Learning Program Research Articles

Assessing the impact of SEL programs on language proficiency and student well-being in English classes

The present study tests language proficiency and a sense of student well-being through the addition of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) programmes in English classes. This research study narrows its focus to secondary school English Language Learners (ELLs). An intervention was conducted over 12 weeks using a culturally adapted SEL framework, namely Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS), with 60 students preferably from closely related cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Results indicate significant gains in both linguistic and socio-emotional outcomes. The quantitative results showed notable language improvement, including a 20% gain in speaking fluency and a reduction in incoherent writing and listening comprehension difficulties. Improved socio-emotional functioning manifested as enhancements in self-awareness and relationship skills, measured by the Devereux Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA). The focus group discussions provided qualitative insights, revealing deeper confidence and reduced anxiety in task performance in English. Students created a supportive class environment where they encouraged each other’s participation and language learning. Challenges noted include the development of culturally responsive SEL tools and the need for enhanced teacher training that integrates SEL practices in multilingual classroom settings. The findings demonstrate that SEL can help ELLs overcome not only language-related issues but also a range of socio-emotional challenges. These results have significant implications for educators and policymakers aiming to create inclusive, culturally responsive classrooms that support equitable outcomes for diverse learners.

Educational design insights for interprofessional immersive simulation to prepare allied health students for clinical placements

BackgroundPositive outcomes of simulation programmes to prepare students for placement are widely noted. However, few studies adequately describe considerations for designing allied health placement simulations. There exists a conceptual framework to guide such simulation design, which draws on theory and educational expertise but to date lacks varied stakeholder perspectives. This study aimed to identify implications for the design of allied health placement simulation from participants’ experiences of a simulation-based, interprofessional, novice placement preparation programme.MethodsOccupational therapy, physiotherapy and podiatry students finishing their first year of study were offered a 1-week intensive interprofessional simulation immediately before their first placement. Focus groups in the following weeks allowed participants to discuss their experiences of the programme, preparation for student placements, and recommendations. These were transcribed and interpreted using reflexive thematic analysis and then abductively related to the conceptual framework.ResultsIn total, 22 participants broadly representative of the simulation programme participants contributed to separate focus groups with domestic-enrolled students (n = 7), international students (n = 5), external practice educators (n = 6), and simulated participants (n = 4). Inductive reflexive thematic analysis generated six themes: (i) engaging learning environment, (ii) realism and relevance, (iii) student confidence and communication, (iv) international students’ needs, (v) recommendations to facilitate further preparation for placement, and (vi) importance of preparation to engage in simulation.All participant groups were invested in the programme and highlighted learning opportunities. An immersive and relatable experience with active participation contributed to confidence and communication skill development. International students noted needs pertaining to cultural and language expectations. Other participant recommendations related to the equity of opportunities and specific preparation for placement student-educator interactions. Finally, every participant group noted features of effective preparation for simulation-based education.ConclusionsRelating these findings abductively to the literature and conceptual frameworks, this study highlights simulation design considerations for learner needs assessment, engagement, realism, psychological safety, and challenge to prepare learners for their first clinical placement. Specific implications for adequately preparing all participant groups, design considerations for the needs of culturally diverse students, and balancing interprofessional and discipline-specific learning are highlighted from a lived experience viewpoint. Future research may engage greater stakeholder co-design in simulation-based education.

Strategies for Utilizing Technology in Learning

This study investigates the intercultural relationship development of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students participating in an International Learning Program. Amid travel restrictions, a limited number of students engaged in a cross-border experience in Malaysia and Singapore. Employing a descriptive qualitative approach, the research examines the stages of intercultural relationship development and associated challenges. Twenty eighth-grade students from East Java, Indonesia, comprising an equal distribution of male and female participants, were selected for the study. Through analysis, three distinctive stages emerged in the process of intercultural competence (ICC) development: "trial," involving the exploration of new customs and habits; "enmeshment," focusing on individual character growth in new contexts; and "renegotiation," emphasizing dialogue and reflection on cultural experiences' impacts. Drawing on existing literature, the study proposes strategies for ICC development, including self-awareness, cultural awareness, motivation enhancement, and cultural knowledge acquisition. Additionally, ICC improvement techniques, such as cultural assimilation, comparison methods, and reformulation, were identified as valuable tools for English language instruction.

