Real School Research Articles

Myths and Realities of Rural Schools. The Voice of Families and Teachers

Introduction. By invoking Shakespeare’s famous query, ‘to be or not to be, that is the question,’ this study examines rural schools by exploring the beliefs and myths surrounding them and contrasting these perceptions with the realities of daily life in 6 unitary rural schools located in the northwest of Spain. Aims. This study aims to listen to and shed light on the perspectives and feelings of families and teachers in rural schools with multi-grade classrooms. Method. Using a multiple case study design and triangulating qualitative instruments (photovoice, incomplete sentence prompts, and observation), we analyzed the evaluations and experiences of 76 families and 18 teachers concerning the context, the educational practice, and the internal sphere of rural schools. The data were processed through content analysis using ATLAS.ti 22 software, resulting in the identification of 8 categories and 3 dimensions: space and resources, coexistence, teaching and learning in rural schools. Results. The findings reveal several myths and idealizations held by teachers and families regarding the following aspects: the natural rural environment; facilities, infrastructures, resources, and services; coexistence; individualisation, multi-grade classrooms, and academic performance in rural schools. Conclusions. The study concluded that some of these myths do not align with the actual conditions of the studied environment. Rural schools can offer authentic, high-quality learning experiences on equal terms with other educational institutions, dependent on the mediation of the teaching teams that work in them. The study allows for reflection and provides information not only to visibility of rural schools and empower them but also to make decisions enable their educational improvement.

O LÚDICO NA EDUCAÇÃO INFANTIL: CONCEPÇÕES E PRÁTICASDOCENTES

This article is a section of a Master's Dissertation and aims to analyze how the knowledge of playfulness in early childhood education is contextualized in teachers' pedagogical practices based on the reality of a municipal early childhood education school. The justification is to reevaluate the pedagogical work, seeking to understand that while educators encounter challenges in developing a playful approach with young children, their practice becomes much more expressive and enjoyable for the children’s school experience. A learning environment where playfulness, creativity, and spontaneity prevail becomes far more conducive to learning. The methodological design was non-experimental, descriptive, cross-sectional, with a mixed approach. It was non-experimental because there was no manipulation of variables or comparison groups. The researcher observes what naturally occurs without interfering in any way. It is a descriptive investigation because it aims to describe the characteristics of a certain population or phenomenon or establish relationships between variables. As for the results, we emphasize that, although there was a comparison regarding the teachers’ years of service, it did not influence the findings. What became evident is that both teachers work with the same goal: to motivate the students’ learning processes through playful tools.

Peering Deeper: Student Perspectives on School Well-being and Youth Engagement

We examined students’ perspectives on well-being and youth engagement in schools using a Youth Participatory Action Research approach. Students (N = 11) trained as peer researchers and then interviewed their peers. Interviews (N = 21) were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis and six themes were developed: desire for versus reality of a healthy school, insufficient school strategies to promote well-being and mitigate harm, listening to and actioning students’ ideas, diverse opportunities for student engagement, pre-conceived ideas of student capability, and importance of a support role. Through this project, we peered deeper into students’ viewpoints about well-being and youth engagement in their schools.

The need for empirical research on the school data protection officer's role

Data protection regulations in educational settings rely to a great extent on the (School) Data Protection Officer. In this paper, we focus the analytical lens on the socio-legal position of the School Data Protection Officer in the UK, showing they are pivotal to ensure schools’ legal compliance. Their role requires a unique combination of skills and knowledge in a complicated landscape of data protection regulations, the pressure of the digital economy, and maintaining high-quality, high-stakes education. Yet their professional experiences and need for empowerment have gone largely unheard in academia and public debate. The social reality of schools may raise certain practical and conceptual tensions for the legal importance of the School Data Protection Officer. We highlight where this raises questions for the effective implementation of digital data protection regulation for children and young people in schools today. Further empirical research is needed to ensure the pivotal role of the School Data Protection Officer is recognised in upcoming data protection policy reviews. We recommend specific questions for future research to consider, to help overcome this gap in knowledge related to the practical safeguarding of children's digital data rights.

