of the educational concept the students need to learn, how the teacher will teach the concept, and how student learning will be evaluated. Lesson planning is a time-consuming task for the teacher and a requirement and expectation by which administration oversees instructional practices in schools. This research study sought to obtain, evaluate, and analyze the perspectives of administrators and teachers from both the United Arab Emirates and the United States on the perceived usefulness of lesson planning templates in the planning process. A quantitative method employing a close-ended survey was used to obtain data. An exploratory factor analysis was applied to determine perspective of teachers on the value and utility of completing templates for instructional planning purposes, and an independent variable T-test was applied to examine similarities and differences in perspectives based on time in the field. The impact of the study could shape future views on the practice, benefits, training, use, and research of lesson planning templates. Keywords: novice teacher, experienced teacher, lesson planning templates, administrative requirement, teacher planning

Resiliency and vulnerability in early grades writing performance during the COVID-19 pandemic

To explore potential pandemic-related learning gaps on expressive writing skills, predominantly Hispanic (≈50%) and White (≈30%) primary-grade students responded to grade-specific writing prompts in the fall semesters before and after school closures. Responses were evaluated with an analytic rubric consisting of five traits (focus, organization, development, grammar, mechanics), each scored on a 1-4 scale. Data first were analyzed descriptively and, after propensity score weighting, with ordinal response models (for analytic scores) and generalized linear mixed effects models (for composite scores). Compared to first graders in 2019 (n = 310), those in 2020 (n = 203) scored significantly lower overall as well as on all rubric criteria and were more likely to write unintelligible responses. Second graders in 2020 (n = 194) performed significantly lower than those in 2019 (n = 328) in some traits but not all, and there was a widening gap between students who did/not score proficiently. A three-level longitudinal model analyzing the sample of students moving from first to second grade in fall 2020 (n = 90) revealed significant improvements, but students still performed significantly lower than second graders in the previous year. Implications for student resiliency and instructional planning are discussed.

Straight to the Sources: Analyzing Elementary Preservice Teacher Planning for Inquiry

Through a multiphase coding process, the researchers examined the selection, characteristics, and planned use of 111 written, visual, oral, and material sources that preservice teachers incorporated into plans for inquiry-based elementary social studies instruction. Preservice teachers identified Google as their main tool for locating potential sources, selected far more secondary than primary sources, and varied widely in how they prepared sources for elementary students. Planned use of sources focused almost entirely on identifying key details, with limited opportunities designed for students to contextualize sources, examine bias, or corroborate evidence. Implications for teacher education related to source selection and analysis are discussed.

Enculturated Pedagogy: A Dialectic Approach to Music Teaching and Learning

Abstract Culture permeates every aspect of music learning and teaching. The complex interactions between teachers, students, and the pedagogies associated with music being taught offer an expansive setting for musical interactions as well as practical considerations for teachers planning culturally responsive lessons. The theory of enculturated pedagogy calls attention to and defines these interactions by accounting for the triangular relationships among the cultures of teachers, students, and the music being learned. Through a dialectic examination of the complementary epistemologies of cognitive neuroscience and sociology, this article develops three theoretical tenets for music teachers to apply to their own practice. The first tenet encourages the preservation of Indigenous pedagogies and considers how the pedagogical experiences of teachers and students inform instructional planning. The second supposes that teachers and students have culturally based, preferred ways of teaching and learning and, similar to multilingualism, are capable of learning multiple ways to teach and learn. The final tenet considers cultural differences between teachers, students, and the music itself as pedagogical assets, creating fertile ground for the creation of new musical collaborations and genre fusions.

Universal Design for Learning as a Pathway for Accessible Narrative Writing Practices for Diverse Adolescents

Equitable learning opportunities are critical for students to meet writing standards. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a scientifically based framework for planning and implementing instruction that supports a broad range of diverse learners. In this article, the UDL framework is briefly described, including its principles and guidelines. Vignettes are shared throughout to illustrate how one teacher applied the UDL framework to plan a narrative writing unit for a diverse group of adolescent learners. Adopting the use of the UDL framework during the instructional planning process ensures that instructional practices are centered on student strengths and offer avenues for accessible and equitable learning experiences for all students. This article closes with digital tools that promote 21st century learning and offer a pathway to accessibility.