Promoting Teaching and Learning Through Research-Informed Professional Development: The Leadership for Learning Programme in Australia and China

The fragmented provision of training for early childhood educators has highlighted the imperative need for research-informed professional development (PD) programmes to enhance educator professionalism. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a research-informed in-service PD programme—“Leadership for Learning”—through cluster randomised controlled trials in Australia and China. In Australia, the study involved 83 early-years services, and 1346 4–5-year-old children. In China, the study adapted the PD programme both educationally and culturally, involving 24 preschools, 95 classrooms, 202 educators, and 547 children aged 3–5 years. The comparative findings revealed that the PD programme significantly improved scores on the ECERS-E and SSTEW classroom quality rating scales in both Australia and China. Regarding children’s outcomes, the Australian PD programme significantly enhanced children’s numeracy development, social–emotional development, and expressive language, but not vocabulary, while the Chinese adaptation improved literacy development but not numeracy. This study has important implications for the implementation of PD programmes and cross-cultural educational research, highlighting the need for context-specific adaptations to maximise the effectiveness of PD interventions.

Have we really benefited from integrating blended learning in higher education programs after COVID-19? Jordan as a case study

Have we really benefited from integrating blended learning in higher education programs after COVID-19? Jordan as a case study

Special Issue: OCIES Conference 2023

The 2023 OCIES Conference was held in beautiful Samoa, hosted by the National University of Samoa. The call for papers for the Special Issue following the conference attracted just under thirty abstract submissions. Following selections of abstracts and blind reviews, ten completed manuscripts were received within the 2024 Special Issue timeline. Briefly, the papers explore and suggest insights on the enactment of education policy in the Oceania and Asia contexts, relating to student and teacher wellbeing and success, teacher preparation and practice, learning programme design, and the importance of culture and context to sustainable development in education.

The Need For Biotechnology PjBL-STEM Based Learning Programs Associated with Local Contexts to Enhance Creative Problem Solving and Entrepreneurial Skills: Teacher and Student Perspectives

This study evaluates the need for biotechnology PjBL-STEM Based Learning programs associated with local contexts to enhance Creative Problem Solving Skills (CPSS) and Entrepreneurial Skills (ES) from the perspectives of students and teachers. Using a mixed-methods approach with a sequential explanatory design, data were collected through questionnaires from 144 science teachers in Lampung Province and in-depth interviews with three teachers and three students. The findings reveal that 66.70% of teachers consider the current learning programs inadequate for developing students' CPSS and ES, while 68.10% believe that a PjBL-STEM program would facilitate a more engaging understanding of biotechnology. Furthermore, 89.60% of teachers agree on the necessity of developing biotechnology PjBL-STEM based learning programs to enhance students' CPSS and ES. The results from the questionnaires and in-depth interviews also revealed that both teachers and students agreed that the use of local context can make learning more relevant for students. Overall, both quantitative and qualitative data indicate a strong support for the implementation of biotechnology PjBL-STEM based learning programs grounded in local contexts to better develop students' CPSS and ES.

The Effectiveness of a Learning Program Based on STEAM In Computer Science for Gifted Students in Developing Scientific Reasoning

The current research aimed to identify the effectiveness of the educational program based on STEAM in both scientific reasoning and innovative thinking of gifted students within the computer subject in their fifth preparatory grade.To achieve this goal, the null hypotheses have been adopted: There is no significant difference at the 0.05 level between the ranks of learners' scores in the pre-test and post-test of scientific reasoning for gifted students who studied computer science according to the STEAM educational and learning program. The descriptive and quasi-experimental methods were adopted during the current research. The former was used for the purpose of building the educational program, while the latter was related to the application of the experiment, thereby demonstrating the effectiveness of implementing the program on a sample of gifted students in their fifth preparatory grade in computer science at the Mohobi Baghdad School, numbering (10) students in the academic year 2022-2023. The appropriate experimental design for the group, based on pre-test and post-test, has been adopted through the application of the Aloson scientific inference test.