FORMAÇÃO DE PROFESSORES DE EDUCAÇÃO FÍSICA QUE ATUAM COM ALUNOS COM DEFICIÊNCIA

This article addresses the theme of Inclusive Education with a focus on training teachers in the area of Physical Education who work in teaching students with disabilities. This article addresses the theme of Inclusive Education with a focus on training teachers in the area of Physical Education who deal with students with disabilities. The main objective of this investigation is to understand the training trajectory of Physical Education teachers to work with students with disabilities, specifically: 1. How the training took place and possible implications for acting in the context of Inclusive Education and 2. Teachers’ challenges in dealing with students with disabilities in everyday school life. The data were constructed in semi-structured interviews recorded and later transcribed. In line with the methodological principles of historical-cultural theory, the explanatory analysis allowed us to identify obstacles in the initial training process, such as: scarce content on teaching for students with disabilities; and subjects that are very theoretical and removed from the school reality. The teachers also highlighted: lack of support from educational management and the need for continued training while, in the school context, training spaces should be created. The study made it possible to identify the training demands of Physical Education teachers and the challenges they face in everyday school life, contributing to reflections on their training needs.

TESOL Teacher Education

Most language teacher educators assume that what they provide to their pre-service ESL teachers will help them transition smoothly into the real school setting, yet we also have evidence that some novice TESOL teachers may be struggling when trying to implement what they have learned in their TESOL teacher education once they begin teaching in their first years. In addition, most early-career TESOL teachers are abandoned once they graduate from their TESOL teacher education programs and left to survive on their own, and/or with the help of school appointed mentors, induction programs or other such assistance. This conceptual paper focuses on these two issues and discusses each as “inconvenient truths”, while also offering ways that both can be rectified by following a novice-service approach to TESOL teacher education.

Kurikulárne ukotvenie predmetu občianska náuka a výchova v období prvej Československej republiky (1918 – 1938)

The paper systematically maps the development of the curriculum for the subject of civics education in the Czechoslovak Republic from the tendencies leading to its creation to the form of the definitive curriculum in 1933. This area has not yet been significantly retracted in Slovakia. The main research interest is oriented not only on the curriculum, but also on related archival documents and monographs, which provide information on both the legislative frameworks and the school realities of the time (the approach to the application of the curriculum in the didactic framework). In the case of curricula for municipal (folk) and civic (bourgeois) schools, the focus is on observational criteria such as the position of the subject in the system and its objectives, the hourly allocation, the organisation of teaching, the instructions for teachers, the binding content (thematic concept) and the ideological platform, which make it possible to understand what transformations the various versions of the curriculum have been carried out, under what influence and with what results. Overall, this represents a set of information suitable for in-depth content analysis, supported in places by links to the current state of the curriculum. A comparative approach is applied to identify positive and negative elements in the changing versions of the curriculum. This also reflects the aim of the research – document the development as comprehensively as possible, using the above-mentioned methodology, and to link it to the current state of the curriculum for social studies education. The resulting findings are summarized in the final evaluation.

The Behavioral Intention to Use Virtual Reality in Schools: A Technology Acceptance Model.

This paper presents the impact of using virtual reality (VR) in education and focuses on the main factors that affect the behavioral intention of using this new technology for the benefit of both professors and students. As part of our research methodology, we conducted a survey based on the Technology Acceptance Model and used partial least squares structural equation modelling. The results show that the intention to use VR technology in education is influenced by both usage satisfaction and the task-technology fit. The system quality of the VR technology proved to be important in influencing both the task-technology fit and perceived usefulness. The findings are useful for professors considering the adoption of new technologies that might improve the efficiency of learning for their students. Additionally, managers of educational institutions can use these insights to direct investments towards this type of innovation, which appeals to newer generations.

Crossing boundaries: Beginner teachers transitioning from university graduates to full legitimate participants in the teaching profession

This paper stems from a broader study that foregrounded an existing mentoring programme against the backdrop of low teacher retention in the South African schooling system. It works from the premise that beginner teachers are exiting the teaching profession within the first three to five years of teaching. This research suggests that one way of addressing low teacher retention is through a formal mentoring programme that will assist in the transition from university graduates into school practitioners. Data was produced through semi-structured individual and group interviews with a principal, two mentors, and two mentees. Theoretically, we drew on the work of Lave & Wenger (1991) whose constructs of Community of Practice (CoP) and Legitimate Peripheral Participation (LPP) were used as analytical tools to frame this study conceptually. The data revealed that beginner teachers come into the profession with marked inadequacies stemming from their initial training at universities which meant that they were insufficiently prepared for the realities of schooling. Furthermore, the data reveals multiple and overlapping CoPs in operation, pointing to viewing mentoring as multidimensional and not only in dyadic terms as a relationship between a mentor and mentee as it has traditionally been viewed.

