School Teacher Education Research Articles

Croatian Pedagogy in the 19th Century

The transfer of European pedagogical ideas and practices to Croatia during the 19th century, when the Croatian pedagogy was being established, could be observed at three basic levels: at the level of formal pedagogical education of teachers, at the level of scholarly texts on pedagogy and the level of studying and professional development abroad.Teachers had a pivotal role in the development of the practice and theory of pedagogy, which was important to them for the improvement of their teaching, as well as for their professional identity. For that reason, they were initiating publication of subject-specific journals, writing textbooks on pedagogy and translating European pedagogy classics to Croatian. The publishing activity of the Croatian Pedagogical-Literary Assembly had a major influence on the appearance of scholarly texts on pedagogy. Immediately upon its establishment in 1871, it initiated an editorial series Knjižnica za učitelje (Library for Teachers), within which 54 volumes were published by 1917, including the translations of the works by major pedagogy authors, such as Comenius (Didaktika, 1871, Informatorijum za školu materinsku, 1886, Velika didaktika, 1900), Spencer (Nauk ob uzgoju, 1883), Rousseau (Emil ili ob uzgoju, 1887-1889), Pestalozzi (Miroslav i Bogoljuba, 1891) and Rabelais (Misli o uzgoju, 1894).The Croatian Pedagogical-Literary Assembly also published a compilation of pedagogical textbooks by Stjepan Basariček – Uzgojoslovje (1880), Povijest pedagogije (1881), Obće obukoslovje (1882) i Posebno obukoslovje (1884). His textbooks were theoretically based on the works of the German pedagogue Johann Friedrich Herbart (1776-1841) and were used in teacher education schools, with some revisions and new editions, until the 1920s.

Interactions between special education teachers and children with chronic complex conditions: A qualitative study.

The number of children with complex medical conditions has increased in recent decades. In this context, a complex chronic condition is characterized by multiple morbidities that require intensive or continuous health care according to the level of severity. Given their various health conditions, it is challenging to provide special education to these children, but there is still insufficient evidence regarding the practical experiences of educators. The aim of this study was to investigate special education teacher's perceptions, experiences, and challenges while developing interpersonal relationships and communicating with children who have complex chronic conditions. We recruited and interviewed 21 special education school teachers in Japan. The transcripts of the interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. Our analysis revealed four themes, including "searching for the meaning," "complex chronic conditions as a difficult reality," "widening experience for the future," and "priority for interacting with children." These themes reflect the perceptions, experiences, and challenges of the special education teachers. In cases where children have severe functional limitations, it is more challenging to understand child-teacher interactions. This highlights the importance of searching for meaning in educational practices used among children with complex chronic conditions. Our findings may provide helpful insight into the experiences and challenges faced by special educators who engage with these children.

Peran Guru Pendidikan Jasmani Sekolah Dasar dalam Meningkatkan Pelaksanaan Usaha Kesehatan Sekolah di SD Negeri Se-Desa Kayen Kabupaten Pati

This study aims to determine the role of elementary school physical education teachers in improving the implementation of UKS in public elementary schools throughout Kayen Village. The method used is descriptive quantitative with a population of 6 Public Elementary Schools in Kayen Village and the sample used by all physical education teachers in State Elementary Schools in Kayen Village is 6 teachers (total sampling). The test instrument uses a questionnaire and documentation. The analysis technique uses the percentage score formula and the descriptive percentage analysis criteria table from Sudijono in 2009. The results show that the role of physical education teachers in improving the UKS of Public Elementary Schools throughout Kayen Village, Pati Regency is carried out well along with several factors such as: instilling healthy living habits (67%) , teaches students hygiene (83%), supervises and checks the cleanliness of the school environment (50%), performs first aid and light treatment (67%), recognizes signs of infectious diseases and their consequences (67%), knows efforts as an action next (83%). The role of physical education teachers in UKS activities at State Elementary Schools throughout Kayen Village has been going well, because they have taken 6 factors to support the implementation of UKS.

Sign language usage of deaf or hard of hearing Sri Lankans.

In Sri Lanka, about 300,000 Sinhala speaking people are either deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) and would benefit from a common Sinhala sign language, technological resources such as captioning, and educational and social support. There is no fully developed common sign language for members of the Sinhalese community, a severe shortage of sign language interpreters, and few resources for teachers. This exploratory study was undertaken in all nine provinces of Sri Lanka into the use of sign language, access to education for people with disabilities, and the availability of trained or qualified educators to work with the DHH people. Data were gathered via interviews and focus groups with Special Education Assistant Directors, Principals and Teachers in Deaf Schools, and Teachers of Special Education Deaf Units in mainstream schools. The DHH members of Sri Lankan society are marginalized, under-supported, and require urgent attention to their educational and social needs. This study provides a basis for much needed attention and reform.

