Teaching Research Articles

Mediation of digital literacy in investigating the effect of school culture on teacher performance: Implication for educational policy

The digital era has transformed education, making digital literacy essential for teachers to integrate technology and enhance student outcomes effectively. This study aims to examine how school culture influences teachers’ performance through their digital literacy, focusing on junior high school teachers in Malang City, East Java, Indonesia. Employing a quantitative approach, data were collected from 214 teachers out of a 457 population using questionnaires. The analysis was conducted through AMOS for Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), SPSS for descriptive statistics, and PLS-SEM for hypothesis testing. The findings reveal that school culture significantly affects teachers’ digital literacy (Ho1) and teacher performance (Ho2) with supportive and innovative environments, while rigid cultures limit creativity. Furthermore, digital literacy was found to enhance teachers’ performance (Ho3) and mediate the impact of school culture on teachers’ performance (Ho4), enhancing teachers’ effectiveness in planning, implementing, and evaluating instruction. This study highlights the critical role of school culture in shaping digital literacy and offers new insights for improving teacher practices in diverse educational settings. Moreover, the role of education policies in fostering a collaborative school culture that enhances teachers’ digital literacy and performance, leading to improved educational outcomes, plays a crucial implication.

Teachers’ Perspectives Toward Smartphone Usage by Students and Resulting Classroom Policies

Currently, 95% of American teenagers own a smartphone device, and smartphone users spend on average about 5.4 hours a day on them. Smartphone ownership, usage, and dependency are higher among teens and young adults than in any other age group. This study addressed a gap in research by examining high school teachers’ perspectives on two topics: the impact of smartphone usage on students and classroom smartphone policies. It contributes to a deeper understanding of the social, psychological, and academic effects of smartphone use on students and of the impact of teachers’ beliefs surrounding smartphones on the classroom policies they set regarding those devices. In addition, this study aimed to shed light on the need to create effective and equitable smartphone policies and practices to help promote a classroom environment conducive to learning. Survey data from 248 teachers from six high schools in the Southern California region of the United States of America produced results indicating that teachers who have stronger negative beliefs concerning the social, psychological and academic effects of smartphones on students typically set a stricter classroom smartphone policy. Implications include helping students regulate their smartphone usage so that these devices can be effective tools for learning, not a distraction. Based on the findings from this study, an increase in face-to-face social interactions among students is recommended to increase academic achievement and decrease problematic smartphone use.

Associations between teachers’ beliefs and their perception of hate speech in school: a study in Germany and Switzerland

Hate speech is a global issue that is also prevalent among adolescents and requires an educational response. Teachers handle hate speech as part of their professional role. To date, we know little about their beliefs in relation to the early stages of their interventional actions, specifically to their perception of hate speech in school. Thus, this study examined associations between teachers’ social dominance orientation, their pluralist attitude, and their hate speech perception in school. A sample of 471 secondary school teachers from 38 schools (Germany: n = 251; Switzerland: n = 220) participated in a self-report survey from December 2020 to April 2021 (MAge = 42.8 years; 57.7% females; 21.0% with migration status). Data from a total of 3,560 students from grades 7–9 (Germany: n = 1,841; Switzerland: n = 1,719) were matched with teachers’ data to control for students’ hate speech perception in school. Fixed effects multilevel regressions were run, including covariates (teachers’ age, gender, migration status, students’ hate speech perception), teachers’ social dominance orientation, pluralist attitude, and their hate speech perception in school. Teachers perceived a higher frequency of offline hate speech than online hate speech. Contrary to the hypotheses, social dominance orientation was positively associated with offline and online hate speech perception. As predicted, teachers’ pluralist attitude was positively linked to their off- and online hate speech perception. Further research must now clarify how the investigated beliefs and attitudes and teachers’ hate speech perception in school relate to other aspects of their professional competence.

