Educational Research Approach Research Articles

Building: A Possibility for a Post-critical Perspective in Educational Research

Abstract The aim of this article is to give an example of how an exercise in post-critical educational research might be conceptualised. The example refers to an inquiry into building a public sphere around education in Poland. First, a post-critical approach in educational research is defined with reference to the two dominant perspectives of social research, namely the (neo)positivistic and the critical paradigm. Next, and following insights of Hannah Arendt and Jacques Rancière, the idea of building is presented in terms of the persistent introduction of a new beginning into a social reality through acting in line with an assumption (an axiom) that, from the point of view of critical knowledge about the current status quo, seems fictional (or impossible). Such a persistent verification of an impossible axiom aims at establishing a sphere of exception from the dominant social order, offering—through the ideas of Alain Badiou and Giorgio Agamben—a non-dialectical logic of social transformation. Finally, in conclusion the article focuses on the phenomenon of condensation as one of the key results of the exemplary research project analysed throughout the text. This points to the kind of knowledge that post-critical research projects are able to bring about.

Changing the conversation: impact of guidelines designed to optimize interprofessional facilitation of simulation-based team training

BackgroundInterprofessional simulation-based team training (ISBTT) is commonly used to optimize interprofessional teamwork in healthcare. The literature documents the benefits of ISBTT, yet effective interprofessional collaboration continues to be challenged by complex hierarchies and power dynamics. Explicitly addressing these issues during ISBTT may help participants acquire skills to navigate such challenges, but guidelines on how to do this are limited.MethodsWe applied an educational design research approach to develop and pilot structured facilitator guidelines that explicitly address power and hierarchy with interprofessional teams. We conducted this work in a previously established ISBTT program at our institution, between September 2020 and December 2021. We first reviewed the literature to identify relevant educational theories and developed design principles. We subsequently designed, revised, and tested guidelines. We used qualitative thematic and content analysis of facilitator interviews and video-recording of IBSTT sessions to evaluate the effects of the guidelines on the pre- and debriefs.ResultsQualitative content analysis showed that structured guidelines shifted debriefing participation and content. Debriefings changed from physician-led discussions with a strong focus on medical content to conversations with more equal participation by nurses and physicians and more emphasis on teamwork and communication. The thematic analysis further showed how the conversation during debriefing changed and how interprofessional learning improved after the implementation of the guidelines. While power and hierarchy were more frequently discussed, for many facilitators these topics remained challenging to address.ConclusionWe successfully created and implemented guidelines for ISBTT facilitators to explicitly address hierarchy and power. Future work will explore how this approach to ISBTT impacts interprofessional collaboration in clinical practice.

Proposal of a Disruptive Didactic Innovation for the Development of Leadership Skills Through the Arts: Skills & Art

The need for cognitive and leadership skills requires the exploration of creative implementation models that ensure training and emphasise the value of individuals as the main asset within organisations. This research aims to introduce and validate a disruptive didactic innovation, which fosters the development of these skills through experiential communication via “Skills&Art”. The methodology used is Design Research, an emerging approach in educational research that encompasses developing and implementing a new or improved model, validating techniques, tools or models and determining conditions that facilitate successful implementation. The research was conducted in both classroom and museum settings. It consisted of a four-phase activity focused on crafting a speech that linked a skill with an artwork. A qualitative study of the speeches and a Likert self-assessment questionnaire were performed. The results demonstrate that the proposed disruptive didactic innovation Skills&Art is effective and efficient, and its self-assessed learning promotes innovation, creativity, initiative, problem-solving and analytical thinking. The novelty and contribution of this study lie in implementing these thinking skills within a single activity.