Developing a learners' attitude scale for the 'Diploma in Agri Inputs (DAI)' program in open and distance learning (ODL)

Attitude is a relatively enduring and general evaluation of an object, person, group, issue, or concept on a dimension ranging from negative to positive. It plays a vital role in the persuasion of one's behaviour concerning a particular psychological object. The present study aims to measure the attitude of learners towards the "Diploma in Agri Inputs (DAI)" programme offered through Open and Distance Learning (ODL) mode in Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU). To accomplish this, a standardized attitude scale was developed using Likert's summated raring approach, which followed the steps of item collection, relevancy test, item analysis, reliability test, and validity test. A total of 45 statements were collected, of which 25 were retained after editing. The statements were sent to Judges to judge its proper relevancy with a 5-point continuum. Finally, 14 statements were selected equal to or greater than the "t" value of 1.75. The reliability coefficient was found to be 0.82, which showed the scale's reliability. The developed attitude scale will be useful for researchers and extension functionaries in similar studies. Moreover, results revealed that most (70.86 percent) ODL learners had highly favourable attitudes towards the DAI programme. The reason might be the various attracting factors of the DAI programme, such as the teaching-learning process, Knowledge generation through Personal Contact Programme (PCP) classes, Affordable fees, Course duration, Practical exposure to diagnosing pests and diseases, Advanced study material, Student-centred learning, Success stories of agripreneurs and 'Fertilizer dealership license'.

Exploring the influence cognizance on academic performance in adult literacy initiatives

Cognizance, or the self-awareness individuals have of their cognitive processes, is a critical factor in adult learning and literacy, which are fundamental for personal and social development. This study aims to explore the psychometric properties of the instrument used and investigate how cognizance affects the academic achievement of new learners in literacy programs in Morocco. The research included 560 male and female learners, who were assessed using a cognizance scale designed for novice learners. The results showed significant correlations between cognizance and academic performance among these learners, indicating their ability to continue learning independently despite facing new challenges in learning to read, write, and do mathematics. This suggests that learners can overcome challenges through self-representation, self-regulation, self-adaptation, and understanding their abilities. This study has implications for improving education and developing programs to enhance cognizance and adult learning, as well as strategies to combat illiteracy. It also aims to deepen human understanding and enrich societies with knowledge and culture.

The Emerging Industrial Revolution and the Future of the Accountant in Nigeria

The study was inspired by the concern for the next industrial revolution of artificial general intelligence with respect to the career of the accountant, given the continuous and increasing automation of the accounting process and systems in the current industrial revolution. Consequently, the study adopted an ex-post facto design to fathom the career fortune of the human accountant in the emerging industrial era of artificial general intelligence, using ten years personnel cost and net assets data, from the annual accounts and reports of the 7 deposits money banks in Nigeria that had international authorization, as at 31st December, 2022. Linear regression analysis results from SPSS 20.0 disclosed that the effect of the deployment of artificial intelligence on the career of the accountant in the current industrial era is statistically low and insignificant. Accordingly, the study predictively concludes that the technological agenda of the emerging industrial revolution will not impair the job fortune of the accountant. However, the study recommends that accounting practitioners should proactively develop themselves with relevant soft skills, and deep learning, python and big data programmes in readiness for effective machine collaboration and synthesis, in the emerging industrial era.

Data Governance in Blockchain-Based Systems for Internship Grade Conversion

Higher education institutions facechallenges in collaborating with the corporate sector and other academic entities, necessitating secure and effective communication channels. The Merdeka Learning program provides students with an expansive platform to acquire scientific knowledge and ensures equitable competencies among graduates. This study aims to address the increasing importance of data governance in such collaborations by proposing a blockchain-based framework specifically for internship grade conversion. Blockchain technology offers a secure and tamper-proof solution for managing and sharing data, addressing challenges in transparency and consistency. The research adopts an experimental approach combined with a comprehensive review of blockchain technology and its integration into existing data governance frameworks. The proposed outcome includes a detailed data governance framework with a prototype data management layer built on blockchain, ensuring robust data security and reliable internship evaluations. By leveraging blockchain immutability and transparency, the framework enhances the reliability of grade conversion, reduces manual errors, and promotes fair assessments. This research contributes to improving the operational efficiency of academic institutions and fostering trust among stakeholders. Furthermore, the framework aligns with the goals of Merdeka Learning by supporting seamless internship management and ensuring transparent evaluation processes. The findings aim to provide a scalable and impactful solution for higher education institutions, facilitating a more reliable and innovative approach to managing data in collaborative environments.