TECHNOLOGY LITERACY AMONG PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS FOR ENHANCING NUMERACY AND LITERACY SKILLS OF EARLY-GRADE PUPILS WITH HEARING IMPAIRMENTS IN TANZANIA

Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) have significantly transformed the educational landscape, and offer substantial benefits for learners with special needs including those with hearing impairments. The primary purpose of this research was to determine the technological literacy level among primary school teachers in using ICTs to support literacy and numeracy skills among learners with hearing impairments and compare them based on demographic information. A quantitative analysis approach was used, involving 121 teachers from the deaf unit primary school who completed a self-rating questionnaire based on the Technology Literacy Assessment Scale developed by UNESCO. Both mean scores, the Mann-Whitney U test, and the Kruskal-Walli’s test were used to compare teachers’ technological literacy using ICTs. The results indicated that teachers' demographic information is significantly related to technological literacy at the p=0.05 level. The results found that female teachers had higher technological literacy than male teachers. Also, teachers with lower education levels were found to have higher technological literacy than those with higher levels of education. Among the teacher characteristics, working experience and age were found to have no significant difference with technology literacy as they had p-values of 0.313 and 0.212 respectively. Interestingly, teachers who specialized in special needs education were found to have higher technological literacy than those who didn’t specialize in special needs education. The findings revealed that technology literacy among primary teachers who teach pupils with hearing impairments was high, which signifies confidence in basic ICT skills for enhancing literacy and numeracy skills among learners with hearing impairments. However, incompetence levels were found in integrating ICT in organization and administration, especially in managing individual variation among pupils with hearing impairments, and curriculum and assessment had lower mean scores than other elements of the UNESCO ICT-CFT areas. These findings suggest that adaptive and personalized learning systems are essential, and comprehensive training regarding ICT integration specifically tailored for teaching pupils with hearing impairments is needed for effective classroom usage.

The impact of using some educational tools according to the Jiksaw method in learning technical performance of some types of basketball dribbling skill in students.

- Identifying the impact of using some educational tools according to the Jiksaw method in learning the technical performance of some types of dribbling skill in basketball. - Identifying the impacts of the educational curriculum that are followed in learning the technical performance of some types of dribbling skill in basketball. - Identifying the differences between the experimental and control groups in the post-tests of the researched variables. The researcher used the experimental approach by designing two equal experimental and control groups with pre- and post-test, while the research sample only consists of students of the first academic year in the faculty of physical education/ Koya University for the academic year (2021-2022), and the researcher used a number of devices, tools, means of collecting information, questionnaire, tests and measurements to reach the objectives of the study. Then the researcher prepared the educational curriculum according to Jiksaw's method. For processing data, the researcher used statistical analysis (arithmetic mean, standard deviation, Levin Test , percentage , T- Test for samples of equal number), by using SPSS and the researcher reached the following conclusions: 1- The teaching aids according to the Jigsaw method and the used method had a positive impact on learning the technical performance of some types of basketball skill for students. 2- Incorporating the teaching aids of the Jigsaw method led to more effectiveness in learning the technical performance of some types of the skill of tapping in basketball for students. 3- The superiority of the experimental group (the teaching aids according to the Jigsaw method) over the control group (the method used) in learning the technical performance of some types of the skill of tapping in basketball for students.

The Adoption and Usage of ICT in Teaching and Learning in Tanzanian Secondary Schools: A Systematic Review

This systematic review aims to enhance understanding of the level and factors affecting the adoption and use of ICT in teaching and learning in Tanzanian secondary schools over a 10-year period from 2015 to 2024. The review involved a comprehensive literature search across various online research databases and institutional library sources for studies published within this timeframe. Extracted data included year of publication, level of ICT adoption and use, geographical scope, factors influencing adoption and use, target population, and type of school ownership. A total of 544 records were identified from different databases and repositories, with 266 screened, 48 full-text articles assessed for eligibility, and 17 articles ultimately meeting the inclusion criteria for analysis. The qualitative analysis of these studies revealed that, overall, the adoption and use of ICT in Tanzanian secondary schools remained low. Key factors affecting effective integration of ICT included insufficient ICT infrastructure (94.1%), limited ICT skills and knowledge among teachers (47.1%), inadequate teacher training (29.4%), teacher attitudes, perceptions, and experience (23.5%), and a lack of technical support (23.5%). The review concludes that ICT adoption and usage in Tanzanian secondary schools is at a low level. It is recommended for an increased investment in ICT infrastructure to ensure that public secondary schools, in particular, have access to the necessary technological resources for teaching and learning.