Bibliometric Analysis of Research on Heuristic Method, Research Skills and Teaching Practice in Higher Education: A Perspective from Online and Blended Learning based on Scopus Database 2013- 2023

The present study conducted a detailed bibliometric analysis focused on research related to Heuristic Method, Research Skills and Teaching Practice within the framework of Higher Education. For this purpose, the Scopus database was used, considering publications from 2013 to 2023. The initial analysis revealed a total of 4071 relevant records. Of these, research articles constituted the largest proportion with 60.1%. Given the relevance and volume of these articles, 2488 were selected for further analysis. However, after a filtering process, it was decided to work with 2363 articles. A crucial observation of the study is the prominence of the Social Sciences in this field. With 1,693 articles, the Social Sciences accounted for a significant 39.9% of the total number of publications analyzed. This data suggests a notable inclination towards the Social Sciences when addressing the above-mentioned topics in the field of higher education. It also reflects the interdisciplinarity and diversity of approaches in contemporary educational research. It is essential to note that the methodology adopted in this study, based on bibliometric tools and the Scopus database, provides a robust and up-to-date overview of trends in educational research over the last decade. These findings are crucial for scholars, researchers and practitioners in education to understand the dynamics and recent evolutions in the field.

Research approaches in master-based teacher education preparing student teachers for professional work

Student teachers have been found to be critical toward the research approaches they learned from their master's-based teacher education programmes. Our aim is to discuss how certain research approaches learnt during a 5-year academic master's level teacher education, may bring student teachers close to practice and provide them with conceptual and practical tools for a thorough understanding of the practice of teaching. The argumentation is based on an elaboration of master's-based teacher education programs in Finland and Norway and the essential characteristics of teachers' work. We elaborate on student teachers' need to understand constative, critical and constructive research approaches. This includes critical approaches such as observations and interviews for understanding and interpretation, and constructive approaches such as action research and lesson studies. Finally, we argue that, through these approaches, student teachers make use of research knowledge in teachers' work with an inquiring orientation as well as develop and change their practice.

Design of Moodle-based collaborative learning activities to enhance student interactions

PurposeThis article explores the impact of systematically designed online collaborative activities in two engineering undergraduate modules and key considerations for student interaction in Moodle.Design/methodology/approachThe educational design research approach was chosen to improve educational practices through iterative needs analysis, design, development and implementation. The study followed design-based research (DBR) approach, with a mixed-method research design used to uncover the critical factors in designing, developing and implementing online collaborative learning activities for improving student interaction. Two iterative cycles of online collaborative learning activities were implemented using the Moodle learning management system for two modules of an engineering undergraduate degree programme at a state university in Sri Lanka.FindingsResults indicate that students had demonstrated increased motivation for collaborative activities, and they had not experienced any significant difficulties in accessing materials or instructions. This study emphasizes that the design of learning activities has a greater influence on determining the level of interaction between the learner interface and the learner content. Also, a higher number of interactions on the wiki page improved learner-learner interactions, likely due to clear instructions and reduced complexities compared to previous Moodle activities. Overall, appropriately designed online activities can enhance students' motivation and improve communication, collaboration, cooperation and a sense of community among peers.Research limitations/implicationsThe study's constraints included a small sample size of 93 students in two courses, which limits generalization of the results. The study's findings should be carefully considered before being applied to courses with nontechnical content. The second constraint was the number of courses on which the activities were carried out. The activities were designed specifically for two Earth Resources engineering courses, and the developed activities addressed technical course content. The effect of the activities on students' engagement and motivation in various courses with nontechnical content must be investigated, and a complete generalization of the study's results may be called into question. As a result, careful consideration must be given to generalizing the study's findings.Practical implicationsThe study found that authentic collaborative learning activities using online technologies increased student participation and helped them discover their engineering design skills. Future research can focus on developing activities for other technical courses and incorporating additional tools into the instructional process. The use of a design-based research approach was recommended for future studies to obtain more comprehensive results than traditional comparative study designs.Originality/valueThe findings of this study suggest mechanisms to improve student interaction through online collaborative activities, particularly for delivering technical content. Such an understanding of learner interactions with course content, peers, teachers and interfaces will assist in the effective transformation of traditional technical content to online delivery mode. This is a unique study of converting in-class delivered engineering module content to online delivery within an equal time frame under restricted facilities and conditions resulting from a pandemic environment.

