School Course Research Articles

Summer School Report: Jyväskylä Summer School Course on Ultrafast Spectroscopy

The 32nd edition of the Jyväskylä Summer School (JSS32) was in high demand for the ultrafast spectroscopy chapter. On August 7–11 2023 nearly 40 students gathered to Jyväskylä to tune in for the JSS32 course entitled UltrafastSpectroscopy: phenomena, experiments and data analysis methods. The course was coordinated by Senior Lecturer Tatu Kumpulainen and featured lectures each morning from two invited speakers, Prof. Eric Vauthey, University of Geneva, Switzerland, and Assoc. Prof. Jens Uhlig, Lund University, Sweden. In addition to the lectures, the course featured four workshops in the afternoons aimed at introducing the participants to the practical aspects of steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopies. Besides the scientific content, JSS32 offered several social events where participants could network with other participants of the whole summer school.

Influence of Problem-Based Learning Courses in middle school on students’ Autonomous Learning Ability

Problem-Based Learning (PBL) has emerged as a transformative instructional approach, emphasizing active, student-centered learning through real-world problem-solving. This literature review delves into the potential of PBL to cultivate Autonomous Learning Ability (ALA) among middle school students—a critical yet often overlooked developmental phase. Drawing from diverse studies, the review highlights the synergy between PBL and adolescents' evolving cognitive capacities, such as self-directed inquiry, metacognition, and critical analysis. However, the efficacy of PBL is contingent upon its alignment with students' transitional developmental needs, achieved through adaptive project scaffolding, adept facilitation, and dynamic assessment. While PBL can harness adolescents' budding cognitive abilities, its success is intricately tied to responsive design, ensuring projects, scaffolding, facilitation, and assessment cater to students' unique developmental trajectories. Practical strategies, such as aligning with educational standards, providing incremental teacher training, and emphasizing knowledge application in assessments, can mitigate potential barriers to PBL adoption. Furthermore, the review suggests that while PBL holds promise in fostering autonomous learning skills, its long-term benefits remain a topic of debate. The need for rigorous mixed-methods research examining the enduring academic and career outcomes of PBL is emphasized. Additionally, the potential of emerging technologies to augment PBL's adaptability and inclusivity for a diverse student population is highlighted as a promising avenue for future exploration. In conclusion, this synthesis underscores that PBL, when implemented with developmental considerations at its core, stands out as a potent instructional model, primed to nurture engaged, self-motivated learners in middle school settings.

Teaching schoolchildren in programming within the subject "Informatics": problems and possible solutions

In modern conditions, the constantly expanding use of information technologies, the urgent need for high-level IT specialists, which determine both the development of the country's industrial and intellectual potential, as well as its security, and sometimes the very existence of Russia as an independent state, update the problems of teaching programming at school, including the introduction of an independent subject "Programming" into the school curriculum. The study shows that the framework of the school subject "Informatics" is becoming too narrow for the formation of basic training and professional orientation of schoolchildren in the field of algorithmization and programming; there is an urgent need for schoolchildren to study programming as a separate discipline. But the question arises of choosing a programming language to study in a school course. A comparison of the programming languages that are most common in teaching school informatics today, in particular Python and Pascal, allows us to determine their advantages and disadvantages when studying at school as the first programming language and to conclude that preference should be given to the Pascal language, since Python does not allow students to sufficiently develop confident competencies in the field of programming and knowledge of the fundamental elements of programming.

Reform of the Teaching Model of Korean Intensive Reading Courses in Vocational High Schools in the Era of All-Media

The use of multimedia technology in the teaching process is the current mainstream trend in teaching development. The arrival of the all-media era is not only a huge challenge to the traditional teaching model, but also a huge opportunity for the reform of the teaching model. Combining traditional education models with modern scientific and technological means, and learning from each other’s strengths can stimulate students’ subjective initiative in learning. On the other hand, it is also an important way for teachers to improve their teaching abilities. This article analyzes the opportunities brought by the all-media era to the reform of education models based on the teaching status and teaching difficulties of Korean intensive reading courses in vocational high schools, and proposes a teaching model reform strategy for Korean intensive reading courses in vocational high schools in the all-media era.