Watermarking Tiny MLCommons Image Applications Without Extra Deployability Costs

The tasks assigned to neural network (NN) models are increasingly challenging due to the growing demand for their applicability across domains. Advanced machine learning programming skills, development time, and expensive assets are required to achieve accurate models, and they represent important assets, particularly for small and medium enterprises. Whether they are deployed in the Cloud or on Edge devices, i.e., resource-constrained devices that require the design of tiny NNs, it is of paramount importance to protect the associated intellectual properties (IP). Neural networks watermarking (NNW) can help the owner to claim the origin of an NN model that is suspected to have been attacked or copied, thus illegally infringing the IP. Adapting two state-of-the-art NNW methods, this paper aims to define watermarking procedures to securely protect tiny NNs’ IP in order to prevent unauthorized copies of these networks; specifically, embedded applications running on low-power devices, such as the image classification use cases developed for MLCommons benchmarks. These methodologies inject into a model a unique and secret parameter pattern or force an incoherent behavior when trigger inputs are used, helping the owner to prove the origin of the tested NN model. The obtained results demonstrate the effectiveness of these techniques using AI frameworks both on computers and MCUs, showing that the watermark was successfully recognized in both cases, even if adversarial attacks were simulated, and, in the second case, if accuracy values, required resources, and inference times remained unchanged.

ТЕНДЕНЦІЇ РОЗВИТКУ ОСВІТНІХ ПРОГРАМ ТА МЕТОДИЧНОГО ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ ІНШОМОВНОЇ ПІДГОТОВКИ МАГІСТРІВ ФІЛОЛОГІЇ НА СУЧАСНОМУ ЕТАПІ

The development trends of programmatic and methodical support of master's training – teachers/lecturers of foreign languages in the context of the modern educational paradigm are highlighted in the article. Based on the analysis of scientific and pedagogical sources, the author draws conclusions about standardization as an essential condition for the quality of educational programs and their compliance with European requirements. The transformation of educational programs and methodological materials takes place on the basis of student-centered and competency-based approaches to their development and implementation. Among the important areas of development of programming and its methodical support, the author names the deepening of the scientific component of the content of master’s education, as well as strengthening the practical work of specialists with higher education for greater compliance of professional training with the interests of students and the requirements of employers. The current trend of modern education is its digitalization, which provides new forms and methods of teaching and learning, promoting the use of digital tools of cognitive activity, which optimizes the production activity of teachers and students. The technological approach to the creation of educational programs is emphasized, based on the structuring of their content of educational programs and methodical materials, which emphasizes the distribution of educational material and promotes orderly learning built according to technological logic. The effectiveness of the implementation of educational programs is ensured by the compliance of program learning outcomes with the structured competencies that master’s students must assimilate.

Benefits of a Mindfulness Social-Emotional Learning Program for Young Children in Northern Uganda

ABSTRACT Many studies have reported the benefits of mindfulness and social-emotional learning programs on children’s physical and psychological well-being. However, few studies have studied young children in a Global South context. In this study, we compared northern Ugandan children (n = 74) in primary levels 2 through 4 attending a school in which a mindfulness-social-emotional learning (M-SEL) program was implemented to children (n = 80) attending a business-as-usual (BAU) school. Children complete cognitive inhibition tasks before and after program implementation. Teachers completed questionnaires assessing children on anger, sadness, positive affect, and empathic behavior. We also collected children’s academic standardized test scores. Compared to BAU school children, M-SEL program children showed increases in teacher-reported positive affect and empathic behaviors, and decreases in anger and sadness. Children also performed better academically. However, no differences were found on the cognitive inhibition task. The implications of these results are discussed with regard to improving young children’s well-being by scaling up the program to include other schools in other developing countries.

The Effect of Teaching Assistance on The Hard Skills and Soft Skills of Accounting Education Students

This research aims to determine whether implementing the independent learning program through the teaching assistance program can influence the soft and hard skills of accounting education students. Teaching assistance is the Independent Campus Learning program launched by the government. Teaching assistance aims to improve the competency of college graduate students in terms of soft and hard skills. Based on the initial observations of accounting education students at the Universitas Negeri Malang, various problems were found related to students' soft and hard skills in teaching assistance. This research uses quantitative methods by collecting data through questionnaires to measure teaching assistance on students' soft and hard skills. The research sample comprised 153 students in the accounting skills program at SMKN 12 Malang. Data analysis uses simple linear regression analysis to test the effect of teaching assistance on students' soft and hard skills. The research results show that teaching assistance can positively impact students' hard and soft skills. The conclusion of this research shows that teaching assistance is a program that can help students hone soft and hard skills to prepare themselves to become teachers in the real world. The experience students gain through teaching assistance can equip them to be ready for the world of work and to face real situations and conditions in the classroom.