Using unfolding case studies to develop critical thinking for Graduate Entry Nursing students: an educational design research study

BackgroundGraduate Entry Nursing (GEN) programmes have been introduced as another entry point to nurse registration. In the development of a new GEN programme, a problem-based approach to learning was used to develop critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills of motivated and academically capable students.ObjectiveTo explore and evaluate the design and delivery of course material delivered to GEN students embedded in authentic learning pedagogy from the perspectives of both GEN students and academic staff using an unfolding case study approach.MethodsAn educational design research approach was used to explore the learning experiences of GEN students using an unfolding case study approach situated in experiential pedagogy and the teaching experiences of the academics who designed it. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with students once they had finished the course and weekly reflective diary recordings by academic staff throughout implementation. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.FindingsStudent reflections highlighted that this cohort had insight into how they learned and were comfortable voicing their needs to academic staff. While the unfolding case studies were not liked by all participants, for some it offered a unique learning opportunity; particularly when scaffolded with podcasts, simulation labs, tutorials and clinical placements. Staff reflections primarily aligned with student experiences.ConclusionThe gaps highlighted in the delivery of the course suggest that a blended pedagogical approach to graduate entry nurse education is required. Specifically, GEN students are aware of the learning needs and are happy to express these to academic staff, thus suggesting that engaging with a co-design curriculum approach will benefit future cohorts.

Curriculum Development Based on Workplace-Oriented Learning to Improve The Competence of Prospective Early Childhood Education Teachers

This study aims to develop a curriculum design based on Workplace-Oriented Learning (WOL) to improve the professional competence of prospective Early Childhood Education (ECE) teachers. The Educational Design Research (EDR) approach was used in the development of this design, through problem identification, curriculum planning, prototype development, and design evaluation. Through needs analysis and careful planning, this curriculum integrates theory with practice in the field. The results showed that the WOL curriculum was designed according to the current needs in the field. Based on the existing needs, the curriculum design is divided into several stages, including career awareness, career exploration, career preparation, and career training, which allow students to understand the tasks and skills needed in the world of work. With collaboration between educational institutions and industry, this curriculum bridges the gap between theory and practice, preparing students to become PAUD teachers who are ready to face the dynamic demands of early childhood education. Thus, the development of WOL-based curriculum design is expected to make a significant contribution to improving the quality of education and learning in early childhood.

Qualitative Research Approach in Higher Education: Application, Challenges and Opportunities

Qualitative research has become increasingly significant due to its ability to provide valuable perspectives on the intricate dynamics of educational environments. However, researchers have not fully accepted it. In response, this study reviewed literature about underlying assumptions, practical application, challenges and potential opportunities in qualitative research, using the content analysis technique. The study revealed that qualitative research is a valuable approach in higher education as it allows for a deeper understanding of complex phenomena and provides a rich description of experiences and perspectives. Challenges in qualitative research include poor understanding of its potential and lack of time and sufficient funding. The study recommends that researchers in HEIs be encouraged to adopt qualitative research when exploring complex educational phenomena as this approach provides a more comprehensive understanding of experiences and perspectives. Educational institutions need to provide support to researchers, including funding, training and guidance on ethical considerations.

Assessing the Validity and Effectiveness of Student Worksheets and Creativity Tests in Enhancing the Creativity of Open University Students