MERDEKA BELAJAR DALAM PERSPEKTIF KONSTRUKTIVESME DAN PROGREFISME SEKOLAH SERTA REALITAS SOSIAL

The aim of this study is to find out how constructivism, progressivism, and school reality influence responses to the idea of free learning. This type of research is qualitative and uses descriptive analysis and library study methods to gather data. Constructivism is a philosophical perspective that argues that knowledge is not something absolute and develops through interaction with others, communities, and environments. The theory of progressivism comes from John Dewe. Education must be socially oriented because students are seen as part of society. In the real world, school life is always changing, and so many complex processes are driving it. Therefore, schools can be seen as both static and dynamic parts of society.

Perkembangan Kurikulum Multikultural di Sekolah Dasar: Menyongsong Tantangan Global

Multicultural curriculum in elementary schools is an important focus in the current global education context. This research describes the developments and challenges related to the implementation of a multicultural curriculum at the elementary level, especially in anticipating global challenges. Through a literature review of related literature, this study identifies various approaches, strategies and issues that arise in the course of a multicultural curriculum in elementary schools. The literature study highlights the importance of awareness of cultural, ethnic and social diversity in the curriculum, as well as how this approach can integrate global perspectives in learning. In addition, challenges such as cultural resistance, development of relevant learning materials, and teacher training are the main highlights in efforts to realize an effective multicultural curriculum. The results of this study provide in-depth insight into the evolution of multicultural curricula in elementary schools, as well as highlighting the efforts needed to address global challenges such as migration, globalization and cultural diversity. The implications of these findings for educational practice will be discussed to strengthen the implementation of a multicultural curriculum that is more holistic and responsive to current global realities in elementary schools.

State and Education: analysis of the contexts and practices of policies in Pará aimed at school management

The text focuses on the contexts of the policies and practices of school management in the state of Pará, aims to analyze what are the consequences for school management arising from public policies in the reality of Pará, oriented substantially by the logic of interests of private groups and fostered on the assumptions of public-private partnerships whose organization of pedagogical work meets the rationality of the market. Based on bibliographical and documentary research, the text seeks to verify the dynamics of the phenomenon from the theoretical framework on the subject and the analyses produced from studies on the problematized reality. The investigative path used made it possible to identify that the programs and projects in Pará foster a type of manager who is more in tune with the profile of a manager who controls teamwork and is less concerned with fostering teaching and learning processes that are meaningful to the diverse realities of schools in Pará, such as riverine, quilombola, urban and rural areas, which demand their own actions on the part of the collective and require a manager who mediates decisions and is not primarily responsible for school success, as the mercantile logic advocates.

An organizational sustainability framework for Latin American Catholic schools in the La Salle network. A cross-national study using structural equations modeling

PurposeThis study aims to address the challenge of sustainability in Catholic schools quantitatively, even more so knowing that there are few systematized and quantitatively elaborated approaches that help to determine their sustainability dimensions. Therefore, this study aims to estimate the structural relationships of organizational sustainability in primary and secondary religious schools in Latin America based on the substantive functions of the school, such as care, upbringing and education from an organizational approach.Design/methodology/approachDeductive reasoning was used. In the preliminary phase, data were extracted from 420 educational leaders of primary and secondary schools in Latin America from the Lasallian Network, leading a school population of 200,500 students and impacting 166 schools; these previous results were again contrasted with the forthcoming literature with research from the Ramon Llull University, Barcelona, Spain, to achieve the sustainability framework, which has an endogenous variable called the school organizational sustainability framework.FindingsThe results reveal four dimensions of the first-order structural model: management, association, communication, well-being and curriculum, And eight second-order dimensions: governance, communication, resources, secular association, secular partnership, health, social commitment, and campus operation. The investigation results show that secular association and well-being are two dimensions that are constituted as the main elements of a sustainability framework for this type of organization.Research limitations/implicationsThe Catholic school has specific dimensions that need to be cared for with special attention, such as association, which comes from the laity and comes from the experience of the religious. In addition to this vital dimension, well-being, constituted as care for the people of the community, as care for all, is connatural to the religious school. Still, it is constituted by an edge that completes it, and that is the concern for the well-being of those outside regarding social justice. A limitation in the pretension of totality is that the study is conducted in a small portion of Catholic schools in Latin America.Practical implicationsA practical impact in the schools investigated is to present this sustainability framework as a reference to incorporate these dimensions as a strategy to bet on sustainability. Although the realities and contexts of the Latin American school are very different, some factors can impact low-income schools and schools with more significant financial resources if they are strengthened and worked on with dedication. In addition, this framework can lead to roads and the construction of indicators within the school, which can measure the sustainable commitment of the whole school. Finally, a clear finding of the framework is the need for good governance processes related to leadership and leaders' commitment to school-wide sustainability.Social implicationsThe present study impacts the depth that the proposal of the global educational pact can reach in the reality of Catholic schools in Latin America. The seriousness with which its leaders take the issue of sustainability from this perspective can contribute to the sustainability of life itself.Originality/valueThe originality of this research is that it constitutes the first Sustainability framework in Latin America in Catholic schools from an organizational approach.