Living as an Avtar: EFL Learners’ Attitudes towards Utilizing Second Life Virtual Learning

In the foreign language context, little research has been undertaken to explore university students’ attitudes towards virtual learning for language instruction. The purpose of this study was to investigate EFL learners’ attitudes toward utilizing the Second Life virtual world as an online instructional and language learning tool. To achieve the study purposes, a descriptive research design was used with a questionnaire to gather data, after ensuring its validity and reliability. Forty-one undergraduates who were enrolled in two CALL classes at a school of education participated in the study. Overall, the results suggest that the majority of EFL undergraduates have favorable attitudes toward using virtual games and that the use of Second Life served well as an online instructional tool for language learning. Based on the results of the current study, EFL instructors may be encouraged to integrate virtual world games to augment their students’ learning by providing them paths to engage in authentic communication with the target language users. Further, the integration of virtual learning is a promising alternative in times of pandemics when social distancing is an obligation. Such ends require that instructors plan some virtual world-based tasks of a goal-driven nature. Further research directions include implementing qualitative tools to explore how learners react to the nature of virtual world games, specifically in relation to the users’ ability to claim different identities.

Coping with A Year of Online Education in Lock-Down: Impact of Prolonged COVID-19 Stressors On Problematic Drinking in College Students

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about unprecedented stressors for college students. Early reports found the immediate onset of these stressors led to increased problematic drinking and psychological distress in university students. However, it has remained unclear what lasting effects the pandemic will have on drinking and coping mechanisms. The current study examined the impact of prolonged COVID-19 stressors on the drinking behavior of college students a year into the pandemic. College students (N = 377) completed an online survey in the spring of 2021 that assessed their drinking during the pandemic, coping styles, and level of stress on 8 COVID-19 specific stressors developed by the research team. Our results showed a large percentage of college students continued to report problematic and increased drinking a year into the pandemic. Stress concerning online education was the strongest predictor of increased drinking, problematic drinking, and using substances to cope. These results suggest that students may be sensitive to abrupt changes in learning modality, and many may turn to negative coping mechanisms. This is an important consideration for educators when making changes to their instructional plans and suggests helping students regain an internal locus of control concerning their academics could be beneficial.

Metode Implementasi Pembelajaran Hafalan Al-Qur’an di MDA At-Taqwa Desa Gung Pinto


 The purpose of this research is to compile and synthesize information about the planning, implementation, and evaluation of teaching the Arabic lexicon contained in the Al-Qur'an. This study adopted a qualitative methodology, collecting information through observation, interviews, and written notes. Collection, reduction, presentation, and data extraction are part of the data analysis method. In data analysis, source and method triangulation is a very important step. This research shows that MDA AT-TAQWA DESA GUNG PINTO is home to people who have the desire and desire to study the Qur'an in an interpretive and linguistic way, making this kind of learning planning a competitive advantage. This instructional plan is divided into four parts: objectives, content, methodology, and evaluation. The teacher uses the reading by listening method, pays attention to students' fluency and understanding when reading; in the second stage, students maintain a consistent and advanced understanding of the Qur'an through the use of listening-reading techniques, both with their teacher and among themselves.
 Keywords: Implementation Methods, Learning, Memorizing the Qur’an