This research aims to create valid and effective Student Activity Sheets (SAS) and Scientific Creativity Tests (SCT) in order to enhance the creativity of open university students. The validity of SAS and SCT is determined by achieving a minimum score of 2.50 in both content validity and construct validity categories. Similarly, their effectiveness is measured by: (1) observing a statistically significant increase in students' scientific creativity at a 5% significance level; and (2) achieving a minimum average n-gain in the medium category. This research follows an Educational Design Research approach and utilizes a pre-experimental design with a one-group pre-test and post-test design. The research subjects consist of undergraduate students at Open University Surabaya during the 2023/2024 academic year. The data collection instruments used in this research include: (1) a Validity Assessment Sheet for SAS and SCT; and (2) the SCT test. The research data, which includes pre-test and post-test scores, are collected after conducting prerequisite tests such as normality and homogeneity tests. These scores are then analyzed using a paired t-test to identify any differences in students' scientific creativity between the pre-test and post-test stages. The average level of improvement in scores is calculated using the normalized gain (N-gain) method. The research data, in the form of scores obtained from the assessments of the validity of learning tools by three Learning Experts, are analyzed using the average method to determine validity, as well as by using Cronbach's alpha (α) to assess reliability. The same analysis is conducted for the Research Instrument scores. The research findings demonstrate that both SAS and SCT tools are valid and effective in enhancing student creativity.

Using Text Mining to Identify Teleological Explanations in Physics and Biology Textbooks: An Exploratory Study

AbstractCreating and critiquing explanations of phenomena is a significant goal of many scientific disciplines and therefore also a learning goal of science education. A significant source of explanations is science textbooks; however, the large corpus of text in textbooks means that manual review of explanations by individual researchers is extremely time consuming. In this paper, we introduce a text-mining approach for identifying legitimate and illegitimate forms of teleological explanations in school physics and biology textbooks. An ongoing debate exists about the legitimacy of teleological explanations, that is, explanations which account for a phenomenon by reference to a final end, purpose, or goal. Until recently, researchers tended to view teleology as an illegitimate form of scientific explanation. Recent theoretical cases in biology and physics have emphasized that legitimate teleological explanations exist in both domains. Eight science textbooks used in England and internationally were analyzed for instances of teleological explanations. The analysis reveals the efficiency of the text-mining approach for automating the analysis of textbooks and its potential as a research approach in science education. In considering text mining as a research approach, we report terms that are likely to be associated with legitimate teleological explanations. We found that legitimate teleological accounts are used by textbook authors, and we present novel categorizations of these forms of explanation. We argue that text mining can be a useful approach in science education research and our findings suggest guidance for both textbook writers and teachers related to their selection of legitimate explanatory forms.

DOES ASSESSMENT QUALITY AND ASSESSMENT LITERACY INFLUENCE STUDENTS' ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE?

This study aimed to investigate the influence of assessment quality and assessment literacy on students' academic performance in core mathematics within senior high schools in the Akuapem North Municipality. Utilizing a cross-sectional design, data were collected from core mathematics educators in the municipality using a questionnaire covering demographic characteristics, assessment literacy, and teacher quality. A regression analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between assessment quality and literacy and student academic performance. The findings indicated that neither assessment quality nor assessment literacy significantly predicted student academic performance. Specifically, pedagogical expertise, subject-matter knowledge, classroom management skills, test construction understanding, and assessment feedback practice did not have a statistically significant impact on student academic performance. This study contributes to the understanding of the multifaceted factors influencing student academic performance and underscores the importance of comprehensive approaches in educational research and practice. The results suggest that other factors beyond assessment quality and literacy may play a more significant role in shaping student outcomes in the Akuapem North Municipality. Additionally, the study highlights the importance of considering local contexts and exploring a broader range of variables when examining educational outcomes, providing valuable insights for educators and policymakers aiming to improve student performance in core mathematics.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/lit/0788/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Working with a young people's advisory panel to conduct educational research: Young people's perspectives and researcher reflections

Participatory Action Research (PAR) with young people aims to centre their knowledge and experience in research which is meaningful to them. In recent years, there has been an increase in PAR approaches within education, yet there is still a need for greater methodological insight into this approach. In this project, which explored adolescents’ reading motivation and engagement, a young people's advisory panel was convened to ensure the perspectives and experiences of young people were central to the project. The panel consisted of 6 young people (13–15-years-old) from 3 geographically dispersed schools in Scotland. The panel worked with researchers at the Universities of Edinburgh and Dundee and a national literacy organisation across one academic year to plan and design the project, carry out data collection, and support interpretation the findings. In this article, young peoples’ perspectives on their role and adult perspectives on the methodological approach of working with a young people's advisory panel on a reading research project are explored. Discussion of the benefits (e.g., challenging systems of power and privilege, producing outcomes which are more relevant to pupils), limitations (e.g., truly disrupting hierarchies of power), and considerations (e.g., planning participatory projects, including diverse and representative voices, and ‘bounded empowerment’) for researchers interested in convening youth advisory panels for educational research are provided to contribute towards the growing interest in PAR approaches in educational research.