Role of Primary School in Promoting Media Education and English Language Skills for Students

The study aimed to identify the reality of the primary school’s role in promoting media education and thus imparting English language skills to students in Al-Ahsa Governorate, and to reveal whether there are statistically significant differences between the responses of the study sample regarding the reality of the school’s role according to type of work and years of experience. A mixed approach (quantitative and qualitative) was used. A questionnaire was applied to a stratified random sample of female school leaders (102) and teachers (619). Personal interviews were also conducted with 21 primary school teachers in Al-Ahsa Governorate. The most important results revealed that the reality of the role of primary schools in enhancing media literacy skills among primary school students was to a high degree, and that the role of primary school in enhancing media literacy skills in the emotional aspect came in first place, followed by enhancing the cognitive aspect, while enhancing the behavioral aspect in Third place. There were also differences between the averages of the study sample’s responses at the level of (0.01) according to the type of work for female school leaders. The media education at primary school has a role in providing female students with listening and speaking skills in English, and that listening to short sentences was ranked first among English listening skills, while speaking single words was ranked first among English speaking skills for female primary school students.

The absurdities of remote learning in art schools in the narratives of teachers, parents and students – reflections from pilot research

The article presents the issue of remote teaching in art schools (music and ballet) during the COVID-19 pandemic from the biographical perspective of students, their parents and teachers of the main instrument. The cited stories focus on the unexpected difficulties they faced after the introduction of online education. Subjects closely related to artistic development (such as main instrument lessons, orchestra, choir, ear training, chamber ensembles – in music schools, or classical dance lessons – in the case of ballet schools) have caused many organisational and technical problems. Their effectiveness, in many cases, is unable to meet the needs of either students or teachers, leaving behind a feeling of meaninglessness, grief of loss, and, in borderline situations, physical harm.The article presents the results of pilot research (2022–2023) conducted as part of biographical research among teachers, parents and students of music and ballet schools. In-depth narrative interviews (and excerpts from them included in the text) paint a picture of the complicated everyday life of the pandemic, the strategies for coping with the encountered problems and the emotions associated with remote teaching of arts subjects in each studied group. The result of the pilot research is a record of the initial analysis and opens the research path for full-scale research planned for 2023–2024.The personal stories presented in the article have a dual purpose. On the one hand, they intend to outline their common experiences during the pandemic, outline the scale of the problem, and, as it were, confirm the validity of undertaking such a research topic. On the other hand, they invite readers to reflect on the reality of art schools that may be unknown to them.

Teachers' technological literacy for ICT integration to implement competence-based curriculum in public secondary schools in Tanzania

This study investigated teachers’ understanding of ICT integration in implementing a competence-based curriculum (CBC) among public secondary schools. Interviews and focus group discussions were used to collect the data from 139 teachers, academic teachers and the head teachers. Simple random and purposive sampling was used to obtain participants. The thematic analysis covers the whole process of data analysis. The study findings revealed that most teachers are aware of the Education and Training Policy and ICT Policy. However, they could not link their teaching practices in the classroom to meet policy goals, 85% of teachers did not integrate ICT as a pedagogical tool in their teaching and learning process, most teachers did not use online assessment, and the most used ICT devices were smartphones, computers and laptops. The study found that most teachers understand the benefit of ICT in implementing a competence-based curriculum. The study recommends aligning our policies and practices, especially in real school environments.

Bridging the Gap: The Reality of Digital Technology Integration by Indonesian Pre-service EFL Teachers

Background: This research investigates the integration of digital technology into teaching practices among pre-service English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in Indonesia, using the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework. The exploration focuses on the contextual challenges and limited technological infrastructure that hinder effective technology use during teaching practicums. Methodology: Employing a qualitative case study design, the research involved six pre-service teachers from three junior high schools in Indonesia. Data were collected through Video-Stimulated Recall (VSR) interviews, direct observations, and analysis of teaching materials, including lesson plans and multimedia resources used in classroom settings. Findings: The findings reveal that while pre-service teachers were theoretically prepared for integrating technology into education, practical implementation was often compromised by infrastructural deficiencies. Teachers frequently encountered issues such as insufficient internet access and lack of support from supervisory staff, which forced them to rely on basic and offline technological tools despite their preparedness to employ more sophisticated resources. Conclusion: The research underscores a significant gap between the theoretical training provided by teacher education programs and the practical realities in Indonesian schools. It suggests that enhancing technological infrastructure and mentorship in these settings is crucial to effectively translate pedagogical and content knowledge into technology-integrated teaching practices. Originality: This research contributes to the field by highlighting the specific challenges faced by pre-service teachers in developing countries like Indonesia and provides empirical evidence on the discrepancies between their training and actual teaching experiences. The study advocates for an integrated approach in teacher education that aligns theoretical knowledge with practical abilities to navigate technological constraints