일본인 학습자의 한국어 경어법 오류 분석과 피드백 - 주체 경어를 중심으로 -

This research aimed to determine how Japanese learners of Korean can be supported in acquiring knowledge of Korean honorifics and developing the ability to use them in an appropriate manner. First, the study confirmed the importance of honorific use in the Korean language and closely examined the characteristics of and specific usage differences between Japanese and Korean honorifics. Then, it focused on the results of the error analysis of Japanese learners’ use of Korean honorifics by categorizing Korean subject honorifics into the following four categories: fundamental honorific form, specialized declinable word honorific form, specialized indeclinable word honorific form, and specialized particle honorific form. Tasks 1 and 2 were used to analyze examples of common errors made by learners, and through this feedback, case studies and instruction plans were investigated. Findings revealed that Japanese learners’ errors in the usage of Korean honorifics stem from interference from their native language in addition to a lack of understanding of how to conjugate honorifics, inappropriate honorific vocabulary selection, and confused usage of newly learned vocabulary and grammar. Furthermore, the overuse of the term ｢-(으)시｣ without considering the relationship between the subject and the predicate was observed. This is thought to have occurred due to the automatization of the rote learning of honorifics in which learners equate ｢-(으)시｣ with respect as well as a heuristic phenomenon whereby they try to produce quick results based on intuitive guessing. The findings of this research will provide an insight into Japanese learners’ learning of Korean honorifics, minimize learner stress, and aid those considering how to design more efficient lessons targeting the teaching of Korean honorifics.

Medical Students Expectations, Experiences and Use of E Learning Resources in Higher Education

Introduction: E-learning, defined here as ‘any learning that uses information and communication technologies is seen as one way to support the advancement of healthcare experts. The adaptability and availability of such modes of delivery are seen globally as advertising opportunities to meet key instruction plans counting lifelong learning and extending participation. Technology-enhanced learning in healthcare education ranges instructive to constructivist approaches. The student constructs new information through investigation of information and reference to involvement and understanding. Objective: To study the expectation and experiences of medical students regarding use of e-learning resources in higher education Study Design: Quantitative cross sectional Settings: Bakhtawar Ameen medical & dental college, Multan Duration: Six months i.e. 1st January 2022 to 30th June 2022 Data Collection Procedure: A pre validated questionnaire was used. Study was carried out at Bakhtawar Ameen medical & dental college, Multan. The total numbers of students were 300 who participated after taking the informed consent. The study was done by simple random sampling technique. All the medical undergraduate students of first to final years must be aged between 20-30 years age. Questionnaire consists of demographic profile, expectation and experiences of medical students regarding use of e-learning resources in higher education Results: The total number of patients who participated in the study was 300 in which 140 (46%) were males and 160 (54%) were females. The undergraduate’s student’s age is in between 20-30 years. On inquiring about student’s expectations and experiences about e learning all the parameters were rated high about e learning which shows the significance of study and p value is <0.1 Practical implication Conclusion: In our study two viewpoints contribute strongly to learning accomplishments and course fulfillment: students’ achievement objectives and the instructor. Students who considered gains in competencies are very special and hence experienced higher achievements. Besides, the results of our study emphasize the instructor’s expertise and part as a counselor and facilitator in learning. Keywords: E-learning, health care, higher education, nursing, student engagement, student experiences, technology-enhanced learning

Breakdowns and breakthroughs. Handling challenging moments in university teaching

ABSTRACT Research on Higher Education (HE) documents a plethora of applicable teaching practices and improvements focused on better instructional planning. Yet, what happens when carefully crafted plans must be abandoned due to something unforeseen? This study documents teaching situations when things do not work as expected, where moments of breakdown alter a planned pedagogical course of action. Analysing these moments and their aftermath directs attention to empirical events rendering visible some overlooked, but revealing aspects of HE teaching. We conducted a qualitative study into the characteristics of breakdowns and how teachers handle such situations. University teachers from different disciplinary backgrounds and academic positions were interviewed about teaching experiences they found challenging. From our nine semi-structured interviews, three were selected for this paper. Inspired by methodology from Science and Technology Studies (STS), breakdowns are theorised as analytically generative moments for understanding ways in which technology, subject knowledge, and teacher-student relations, are intertwined. We offer terminology for discussing breakdowns and how elements of teaching practice can transmute and recombine into novel forms of practice. The study provides evidence relating to how breakdowns manifested in multiple ways, and despite abruptness and threats of disjointedness, gave rise to improved interaction, methodological development, and long-term learning. Three key phases are identified: breakdown, remobilisation and re-stabilisation. Further, rendered visible are ways in which teaching relies on material complexities and interdependencies. Breakdowns were sources of trouble, tension, and discouragement, but also facilitated instructional creativity opening space for unanticipated and inventive approaches to teaching (breakthroughs).