Changes in control and value appraisals predict changes in learning enjoyment: A four-wave analysis among lower secondary school students.

The control-value theory of achievement emotions postulates that it is possible to affect achievement emotions by decreasing or increasing control and value appraisals. This implies that changes in the latter should result in changes in the former. However, the assumption has been rarely tested. This study aimed at verifying whether changes in control and value appraisals - two proximal antecedents of achievement emotions - predicted changes in learning enjoyment over the course of lower secondary school. Moreover, since studying changes requires knowledge of their overall pattern, it also investigated the developmental trajectories of the three student characteristics. The study used longitudinal data of 5125 German students gathered between Grades 5 and 9, four measurement occasions in total. The hypotheses were tested using univariate and multivariate latent change score models. The analyses revealed decreases in control and value appraisals and learning enjoyment between Grades 5 and 9. Moreover, the decreases in control and value appraisals predicted the decreases in learning enjoyment. The study provides support for the change-change assumption, which is one of the key but under-researched elements of the control-value theory of achievement emotions. As such, it suggests that alleviating the decrease in control and value appraisals may mitigate the decrease in learning enjoyment. Moreover, by providing longitudinal evidence on the decrease in the three constructs under study, it corroborates the inimical trend observed in past research.

Research on the Effectiveness of English Unit Homework Design Based on Big Idea in Junior High School

Homework is a crucial aspect of curriculum that reinforce and expand upon classroom teaching and guide teachers in improving their instruction. After many years of reform, China’s curriculum has entered the era of core competence which should be taken by homework as its ultimate goal. Traditional homework often focuses too much on repetition and quantity over quality, potentially reducing students’ enthusiasm for learning. With the “Double Reduction” policy, homework must now focus on educational value with reduced quantity and higher quality. In this study, the integrated unit design of English homework based on big idea is introduced to the English course of junior high school, trying to verify its effectiveness in helping achieve the core competence of English subject from the perspective of homework. The research involved eighth graders from a Chengdu middle school and used core competency tests from the Jinjiang District for pre- and post-experiment data. Interviews with students and teachers showed a positive reception to this new approach. Despite some limitations, the study suggests that homework based on big idea can effectively boost English core competencies in middle schoolers.

Ten-year evaluation of an immersive global health medical school course using a four-principle equity framework

IntroductionResponding to a growing need for health care professionals equipped with global expertise in local and international settings, an innovative global health medical school course was developed that combines rigorous didactics, mentorship, cross-cultural training, and international experiences to build students’ cultural humility and clinical skills.MethodsRecognizing that global health service trips and courses can unintentionally exacerbate inequities and power imbalances, this course was evaluated using the four principles of Melby et al.’s Guidelines for Implementing Short-term Experiences in Global Health. These principles include skill building in cross-cultural effectiveness and cultural humility, bidirectional participatory relationships, local capacity building, and long-term sustainability.ResultsThe course was developed with long-standing global partners and includes a capstone project that is intended to strengthen local capacity with benefits to the site and student. Student course evaluations, supervisors’ observations of students, and supervisor feedback forms indicate that this course achieves these principles. Furthermore, there is evidence that students developed cultural humility, acquired foundational science knowledge and relevant skills, and changed their medical practice.DiscussionThis approach could serve as a model for institutions seeking to enhance training in global health for medical students.