Challenges in Roma Pupils’ Education and Their Overcoming: An Analysis of Lithuanian General Education School Teachers’ Experience

Challenges in Roma Pupils’ Education and Their Overcoming: An Analysis of Lithuanian General Education School Teachers’ Experience

РАЗВИТИЕ ИНФОРМАЦИОННОЙ КОМПЕТЕНТНОСТИ УЧИТЕЛЕЙ-ЗАОЧНИКОВ ФИЗИЧЕСКОЙ КУЛЬТУРЫ ЯКУТИИ НА ОСНОВЕ ПРОВЕДЕНИЯ КУРСОВ ПОВЫШЕНИЯ КВАЛИФИКАЦИИ

The article presents the need for the organization of advanced training courses in the direction of improving the level of information competence of physical education teachers in secondary schools of Yakutia. The purpose of the study is to substantiate the conduct of advanced training courses aimed at developing the information competence of teachers of physical education in schools of Yakutia by means of digital technologies. The research method is based on the use of the method of expert assessments and statistical processing of quantitative research results. The experiment involved more than 120 teachers of physical education by correspondence, who took advanced training courses on the basis of NEFU and CHGIFKIS from 12 uluses of the republic. As part of the implementation of planned advanced training courses, a characteristic feature of which is the availability of a material and technical base for providing the network and the Internet, a variety of platforms and territorial location. The overwhelming majority of schools in Yakutia are rural (more than 70%), since they function and work in rural settlements. The article updates scientific and methodological approaches to the study of the use of digital technologies and applications conducted for advanced training courses. The research conducted among physical education teachers justifiably testifies to the need to take into account the peculiarities of the educational environment of schools in Yakutia in the development of information competence of physical education teachers. The significance of the study lies in the development of the information competence of part-time physical education teachers using digital technologies and resources in the light of the new requirements of the Federal State Educational Standard.

Image of Physical Education Teachers and Their Class as Seen by Teachers of Other Disciplines

The image of a given professional group is the way they are perceived by members of another group, which translates directly into relations as well as attitudes towards them. How teachers and the discipline they teach are perceived is a significant factor that influences relations and atmosphere in the small school community. In the case of Physical Education (PE) teachers in Cypriot secondary schools, things might be different since they are dressed differently, they spend most of the time in the schoolyard or in the gym, they never carry books or homework, and so on. Various opinions are expressed, from time to time, about themselves and their class by teachers of other disciplines. These opinions vary from negative on one end to positive on the other. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the image of PE teachers and their classes in Cypriot secondary schools, as seen by teachers of other disciplines. For that purpose, 132 secondary school teachers (78 women and 54 men) of various disciplines were randomly selected to participate in this study. Teachers were recruited from secondary schools from all over Cyprus and were interviewed in their school settings during their free time. For the conduct of the interviews, a questionnaire was prepared with open-closed type questions, which consisted of 2 parts: The first part concerned the teacher, and the second concerned the physical education class. The duration of each interview was approximately 30 minutes. In the first part, teachers were asked about their relationships with the PE teacher, how they see him/her as a professional, how easy he/she is in his/her relationship with them, etc., while in the second part, they were asked about the importance of physical education, whether they believed that the class was as important as other disciplines in students’ education and others. The data were analyzed using the method of continuous comparison and analytical induction and showed that three different views prevail about PE teachers and their class: 1) They are colleagues who have no difficulties in their work, are somewhat distant from other colleagues and their class does not have much to offer, 2) They are colleagues who easily develop good relationships with colleagues of other disciplines. However, their contribution to students’ education through their class is not like that of other disciplines, and 3) They are well-intentioned colleagues, always available, easy to work with, who contribute significantly through their class like any other colleague, but with different duties, due to the nature of their class. Teachers of other disciplines are often influenced either by personal experiences of the past, forming a positive or negative image, or by individual cases in their school. Although PE teachers do not have anything to prove at school, since they have to be transferred to a different school every eight years, according to the Cypriot Education System and colleagues of other disciplines do not know them as professionals, many times they have to prove themselves in other colleagues’ eyes through their work, in order to allow them to form positive perceptions of themselves as professionals and the contribution of their class to the overall student education.