Teachers’ Emotional Labor: A Systematic Review

Emotional labor refers to the process by which employees are required to regulate their emotions in accordance with professionally specified requirements, rules, and guidelines. In the context of teaching, a significant portion of work is dedicated to the emotional labor of the teachers. Teaching, as a multifaceted profession, encompasses cognitive as well as emotional dimensions. Teachers consistently engage in emotional labor as an essential component of achieving pedagogical objectives and fostering positive learning outcomes. This review aimed to examine the emotional labor of elementary and high school teachers. The study was guided by four key questions: (1) What are the emotional labor levels of the teachers? (2) How do teachers engage in emotional labor in terms of surface acting and deep acting? (3) What is the relationship between naturally felt emotions and surface acting and deep acting? (4) What are the remaining gaps in the literature regarding the study of emotional labor, surface acting, and deep acting among teachers in elementary and high schools? We systematically selected ten articles relevant to our objective to confirm the components related to teachers’ emotional labor, with a specific focus on surface acting, deep acting, and naturally felt emotions in elementary and high school teachers. A comprehensive database search was conducted, in adherence to the PRISMA statement, to locate relevant studies investigating “teachers’ emotional labor” and synthesizing surface acting and deep acting. The PICOS approach was used to refine research inquiries and formulate search terms. Overall, the literature review highlights notable associations between surface acting and deep acting. However, there is no conclusive evidence that shows the correlation between deep acting and naturally felt emotions. There is considerable room for improving our understanding of emotional labor, including study methodologies, explored variables, and the recognition of historical and cultural influences that moderate and mediate the dynamics of emotional labor. This systematic review sought to delineate and consolidate existing research insights on teachers’ emotional labor.

La experiencia de vivir y enseñar en una escuela Indígena rural en el Desierto de Atacama: percepciones de profesores y de la comunidad Atacameña

This article explores the experiences of teachers working in schools located in Indigenous rural contexts in the Atacama Desert, in the north of Chile. Through Indigenous community members life stories and participating teachers, this study presents some of the main challenges teachers face when teaching in local schools, as well as the Indigenous community's perception about their children accessible education. Emerging categories from the interviews were coded and used to analyses the information, using a decolonising qualitative approach, informed by Indigenous Peoples' Rights.

Classroom Toileting: A Collaborative Effort.

Developmental norms suggest that children are ready for toilet training between the ages of 18 and 24 months; however, many children now enter school without this self-care skill. Many factors can contribute to delayed toilet training including child readiness, developmental disabilities, poverty, lower parental education levels, and higher rates of single and teen-aged parents who may lack parenting skills including toilet training. Most children enroll in a kindergarten program at 5 years of age. Because children will be accepted to kindergarten regardless of toilet training status, schools need to be ready for children who lack this self-care skill. Although school staff are willing to support these children, the main purpose of school is education. The school nurse can take an active role in classroom toileting programs by collaborating with school administrators, teachers, staff, and parents to promote successful toilet training and fostering a healthy learning environment.

RadicalPy: A Tool for Spin Dynamics Simulations.