The Effectiveness of Synchronous and Asynchronous Blended Teaching Plan for Preschool Education Major Students at The Institute of Teacher Education in Ningxia Province, People Republic of China

Background and Aims: In recent years, the role of choral conducting courses in China's basic education has been receiving more and more attention. A sudden increase in the demand for chorus and conducting courses in primary school has led to a shortage of teachers in this professional field in underdeveloped areas such as Ningxia. To efficiently train more primary school teachers who possess choral conducting skills for basic education has become the primary focus of colleges and universities offering primary school education majors. The purpose of this article is to explore whether synchronous and asynchronous blended teaching plans can achieve, or even surpass, the academic performance of traditional educational methods while enhancing the efficiency of the curriculum. Methodology: This quasi-experimental study aims to investigate the effects of various teaching plans on participants’ outcomes. The participants consist of students engaged in a chorus and conducting an education setting. In this research procedure, the 39 participants were divided into three groups, each experiencing a different teaching method: the traditional teaching plan group, the synchronous blended teaching plan group, and the asynchronous blended teaching plan group. After implementing the teaching plans, standardized tests are administered to all three groups to measure their learning outcomes and performance. The collected data, comprising participants' test scores, will undergo statistical analysis using ANOVA and the Paired T-test. Result: The final research results indicated that there was no statistically significant difference in the performance of the three participant groups. In other words, all three teaching plans exhibited a positive effect on participants' performance, with similar degrees of improvement. When considering average scores in sub-subjects, participants in the blended program generally outperformed those in the traditional style. Conclusion: The blended teaching plan combines the convenience of online teaching with the benefits of offline practical instruction. The researchers contend that employing a blended teaching approach can enhance course efficiency, offering a viable alternative to the traditional teaching method.

THE EFFECT OF GEMS APPROACH ON SCIENCE PROCESS SKILLS OF MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS

THE EFFECT OF GEMS APPROACH ON SCIENCE PROCESS SKILLS OF MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS

Development of P-TMDRE Blended Teaching Mode on E-Commerce Foundation Course in Secondary Vocational School

This research originates from the challenges faced in the teaching of depth, systematization, and coherence in the current blended teaching mode, which is based on an innovatively constructed P-TMDRE blended teaching mode of the “E-commerce foundation course” in secondary vocational schools, which is belived to improve students’ grades, due to its emphasis of in-depth systemic learning. The sample uses the method of target sampling to select 17 experts; the course practice is aimed at 80 sophomores majoring in e-commerce, divided into 40 participants in the experimental group and 40 participants in the control group. Four rounds of expert review using the Delphi method: first round: brainstorming; second round: expert opinion review stage; third round: re-evaluation stage based on the previous round of evaluation opinions; fourth round: identify, resolve, and report Workable ideas. Through the pre-test and post-test of the quasi-experimental method, the student’s grades and deep system learning ability are tested, and the effectiveness of the P-TMDRE blended teaching mode is further confirmed. Using Delphi technology to build five modules of the P-TMDRE blended teaching mode of the “E-commerce foundation course” course. After the teaching application, the average post-test scores of the control group and the experimental group were 64.765 and 75.252, with a difference of 10.487 points, indicating that the learners’ academic performance has been significantly improved. On the motivation dimension of deep systems learning, the pre-test and post-test averages are 2.91 and 4.14. In terms of learning engagement, the mean values of the pre-test and post-test were 2.93 and 4.15. In terms of deep system learning strategies, the mean values of the pre-test and post-test of the learners in the experimental group were 2.96 and 4.17, indicating that the deep system learning ability of the learners has been significantly improved.

CARIMBÓ AS A THEMATIC UNIT OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION: PARADIDACTIC MATERIAL FOR PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION IN A FEDERAL INSTITUTION IN NORTHERN BRAZIL

The objective of this study was to verify the feasibility of producing a textbook to assist physical education teachers in carimbó dance classes for students in integrated physical education courses in schools. This is a field study with experimental characteristics and a quantitative approach. This research was conducted at the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Pará (IFPA), with a sample of 28 physical education teachers. Data collection was performed through a semi-structured questionnaire prepared in Google® Form with alternatives on a Likert scale. The results showed that most participants were male (61%), with an average age of 44.3 years, white (43%) and mixed race (39%), and the average workload was 14.4 hours/month. In addition, 93% of the participants worked full-time. The length of professional experience was 19.7 years, classified as career stabilization. The teachers' perception of the need for the content of the thematic unit on folk dance and Carimbó had high validity according to the content validation index (CVI). In addition, the paradidactic book as an educational product was developed and validated by the CVI with a score >78. The evaluations showed that both the diagnosis and the application improved the scores after reading the book, which was also demonstrated in the content validation index by item (CVI-I) that improved for diagnosis and application after the teachers read the book. However, it was possible to develop an educational technology to assist in the teaching of folk dances with a focus on carimbó, through a paradidactic book of narrative story with dialogue entitled: Carimbó: what dance is this?