Empowering Women through E-Learning: The Role of Waqf in Supporting Digital Education for Girls and Women in Northern Nigeria

This study aims to investigate how women in Northern Nigeria might benefit from digital education through waqf, an Islamic endowment. To increase girls and women's access to education, the study focuses on determining how waqf institutions may aid in creating e-learning infrastructure, materials, and training initiatives. The study aims to eliminate social and economic hurdles that restrict women's access to education in the area, advance gender equality, and provide women with the skills necessary for socioeconomic development by utilizing waqf monies. The ultimate objective is to demonstrate how integrating digital education programs with Islamic charitable frameworks can establish long-term avenues for women's empowerment and promote wider community development in Northern Nigeria. Women's education greatly aids Social and economic progress, especially in areas with large gender gaps. Women's access to formal education has been hampered in Northern Nigeria by long-standing obstacles such as early marriage, poverty, and cultural conventions. However, the emergence of e-learning offers a special chance to close this gap by giving women and girls remote access to educational materials. This study uses a mixed-methods approach, this study investigates how Waqf supports e-learning for women in Northern Nigeria by integrating qualitative and quantitative research approaches. The results indicate that women's educational chances can be greatly improved by combining Waqf with online learning programs, enabling them to better their socioeconomic circumstances and make a positive impact on their communities. The study's conclusion emphasizes the necessity of deliberate actions to optimize Waqf's effectiveness in resolving gender-based educational disparities in Northern Nigeria.

Developing an Online Elementary Social Studies Community of Practice to Enhance K-6 Geography

Social studies instructional time in elementary schools has declined substantially. Responding to this, the National Geographic Society (NGS) developed a professional learning program called the Elementary Social Studies Community of Practice (ESSCoP). This article describes this program’s design and content, as well as evaluates its effectiveness. The project team employed surveys administered throughout the program as well as summative feedback. Program evaluation demonstrates that ESSCoP enhanced participants’ geography teaching, including their self-assessed ability to access high quality resources and teach using their state’s geography standards. The program additionally increased the amount of instructional time the participants dedicated to teaching geography.

Trajectories and predictors of adolescent purpose development in self-driven learning.

Purpose offers several important benefits to youth. Thus, it is necessary to understand how a sense of purpose develops in supportive contexts and what psychological resources can help. From 2021 to 2022, this study investigated purpose change among 321 youth (Mage = 16.4 years; 71% female; 25.9% Black, 33.3% Asian, 15.6% Hispanic/Latinx, 13.4% White, 9.7% multiracial) participating in GripTape, a ~10-week self-driven learning program. Many youth started with high initial purpose that increased throughout enrollment (Strengthening), whereas others began with slightly lower purpose that remained stable (Maintaining). For each unit increase in baseline agency, youth were 1.6x more likely to be classified as Strengthening. As such, agency may be a resource that helps youth capitalize on certain types of environments.

The perceptions of secondary school students regarding the learning of computer programming at Key Stage 4 in the revised curriculum in England: problems and solutions.

Programming is becoming progressively important for many societies in the world today. It is also required in educational institutions and is especially important for students who will be graduating and looking for employment opportunities in the future. However, the teaching of a programming is not well developed in many secondary schools in different areas in England. Today, teaching programming is considered to be of the priority domain of several countries in the twenty-first century. Interest in this domain is wide and the amount of research conducted in the field is numerous. This study was designed to investigate and to aid a critical students’ understanding of the learning of programming in the revised Key Stage 4 (KS4) Computer Science (CS) curriculum. It seeks to understand the impact of learning programming on student’s perceptions toward programming and how to improve the teaching and learning of programming. The study found that the issues faced by students learning programming include a lack of time, the perception that it is a ‘difficult’ subject and students’ insufficient understanding of programming. The findings also suggest that schools have made efforts to overcome these challenges and are willing to adopt programming as a subject and to help, encourage, develop and improve students’ ability to learn programming.