Immediate and sustained effect of a service-learning course grounded in public problem analysis

This study aims to propound an instructional design for a service-learning course grounded in public problem analysis and verify its immediate and sustained outcomes through the actual instructional process. A quasi-experimental research design was adopted wherein students who were enrolling in a service-learning course were considered as a treatment group, while those not enrolling in the course were categorized into a comparison group. Three-wave surveys were distributed at the beginning, end, and 6 months after the end of the course. Our difference-in-differences (DID) analysis showed that the project-based service-learning experience seems to be negatively related to perceived problem-solving ability but positively associated with students’ public service motivation (PSM) in the short term. However, the above influence did not sustain as time progressed. This study helps to clarify the relation between service-learning courses and students’ problem-solving ability as well as PSM in the field of public affairs education. It can also serve as a foundation for efforts to improve subsequent instructional plans of service-learning courses.

The Development of the College Teaching Self-Efficacy Scale

The purpose of this article is to document the development of a new measure of teaching self-efficacy - The College Teaching Self-Efficacy (CTSE) Scale. We designed the CTSE scale to examine individuals’ beliefs in their abilities to perform specific teaching tasks in a college classroom successfully. We developed an instrument that contained teaching tasks associated with different aspects of college teaching, such as instructional planning, instructional delivery, classroom management, and assessment. This paper provides preliminary validity evidence based on the scale’s content and the internal structure. Implications of the study and directions for future research are discussed.

A Correlational Study on Teacher Educators’ Assessment Literacy and Their Students’ Academic Achievement

The knowledge and skills of classroom assessment is one of the requirements which have been declared in National Professional Standards for Teachers in Pakistan. Without the knowledge and skills of assessment teachers cannot effectively implement their instructional plan. This study investigated teacher educators’ assessment literacy and its relationship with the academic achievement of prospective teachers. The study was quantitative correlational and survey method was adopted for data collection. Teacher educators and prospective teachers of Government Colleges of Elementary Teachers and Regional Institute for Teacher Educators were included in the population. Data were collected through an assessment literacy test from the sample groups of the study which was analyzed through mean scores,

A Hybrid Evaluation Model for e-Learning Platforms Based on Extended TOE Framework

E-learning platforms (ELPs) are revolutionizing the higher education system, as they offer tremendous potential to fulfill instructional plans, safeguard students’ learning rights, and improve teaching quality. Higher education institutions (HEIs) have to consider the selection of ELPs from an organizational perspective, which involves multiple stakeholders like university administrators, students, and educators. Therefore, one can take the ELP selection as a complex multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem. This research proposes a new hybrid MCDM approach on the basis of the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) and the evaluation based on distance from the average solution (EDAS) method to select the best ELPs. First, from the organizational perspective, we extend the technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework by adding an auxiliary resource (AR) dimension and define and prioritize 4 criteria and 14 criteria for evaluating and selecting ELPs. Second, the study uses the fuzzy set theory to process the language evaluation of experts, the FAHP method to determine criteria and sub-criteria weights, and EDAS to rank the alternatives. Finally, based on the importance-performance analysis (IPA) method, we identify the most appropriate strategic options for enhancing competitiveness. Three practical cases of China’s ELP evaluation validate the proposed model’s applicability and superiority by comparing to the two other classic evaluation models. In addition, through analysis, we obtain some encouraging results that provide some references for universities to formulate ELP selection policies and offer suggestions for platform producers to further optimize the design.