Optimisation of Master’s Degree Programmes in Translation Based on Multi-Attribute Decision-Making Approach

Abstract In this paper, first of all, in the quality assessment of the teaching quality of the translation course, it is proposed to use a multi-attribute decision model to assess the quality of the set of alternatives for all the courses and to use the existing decision ideal points to rank and select the best of a set of optimized solutions for the translation course through the hesitant fuzzy number and objective optimization model. Finally, to explore the optimization problem of the curriculum, a research analysis was conducted on MTI master’s students who recently graduated from the institution. The results show that by optimizing the MTI course specifically, the students’ positive interest (p 1 = 0.03) and independent inquiry interest (p 2 = 0.01) are less than 0.05, showing significant differences (p<0.05). The special optimization scheme of the MTI course proposed in this paper can reflect some problems worth pondering in the curriculum and provide a guiding reference for optimizing the MTI course in schools.

METHODICAL WORK OF THE TEACHER AS A COMPONENT OF THE EDUCATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL PROGRAM «SECONDARY EDUCATION (COMPUTER SCIENCE)»

The purpose of the article is to determine the content and functions of the methodical work of an informatics teacher, justifying the need to reflect it in the cycle of professional training courses of the Secondary Education (Informatics) educational and professional program. Research methods: bibliosemantic (analysis, generalization of scientific and theoretical information for the purpose of studying the problem); system-analytical (analysis through synthesis, reasoning by analogy to present the main material); sociological (questionnaires of fourth-year students, observation of their studies, study of results); statistical methods (analysis and systematization of experimental data, their visual representation). The article considers the methodical work of a computer science teacher as a component of professional activity, defining it as a system of interrelated and interdependent actions aimed at competent goal setting, planning and organization of the educational process in computer science, as well as at increasing personal creativity and professional skills. The article presents the results of a survey of bachelors at the stage of graduation from a higher education institution regarding their ability and willingness to perform the methodological work of a teacher during: analysis of the pedagogical situation; designing teacher actions and students' learning and cognitive activities; using teaching tools, forms and methods; creating information projects. 72% of students surveyed believe that they are well prepared for the methodological work of a teacher, but could be better; 15% believe they are well prepared, while 6% and 7% believe they are «poorly prepared» and «not prepared». The methodological work of the teacher should be reflected as widely as possible in the educational and professional program «Secondary Education (Informatics)», in particular in the results of student learning, in the selection of disciplines, and in the creation of a professionally oriented learning environment. It is necessary to focus students on knowledge of the subject area, making informed decisions about the organization of computer science lessons, the use of innovative teaching methods and technologies, etc. The functions and principles of methodical work are outlined, based on the school course of computer science, computer science methods, didactics, pedagogy. Its purpose is formed from the goals of education and study of computer science, means – from the principles and content of pedagogical activity, and results – from the purpose and tasks of designing, organizing and implementing the process of studying a certain content area of computer science. Methodological work should be pedagogically appropriate in execution, creative in content, and balanced in the choice of teaching methods and tools.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Testicular Self-Examination Among Male Undergraduate Students of Computing and Engineering Sciences in Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State