The Effectiveness of School Leaders' Leadership in National Special Education School in Kuala Lumpur

Every school needs a comprehensive plan to produce well-rounded students who meet their physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and social needs. Therefore, the success of a school is determined by the cohesive cooperation between the school community and the stakeholders managed by the school leader. However, a research study found that leaders in special education schools still need to understand the necessary leadership strategies to implement. Failure to do so can result in weak or ineffective leadership. Hence, this study analyzed the leadership level of school leaders in special education schools in Kuala Lumpur. The data was obtained through a quantitative method, which involved conducting a survey using questionnaires as the research instrument. The questionnaire was distributed to 66 special education school teachers. The results showed that the leadership level of special education school leaders for the domain of creating a conducive school environment (overall min: 2.70), improving the competence of school members (overall min: 2.48), and creating partnerships and networking (overall min: 2.63) was at a modest level. Therefore, the stakeholders in the Regional Education Office, State Education Department, and the Malaysian Ministry of Education need to collaborate and channel their efforts towards raising the leadership capabilities of special education school leaders to the highest possible level. It will enable the implementation of the PPPM 2013-2025 goal to place high-achieving leaders in every school.

Constructing ‘the parents’ in primary schools in Greece: special education teachers’ whispers

The Greek educational system is highly centralized and the communication between parents and teachers is considered as a marginal or a grey area in the school function. Educational legislation favours parents’ involvement rather than participation and implies an imbalance between parents and professionals. Drawing on a study using a life history approach, this paper considers the ways in which special education teachers in both special education schools and integration units perceive the parents of their students. The boundaries between expert knowledge and personal experience form a contested terrain of power relationships. These relationships are shaped by circumstances and are highly contextualized. Special school teachers deem parents in a deficit discourse while Integration unit teachers deem parents in a client discourse. The construction of the “parents” seems to be a gendered and social class issue as well. This work also reveals some implications for the teachers’ training programmes in order to ensure a more equal partnership at more inclusive and democratic schools.

Contextual performance of physical education teachers in secondary schools in the city of Mosul

Contextual performance of physical education teachers in secondary schools in the city of Mosul

Teachers' Strategy to Improve Learners' Comprehension in Islamic Education in Elemantary School

This study aims to find out how the strategy is to increase students' understanding in learning Islamic religious education in elementary schools. This study used a qualitative method with a case study approach. The data source was taken through in-depth interviews with ten Islamic religious education teachers in several elementary schools. All data were analyzed thematically with techniquesInteractive Analysis Model Miles & Huberman. Research findings found four strategies for teachers in improving student understanding of the nature of Islamic religious education learning. The four strategies are i) wheezingIntegrate technology as a learning medium so that students can easily understand the material, ii) condition students to study in groups, so that collaboration among students is formed in learning, iii) Provide rest periods in learning sessions to overcome learning saturation, iv) Varying learning methods such as singing and carry out games in conveying subject matter. The research findings also found that the four strategies used by the teacher were implemented well and even succeeded in increasing students' understanding in understanding the subject matter. These four strategies can be used as examples for Islamic religious education teachers in various elementary schools in carrying out learning.

The Effect of Inclusive Education Training on Teachers’ Social and Personality Competencies

Inclusive education system is a new challenge for teachers in teaching and learning activity. Homogeneity in learning activity has always been there but inclusive education system brings a new setting where regular students and students with special needs learn in the same classroom. The issue emerges due to teachers’ lack of competencies in implementing inclusive education. For this reason, teachers need to be provided with training on inclusive education. This research aims to examine whether teachers’ competencies can be improved through inclusive education training, specifically for social and personality competencies. This research used associative method which aims to find the influence of training on teachers’ social and personality competencies. The samples selected for this research were 42 elementary school teachers in inclusive education. The technique of data analysis used was T-test. Findings showed that inclusive education training has improved teachers’ social competency, while it gives no influence on teachers’ personality competency.