Developing a gamified digital platform to promote extracurricular activities in basic and secondary schools – preliminary findings

ABSTRACT Designing learning solutions in digitally mediated contexts requires attention to the level of immersion, interactivity, personalization, and engagement promoted, to which the incorporation of active learning methods and gamified strategies can be strategic. However, more research is needed on how teachers use technology-enhanced active learning strategies and on the impact of game-design elements inclusion in learning environments. This study provides findings from the informed exploration stage of a project, consisting of the development and assessment of a digital platform to be used in Portuguese basic and secondary schools to support participation in extracurricular projects and promote its users’ sense of belonging. A survey by questionnaire was publicly shared with Portuguese schoolteachers, in June 2022, to map the current technological reality in Portuguese schools and teachers’ relationship with technologies. 215 valid responses were analysed with descriptive statistics and content analysis. The use of digital technologies was found not to have decreased after the emergency remote learning period. Teachers assumed that the most used platforms coincided with those institutionally supported and that combining the promotion of active learning methods and the formal recognition of learners’ attitudes and skills in a digital solution was something innovative and required in Portuguese schools.

The first press release about the meetings of football teams in Mykolaіv

Local periodicals of the late 19th and early 20th centuries were studied. and local history literature from the funds of the State Archive of the Mykolaiv Region, the National Library of Ukraine named after V. I. Vernadskyi, the Odesa National Scientific Library, and the Mykolaiv Regional Universal Scientific Library to find out the history of the beginning of the game of football in Mykolaiv. In the shipbuilding city of Mykolaiv, which was previously closed to foreigners, where the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Empire was located, the possibility of commercial ships entering began in 1862, when the Commercial Port was opened with permission for the entry of foreign ships to visit and stay in the city of foreigners. Mykolaiv became one of the important ports for grain trade, where many foreign representative offices and banks were opened, commercial shipbuilding began to develop, and the cultural life of the city intensified. According to later local studies, it was established that, based on the memories of contemporaries, the first football meetings in Mykolaiv were started at the end of the 19th century. foreign sailors of merchant ships. Having adopted football traditions from foreigners, in 1901–1902 the teams of the city gymnasium and real school played football, and from 1906, the teams of the mechanical and technical school. At this time, street and district city football teams are created. Despite the fact that the first friendly meetings of football teams took place at the end of the 19th century, reports about the matches appeared in the local press only at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1908, Charles Bate, an employee of the bread office, organized the "Zebra" team, which played with foreigners and teams from educational institutions and sports clubs both in Mykolaiv and Odesa. Football matches took place on adapted sites, first near the Commercial Port, and later in different areas of the city. The referees of the matches were elected collegially from representatives of both opposing teams. Football matches were played according to English rules. The game of football at the time of its coverage in the local press was popular among the townspeople, especially among the youth of educational institutions, intelligentsia, and port workers. Newspaper articles cite examples of the presence of a significant number of spectators and fans, in connection with which the police had to be called in to maintain order. Local periodicals published not only announcements about scheduled meetings of football teams, notes with analysis of matches and their results, but also training schedules and sportsmen's runs around the city. Press publications announcing scheduled meetings, emotions from matches, the opportunity to observe and participate in joint training with popular athletes in the city contributed to the spread of football in the city. Most often, notes about football matches were printed by the "Nikolaevskaya newspaper", popular among the townspeople, with which a sports journalist probably cooperated, who did not indicate his surname or sign his authorship with the cryptonym Z-a.

Time - space - relations - a student of the artistic school in the educational experiment during the pandemic

In this article, the author explores a niche but important problem of functioning of the artistic schools during difficult times of social isolation and virtual learning. More specifically, qualitative experiences of students of artistic schools during COVID-19 pandemic were examined and reconstructed. The unusual panedmic praxis was described as percolating experiences of a sense of agency and school reality. Such a narrative was inspired by J.Bruner and H.Thierch and the concept of three dimensions: time, space and relations. Considering students as experts in their own experiences allowed the author to build a statistical model which helped to discover factors associated with the sense of agency. The author describes in depth positive factors contributing to the sense of agency. These factors can therefore be used to further improve the education system and the educational experience of students.