Testicular cancer is the most common cancer among young men and early detection improves its prognosis. Meanwhile, testicular self-examination (TSE) is a secondary prevention measure that is easy to perform and helps in the early detection of testicular cancer. There are limited studies to report the level of knowledge and practice of testicular self-examination. Therefore, this study is aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of testicular self-examination among male undergraduate students of Computing and Engineering Sciences in Babcock University, Ilishan Remo, Ogun State. A descriptive cross-sectional research with a sample of 290 undergraduate students was used for the study. The students offering a course in Computer school were purposively selected from the School of Computing and Engineering Sciences, a multistage sampling technique was used and they were stratified based on their educational levels. A simple random sampling technique was used to select the respondents. A self-structured online questionnaire was used for data collection. Ethical clearance to conduct the study was obtained from Babcock University Ethical Review Committee. Permission to conduct the study was sought from the School of Computing and Engineering Sciences in Babcock University and an informed consent form was attached to the questionnaire. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Results show that most of the participants (88.3%) were within the ages of 15-20. The majority (54.1%) had good knowledge of TSE, 41.0% had a positive attitude, but only 14.8% had ever practiced TSE and only 11.4 % had ever had their testicles examined by medical personnel. Despite good knowledge of TSE in this study, the findings revealed that knowledge is not commensurate to attitude and practice. This underscores the need to increase the awareness of TC and TSE among young men. Clinical testicular examination and education needs to be incorporated into routine examinations of young males.

A Study on Self-directed Learning Experiences of Mature Students in Liberal Arts Courses at University

The purpose of this paper is to study the self-directed learning experiences of mature students in liberal arts courses at universities. In this study, the above mentioned experiences were analyzed through focus group interviews, as a qualitative research method, targeting five mature students enrolled a B liberal arts course at university. The results of this study are as follows. First, at the time of entering university, the research showed that mature students attempted learning at university with high school friends, attempted learning at university immediately after completing high school courses, attempted learning at university as a driving force for life, and attempted learning at university for the purpose of acquiring qualifications. Second, at the time of their application for liberal arts courses, the mature students chose liberal arts courses based on the department's collective timetable and the liberal arts policy in relation to the distance education provided by the university. Third, during the liberal arts courses, the mature students learned with classmates through competition and cooperation, through effort of repetition, through joyful participation, and through empathy understanding. Fourth, at the time of evaluation of liberal arts courses, the mature students grew through a belief in themselves, through the realization of the value of learning, and through their sastifactions with life as it pertained to their communication with their families. Fifth, in the preparation period for the next semester of university, the mature students challenged themselves by auditing other university classes and by engaging in extracurricular activities. The suggestions based on the results of this study are as follows. First, it is necessary to overcome the restrictiveness and rigidity of the existing university liberal arts courses by linking them with lifelong education. Second, it is necessary to provide continuous learning opportunities for mature students through advanced programs and in-depth programs in liberal arts courses. Third, it is necessary to promote learning motivation for mature students by strengthening the relevance of university courses with the real lives of their learners, as well by strengthening the interactions of students in liberal arts courses. Fourth, it is necessary to build a learning environment in which mature students can learn autonomously.

LOGICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE CONTENT OF PHYSICAL CONCEPTS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE FORMATION OF A SCIENTIFIC PICTURE OF THE WORLD IN SPECIALIZED CLASSES WITH AN IN-DEPTH STUDY OF PHYSICS

The article analyzes the concepts of “mass”, “rest mass”, “relativistic mass”, “energy” and considers their content in accordance with modern scientific ideas. An analysis of the specified concepts in physics textbooks and their correspondence to modern scientific theories ‒ special relativity and quantum theory ‒ was carried out. Based on the analysis of the scientific literature, it is shown that according to Minkovskyʼs formalism, mass is a scalar quantity that depends on the 4-vector momentum, and therefore does not depend on the choice of reference system. The introduction of the concept of relativistic mass and the functional relationship between mass and speed is unjustified. In the teaching methodology of physics, it is necessary to take into account the specified features, since in textbooks there is an incorrect or inaccurate description of the concepts “rest mass”, “rest energy”, “total energy” and the connection of rest energy with the speed of light in a vacuum. These concepts play an important role in the formation of a scientific picture of the world in lyceum students.In most studies, despite their scientific value and practical significance for the methodology of teaching physics and natural sciences in general, insufficient attention is paid to the formation of fundamental concepts that are the basis of relevant physical theories. The analysis of modern programs and textbooks shows that the system of physical concepts in the school course consists mainly of fundamental concepts, the formation of which occurs throughout the course of physics taught in gymnasiums and lyceums. The level of formation of these concepts should correspond to the current level of their interpretation in science. However, the structuring of the educational material only in general terms repeats the structure of physical science, as it takes into account the didactic aspect of physical knowledge.
 Keywords: scientific picture of the world; special theory of relativity; quantum theory; mass; energy; momentum; rest mass; rest energy; relativistic mass.