Developing a Longitudinal Program to Improve Medical Students' Wellbeing: A Design-based Educational Research Approach

Developing a Longitudinal Program to Improve Medical Students' Wellbeing: A Design-based Educational Research Approach

Towards a Framework for a Nation-Wide Implementation of Augmented, Virtual and Mixed Reality in K-12 Technical and Vocational Education

As augmented, virtual and mixed reality have become more user-friendly and affordable, these technologies gained increasing interest from education. Teachers all over the world are triggered by the perceived benefits and start experimenting. However, teachers encounter obstacles to pursue effective implementation. This paper describes how these obstacles are being tackled in Flanders (Belgium) via a large-scale, nation-wide framework for the implementation of augmented, virtual and mixed reality in K-12 technical and vocational education. This framework was designed, adopting an Educational Design Research approach, and consists of five interrelated pillars: hardware, software, professional development of teachers, practice-oriented research, and coordination. The proposed framework provides guidelines, both for researchers and education policy makers.

Науково-педагогічні передумови розвитку проблеми формування дослідницької компетентності магістрів з освітніх наук

University education as a historical and cultural phenomenon has its own history, traditions, transformative and renewing potential. It realizes its mission and performs functions that turn it into a special value, in particular, it exerts a cultural and ideological influence on public consciousness; acts as a mechanism for the selection and socialization of the ruling elites; provides new knowledge and carries out scientific research; prepares qualified specialists; transfers cultural capital. The article reveals the content and significance of research activities based on higher education institutions in a retrospective aspect, the content of the concept and the main requirements for the educational and qualification level of a master's degree as a scientific degree. The preconditions for the emergence and the development of the idea of ​​the formation of scientific and research competence of students at domestic universities have been considered. The problem of applying the research approach as a basis for training specialists in higher education has been studied. It has been established that the research approach in education is a set of pedagogical goals aimed at developing students' readiness for research work through its implementation in the educational process. Research work is defined as a special type of intellectual and creative activity of students, which arises as a result of the functioning of individual mechanisms of search activity and involves independent research aimed at theoretical and experimental study of phenomena and processes, substantiation of facts, identification of regularities using methods of scientific knowledge.

Exploring the practice of 10-11-year-olds as co-researchers: using a hybrid approach in educational research to promote children as interviewers

ABSTRACT A critical analysis of the benefits and challenges of adopting a hybrid approach to conducting qualitative research in schools with children as co-researchers is presented. The study involved 18 children (10–11-years), working as co-researchers in pairs to interview each other with a goal of understanding their experiences online, particularly in terms of digital citizenship and mental wellbeing. Children participated in a pre-research lesson for the acquisition of interviewing skills. Analysis identified three key methodological lessons. First, the co-research approach with foundational learning enabled children to be active and responsible interviewers. Second, the adult researcher and school staff had a role in empowering children through empathy, reassurance, positive praise, and supporting them when upset. The final theme recognised the challenges of research being conducted remotely with implications for future research.

Years of education and research driven in sustainable architecture: Where do we stand and where do we go?