Department of Elementary School Education Teacher Education, Satya Wiyata Mandala University, Nabire, Indonesia

Based on the problems that occur in badminton athletes for Merauke Regency PBSI, namely the difficulty for athletes to master badminton footwork and stroke movements due to the lack of badminton training facilities and infrastructure owned by PBSI Branch Merauke, so there is a need for a solution to overcome these problems. This research has the meaning: Knowing the effect of the Shadow Lamp Badminton Model as a Footwork and Stroke Training Tool for PBSI Merauke Badminton Athletes. The method in this research uses an experimental method in the form of a Quasi Experiment, namely the Non Randomized Control Group Pretest-Posttest Design. The subjects of this study were 14 PBSI Badminton Athletes in Merauke Regency, with male and female gender criteria. this research will find out the difference in these levels of ability of athletes in using the application of electronic knowledge in badminton sports to help athletes practice footwork and badminton strokes through shadow lamps and using conventional models. The instrument to measure the ability of footwork and stroke is the foot circuit test. the results of this research namely, footwork and stroke skills increased. get a significance result of 0.000 <0.05. This Badminton Model Shadow Lamp is effective as a Footwork and Stroke Training Tool for PBSI Merauke Badminton Athletes.

Fostering fundamental computational skills, a global challenge

Fostering fundamental computational skills, a global challenge Koji Watanabe, Professor from Miyazaki International University in Japan, argues that fostering fundamental computational skills is a global challenge. The international community recognises cultivating fundamental computational skills as a critical challenge in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The mathematics education of a country plays a crucial role in fostering these basic computational skills. Therefore, a comprehensive approach that considers various components of school education (educational goals, teachers, teaching materials, and children) is necessary. Additionally, the concept of quantity in developing basic computational skills is context-dependent and requires attention. The study seeks to address the challenges the international community poses regarding mathematics education. We strive to gain a detailed understanding of the current situation and develop teaching materials and educational practices based on this understanding. Our specific focus is on cultivating basic computational skills in developing countries.

Implementation of the Independent Learning (Merdeka Belajar) Curriculum in Physical Education Sports and Health Subjects in Public Junior High Schools in Sleman District

The research objectives are to find out: (1) Implementation of Merdeka Belajar Curriculum in Physical Education, Sports and Health subjects at State Junior High Schools in Sleman Regency. (2) Obstacles in the implementation of Merdeka Belajar Curriculum in Physical Education, Sports and Health subjects at State Junior High Schools in Sleman Regency. (3) Solutions made to overcome the obstacles to the implementation of the Merdeka Belajar Curriculum in Physical Education, Sports and Health subjects. The method used mixed research. The subjects of this study were principals and Physical Education, Sports and Health teachers in public junior high schools in Sleman Regency which were taken based on random sampling. The instruments used were interviews and questionnaires. The data analysis techniques used were qualitative and quantitative. Research results: (1) Implementation of Merdeka Belajar Curriculum in Physical Education, Sports and Health subjects in State Junior High Schools in Sleman Regency is in the sufficient and good categories, namely 50.00%. State Junior High Schools in Sleman Regency have implemented the Merdeka Belajar Curriculum in stages, and have implemented Project-Based Learning which is one of the learning activities in the Merdeka Belajar Curriculum. (2) The obstacles in the implementation of the Merdeka Belajar Curriculum in the Physical Education, Sports and Health subject in State Junior High Schools in Sleman Regency are that teachers are still difficult to instill the 6 characters of the Pancasila Student Profile to students with the various characteristics that each student has. In addition, from the observations made by researchers, it can also be seen that teachers have not been able to get out of their comfort zone in teaching, as it can be seen that in teaching they are still comfortable with using the method and the teacher's lack of ability to use learning media, this can be seen when the teacher teaches mostly only explaining the material and then giving assignments to students. (3) The solution carried out in the implementation of the Merdeka Belajar Curriculum in Physical Education, Sports and Health subjects at State Junior High Schools in Sleman Regency is that teachers look for information or references about learning assessments and regularly attend training on the implementation of the Merdeka Belajar Curriculum held.

Measuring the level of productive efficiency and its role in the career passion of physical education teachers in schools affiliated with the First Karkh Education Directorate from the point of view of their principals

Measuring the level of productive efficiency and its role in the career passion of physical education teachers in schools affiliated with the First Karkh Education Directorate from the point of view of their principals

Perceived Organizational Support in Special Needs Education Teachers

Special education teachers have more burnout than other teachers. In many cases, an unsupportive work environment led to stress, followed by burnout and a desire to quit the profession. The way they deliver services to special needs children, require different approaches and treatments than other children, will be impacted by the organization’s lack of support. This study aimed to investigate how Indonesian special needs education teachers perceived organizational support. Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), a qualitative methodology, were used in the study with 10 special education teachers from various regions. The Perceived Organizational Support Scale developed by Rhoades and Eisenberger’s (2002) theory served as the basis for the participant’s questions and discussions. The findings of this study suggested that their employers’ assistance in terms of fairness, supervision support, organizational reward and job conditions was still lacking. Special needs education teachers in private schools and special needs education teachers in public schools have distinct regulatory approaches to staff welfare and health, which has an impact on the performance of taking care of children with special needs.
 Keywords: Organizational support, Special needs education, Teacher