Legal Tech: as a Compulsory Educational Subject (course) in Law Schools

Legal Tech: as a Compulsory Educational Subject (course) in Law Schools

The Effect of Learning Environments Enriched with Multisensory Reading Activities on Reading Comprehension, Reading Comprehension Strategies and Reading Motivation

The aim of the study is to determine the effect of learning environments enriched with multi-sensory reading activities on reading comprehension skills. Within the framework of this general objective, it was also aimed to investigate the effect of learning environments enriched with multi-sensory reading activities on reading comprehension strategies and reading motivation. For these purposes, a quasi-experimental model with a pre-and post-test control group was used in the research model. In the 2020-2021 academic year, the existing Turkish curriculum was used in the control group while the Turkish courses of a private primary school were conducted with the Turkish curriculum enriched with multi-sensory activities prepared by the researcher in the experimental group. The research lasted for 6 weeks. Considering the results obtained from the research, the following results were reached. “The Turkish curriculum enriched with multi-sensory reading activities is more effective than the existing Turkish curriculum in the development of Reading Comprehension Skills.” “In the development of Reading Comprehension Strategies, the Turkish curriculum enriched with multi-sensory reading activities is more effective than the existing Turkish curriculum.” and “The Turkish curriculum enriched with multi-sensory reading activities is more effective than the existing Turkish curriculum in the development of Reading Motivation.”

Teacher Opinions on the Problems Encountered in Teaching History Subjects in Social Studies Courses

The first impression of history acquired by students who encounter history subjects for the first time in the "Culture and Heritage" learning area of the social studies course in schools is a critical point for their view of history for the rest of their educational life. The aim of the research, which is designed with this motivation, is to reveal the problems experienced in the teaching of history subjects in primary social studies courses from the perspective of teachers. The study group of the study consists of 27 social studies teachers working in 21 different secondary schools in Adana, Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa, Hatay and Trabzon provinces of Turkey. The study is designed in the case study pattern from qualitative research methods. In the study, the semi-structured interview form developed by the researcher was used as a data collection tool through Google Forms. The data obtained in the study were subjected to descriptive analysis; QDA Miner 5 qualitative data analysis program was used for this. According to the findings of the research, social studies teachers face problems such as the fact that the curriculum is very intense, the course hours are insufficient, the students do not show interest in the course, the history subjects are boring and irrelevant to the present, the students cannot perceive abstract subjects and concepts and the physical facilities of the schools are insufficient. In the solution of such problems, teachers and students, as well as especially the program makers who develop the curriculum, have a great responsibility.

Expanding Climate Change Education in Agricultural Communities: Lessons from the U.S Midsouth

The U.S agricultural industry is a major player in the global market, and changes in climate that impact the industry have implications for both domestic and global food security. Existing studies have revealed a disconnect between agricultural stakeholders and the wider climatological community which impedes the process of informed decision making in response to climate-related changes in agriculture. Furthermore, the topic of climate change is not well-represented in national and state science education standards. We propose CLASS (Climate Literacy for Agriculture and Sustainable Societies), a collaborative project that aims to both bridge this gap in perception and understanding regarding climate change among stakeholders in rural communities and enhance the educational curriculum in high schools and higher education institutes. Beneficiaries for this project are students and educators at the secondary and post-secondary level and partners served by the partnering universities. The final products consist of college level courses, dual-credit courses for secondary schools, and educational materials for agricultural stakeholders with a focus on climate change. The project’s goal is to assist today’s students as they become part of the future agricultural workforce and to develop the knowledge, skills, and adaptive strategies required to meet the challenges associated with a changing climate.