Investigation of Teachers’ Competencies through National Professional Standards for Teachers in Pakistan

This study was designed to investigate teacher’s competencies through National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST) in Pakistan at the secondary school level in Lahore. Nature of study was descriptive. Competencies of teachers investigated through NPSTP, delimited to four standards including human growth and development, instructional planning and strategies, assessment and professional development & code of conduct. Data collected through two questionnaires, filled by teachers and their students. Sample was 539 (241male and 198female) teachers and 1044 students of 9th and 10th classes from 72 boys and girls secondary schools of Lahore. An achievement test was constructed (26 MCQs) based on assessment standard and conducted on 216 willing teachers to measure their competencies. Although majority of teachers had little knowledge about assessment but they were not aware of this knowledge in true sense. The teachers (male, female) and students however, agreed with two major competencies of teachers i.e. assessment knowledge and pedagogical competencies for solving problems of students, discussing objectives of the topic, questioning students. The teachers should be trained in accordance with National Professional Standards for Teachers in Pakistan.

Investigating the Impact of Role play games on Vocabulary Building of ESL Learners at Intermediate Level

Vocabulary plays a key role in effective communication as it helps in interacting people. Many different challenges have been faced by ESL learners during vocabulary lessons such as memorization of words and phrases. The motive behind this article was to find out the impact of Role play games during vocabulary lessons at Intermediate level. For this, a class of intermediate level ESL learners was taken as a sample from Government Khawaja Farid Graduate College Rahim Yar Khan. The participants of this classroom were divided into experimental and control group respectively. Instructional plan of eight weeks was formulated. It covered only three plays of Book-III of Intermediate part-I. Before the start of instructional plan, a previous knowledge test was conducted in both groups. Participants’ response sheets were marked according to the already designed answer key. During the course of instructional plan, control group was taught vocabulary lessons in a traditional way whereas experimental group was taught by using Role play games. At the end, Posttest was conducted from already specified chapters. Results of both groups were computed and analyzed by using SPSS. The participants of experimental group performed much better than control group. About 80% respondents of experimental group have been successful in getting 70% or more marks in the posttest which clearly indicates the effectiveness of Role play games for vocabulary learning at Intermediate level.

Using Students’ Ratings to Compare Teacher Effectiveness in English and Mathematics

The study aimed to compare teacher effectiveness in English and Mathematics by using students' ratings on quality factors such as learning environment, instructional planning and strategies, subject matter knowledge, assessment, and effective communication. Through using a multistage sampling technique, the data was obtained from the students of 10th grade (N=2009), who evaluated their teachers' performance on STEQ developed by Akram (2018). The five factors of STEQ exhibited a high level of reliability (α=.88) with factor-wise reliability ranging from 0.74 to 0.86. T-test for independent samples was used to compare boys' and girls', and urban and rural students' perceptions of teacher effectiveness in English and Mathematics. Female teachers were perceived as more effective than male teachers by their students in Mathematics and English, while urban teachers were perceived as more effective as compared to rural teachers by their students in Mathematics and English. Student achievement in English and Mathematics also statistically significantly differed based on the gender of students and school location. The study also gave recommendations.

Designing Semester Insturctional Plan of Reading Course at English Education Department

This study to design Semester Instructional Plan and instructional materials of reading courses for English Education Department (further glossed by EED), UIN Sultan Maulana Hasanuddin Banten. To design good Semester Instructional Plan and develop reading materials, this study used Research and Development method by utilizing ADDIE Model. Meanwhile, to gather data this study was used a variety of instruments such as distributed questionnaire to students, conducted interviews, analyzed curriculum document of EED, did consultation to curriculum experts and literacy practitioners. In terms of developing Semester Instructional Plan and instructional materials, this study also referred to manual guideline of developing curriculum from RISTEKDIKTI and learning outcomes in Indonesia Nasional Qualification Framework. The results of this study reveal that in designing Semester Instructional Plan of reading courses, the lecturer must determine learning outcomes which refer to the regulations in National Standard of Higher Education. Moreover, reading strategies and instructional materials at each reading course should be arranged gradually by paying attention to students’ language development and thinking level in order students acquire some reading skills and facilitate them to be skilled readers.