Challenges of Special Education Teachers in Inclusive Mathematics Teaching in Primary Schools: A Preliminary Study

Teaching and learning mathematics in an inclusive manner is growing, primarily to ensure that students with special needs receive equal education with mainstream students. Therefore, this study was carried out in order to identify the challenges that teachers face when implementing inclusive mathematics teaching in primary schools. This qualitative study employs a case study design with two outstanding special education teachers who are involved in inclusive education programmes in primary schools. Data collection method was done using semi-structured interviews and field notes. The data obtained were analyzed using the constant comparative analysis method to determine themes and sub-themes. The findings of the study found that special education teachers face various challenges in teaching mathematics in an inclusive manner, namely lack of pedagogical content knowledge to teaching mathematics in inclusive classrooms, dense classes, problems of subject teachers' attitudes and motivations, bullying problems between mainstream students and special needs students, and problems in ensuring effective communication in inclusive classes. This study expands the knowledge and literature about the challenges faced by special education teachers in primary schools in implementing inclusive teaching. Various initiatives must be taken to ensure that all challenges can be overcome and that inclusive mathematics teaching can be implemented effectively.

ChatGPT and Generative AI: Possibilities for Its Contribution to Lesson Planning, Critical Thinking and Openness in Teacher Education

Although artificial intelligence (AI) has been part of our lives for some time, the launch of the Generative Pretrained Transformer (ChatGPT) has given it renewed attention. While most of these debates are about higher education in general, this article focuses on schoolteacher education and teacher training. This research aimed to determine the contribution of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT in lesson planning, critical thinking and openness in education. The research used a qualitative approach and document analysis following an interpretative paradigm. The findings reveal that generative language models such as ChatGPT can provide specific materials and support mechanisms, such as lesson plans, to schoolteachers and student teachers. It also showed that ChatGPT has levelled the playing field by opening access to lesson plans to all teachers. However, to unleash their full potential for education, it is crucial to approach these models with caution and critically evaluate their limitations and potential biases, understanding that they are tools to support teaching and learning and do not replace teachers. The study’s contribution lies in ChatGPT-generated lesson plans’ implications and the enhancement of critical thinking for teacher education, and it also underscores the need for further research to explore best practices for integrating ChatGPT in lesson planning.

PRADINIŲ KLASIŲ MOKYTOJŲ TYRINĖJIMU GRĮSTO UGDYMO PATIRTYS GAMTAMOKSLINĖSE PAMOKOSE

Modern society emphasises the importance of engaging and involving children in the teaching/learning process and aims to make students active participants in the educational process. Both scientific and methodological literature suggests that one of the most useful methods of learning is experiential learning. The new Science Framework Programme (2022) is designed to enable primary school pupils to learn as much as possible about the world, to ask questions, to search for answers, to develop responsibility and to develop exploratory skills. The curriculum highlights the importance of inquiry in science learning, allowing pupils to experience the joy of exploring, to solve problems, to argue their choices, to find evidence and to support their conclusions. In Lithuania, more research and articles are focusing on the benefits and importance of inquiry-based education for students. In general, most articles are about the educational process, activities and student achievement, while teachers are often left out. The aim of this study is to reveal the experiences of primary school teachers in inquiry-based education in science classrooms. The survey was carried out among 62 teachers, 93.5% of the respondents work as primary school teachers in public schools. The research revealed that primary school teachers understand the importance and multiple benefits of inquiry-based education. Although teachers understand the importance of using exploratory activities in the classroom, the use of this method is relatively rare. It was observed that teachers who have recently started working as primary school teachers are the least likely to explore with their pupils. The data also revealed that the content of the "Taip" textbook is the most conducive for teachers to organise exploration activities in the classroom, while the content of the "Gilė" textbook is the least so. Teachers felt that inquiry-based education was most constrained by a lack of time, inadequate classrooms, and a lack of methodological materials and tools. A number of teachers identified one of the problems as the fact that they have to buy the tools needed for exploration out of their own finances. The experience of primary school teachers shows that there is a lack of seminars on how to organise exploration in the classroom, and that there is a need for more dissemination and funding for seminars. Keywords: inquiry-based education, primary school teachers, science lessons, research activities