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to give an informative map of sustainable architectural education by focusing on publishing trends, prominent publications, prolific contributors, research challenges and future research prospects. As a consequence, an efficient framework for collecting significant knowledge and identifying prevalent topics in sustainable architectural education towards more sustainable environments at the urban and building scales may be provided.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology adopted in this study is based on examining the subjects of many consecutive rounds of the Passive and Low Energy Architecture (PLEA) conference, with an emphasis on the most recent five rounds. The PLEA's official website served as the main source for gathering all proceedings. Earlier rounds from 2016 to 2020, which cover a time span of five years, were utilized to analyze patterns during that time period. The rationale for selecting this time period was the limited availability of data required to observe the trends, area of interest and emerging themes in these fields that could be analyzed qualitatively.FindingsThe findings show that the following drive themes emerged around education and research-driven sustainable architecture: emerging design as a core idea; concentration on the way of delivering and developing education; constructing and shaping the building; assessing current practices; acquiring and recruiting knowledge and new concepts; reporting on the current condition; portraying the target audience and ensuring the long-term viability of the architectural educational process. This insight provides academics and professionals a greater grasp of the state of the art, allowing them to direct their research toward developing concerns in education and research-driven sustainable design.Originality/valueThe study results provide an effective framework for collecting relevant content and identifying prominent topics in sustainable, passive and passive low-energy architecture for the creation of more sustainable urban and building environments. Furthermore, this qualitative and exploratory study may serve as a framework for those researching, creating and verifying different research approaches in education and research-driven sustainable architecture.

Development of Textbooks to Support Mardeka Curriculum Learning on Basic Laws of Chemsitry Materials around Us

Abstract The objective of this research is to create educational materials for the Mardeka curriculum that focus on fundamental chemical principles. The study adopts the Educational Design Research (EDR) approach, utilizing the plomp development model consisting of three stages: initial investigation, development, and prototype formation. To gather data, validity questionnaires and practicality questionnaires were employed. The developed textbooks underwent validation by five individuals, including three chemistry lecturers from FMIPA UNP and two chemistry teachers from SMAN 8 Padang. Additionally, practicality testing involved nine high school students from Phase E and two chemistry teachers from SMAN 8 Padang. The data analysis employed a Likert scale, employing Aiken's V formula to assess textbook validity and the modified Purwanto formula to assess practicality. The analysis of the data revealed that the product validation by the five validators yielded an average score of 0.86 indicating the textbooks' validity. Furthermore, the practicality evaluation by students and chemistry teachers yielded an average score of 92% and 95% respectively, indicating a high level of practicality. In conclusion, based on the data analysis, it can be inferred that the developed textbooks on the basic chemical laws are both valid and practical for use in chemistry education.

“Effectiveness of Structural Teaching Programme on Knowledge and Practice Regarding Breast Self-Examination among Female Students – A Quasi Experimental Study”

Background of the study: Breast cancer is a major public health issue in both developed and developing countries and it is the leading cause of illness and mortality in women. Every year, about 1.15 million new instances of breast cancer are diagnosed worldwide. The high death rate among women owing to breast cancer is exacerbated by late-stage diagnosis. Aim: To evaluate the impact of a teaching program on female students' knowledge of breast self-examination. Methodology: The quantitative educational and evaluative research approach was deemed the most suitable for this investigation. The research design was "A Quasi Experimental Study to Evaluate the Effectiveness of a Structured Teaching Program on Breast Self-Examination Knowledge and Practice among Female College Students in a Selected College in Panipat." Stratified random sampling was utilized to determine the sample. The data collection instruments were self-administered. Two-part multiple-choice questionnaire, with the first section containing demographic data and the second assessing knowledge of breast self-examination. The data were analyzed and hypotheses tested using descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (Chi square, paired "t" test). Results: At the 0.05 level, a comparison of the pre-test mean of 8.35 and the post-test mean of 24.18 for breast self-examination knowledge was found to be statistically significant. This study demonstrates that an educational program is effective at increasing breast self-examination awareness. Conclusion: Overall, the results of this study showed that female students' understanding and practice of BSE were greatly improved because to the structured training program. Therefore, an effective health education campaign should be developed to raise awareness and encourage regular self-breast examination among college-aged women in order to detect breast cancer at an earlier stage.