Radical pairs (electron-hole pairs, polaron pairs) are transient reaction intermediates that are found and exploited in all areas of science, from the hard realm of physics in the form of organic semiconductors, spintronics, quantum computing, and solar cells to the soft domain of chemistry and biology under the guise of chemical reactions in solution, biomimetic systems, and quantum biology. Quantitative analysis of radical pair phenomena has historically been successful by a few select groups. With this in mind, we present an intuitive open-source framework in the Python programming language that provides classical, semiclassical, and quantum simulation methodologies. A radical pair kinetic rate equation solver, Monte Carlo-based spin dephasing rate estimations, and molecule database functionalities are implemented. We introduce the kine-quantum method, a new approach that amalgamates classical rate equations, semiclassical, and quantum techniques. This method resolves the prohibitively large memory requirement issues of quantum approaches while achieving higher accuracy, and it also offers wavelength-resolved simulations, producing time- and wavelength-resolved magnetic field effect simulations. Model examples illustrate the versatility and ease of use of the software, including the new approach applied to the magnetosensitive absorption and fluorescence of flavin adenine dinucleotide photochemistry, spin-spin interaction estimation from molecular dynamics simulations on radical pairs inside reverse micelles, radical pair anisotropy inside proteins, and triplet exciton pairs in anthracene crystals. The intuitive interface also allows this software to be used as a teaching or learning aid for those interested in the field of spin chemistry. Furthermore, the software aims to be modular and extensible, with the aim to standardize how spin dynamics simulations are performed.

Venus’s phases: evidence supporting heliocentrism

Abstract The affirmation of the Copernican system marks a milestone in the history of science. However, in educational settings, theoretical and philosophical aspects are often prioritized, with less attention paid to the empirical and quantitative data supporting heliocentrism. The discovery of Venus phases by Galileo Galilei through his early telescope represents a compelling piece of evidence corroborating the Sun-centered model. A renowned drawing published in Galilei's treatise ‘Il Saggiatore’ (1623) illustrates this phenomenon and the anti-correlation between phases and apparent diameter. The analysis of the illustration reveals precise quantitative information comparable in accuracy to that which can be extracted from contemporary astrophotography. Inspired by this result, the galileian discovery has been revisited and tailored into activities suitable for both high school and college teaching levels. These activities invite students to construct their own empirical evidence for heliocentrism by analyzing digital images and using interactive digital tools for image manipulation. The topic has also been proposed at the university level through more advanced analysis techniques. The common aim at each level is to engage students in a dynamic ‘learning by doing’ experience, replicating pivotal moments from the history of science and transforming a topic traditionally confined to the history of ideas into a living, interactive subject.

Analysis of digital capital for social inclusion in educational context

AbstractThis paper focuses on one of the aspects most investigated and monitored in recent years by the Digital Economy and Society Index on the digitisation process in Europe—human capital, with an in‐depth focus on primary school teachers. Human capital is one dimension underlying school digital capital, closely related to integrating digital into daily practices. Starting from this framework, the paper will present the results of a survey on the digital competencies of teachers from five European countries (Italy, Spain, Lithuania, Romania and Poland), carried out in the framework of the European project Erasmus+ CAVE (Communication and Visual Education in homeschooling). This survey is preparatory to a training intervention and didactic experimentation on digital education, foreseen in the project, and used as a theoretical framework of reference for the DigCompEdu survey, promoted by the European Commission. The teachers' profiles, as the output of the research, will be able to give stakeholders a picture of the investment of schools and teachers, in terms of the application of digital competencies on different educational processes: classroom teaching, assessment, professional training, preparation of teaching materials for the lesson and the implementation of competencies, including digital ones, of students.

Speaking Competence in Morocco: Challenges and Innovative Pedagogical Strategies

Speaking is one of the fundamental skills in a language. In this respect, this study aims to explore the speaking difficulties that Moroccan EFL high school students face and the strategies that teachers use to help their students overcome them. The study also seeks to answer the following questions: first, what do EFL high school teachers think about their students’ speaking abilities? Second, what are the difficulties that Moroccan EFL high school students encounter in their speaking activities? And third, what are the appropriate strategies that Moroccan EFL high school teachers use to overcome those difficulties? The data of this study has been collected via a questionnaire administered to 100 teachers from all over Morocco. The analysis of the questionnaires has revealed that the teachers are aware of their students’ speaking difficulties and they have mentioned some of them. They have also provided some strategies that they use to help their students surmount these difficulties.

Training of Online Assessment for Elementary School Teachers: Perception and Learning Outcomes

Online assessment has developed massively since the practice of online learning, but its practice in elementary schools has not been widely explored. The study aimed to investigate the perception of satisfaction and its influence in improving the elementary school teachers knowledge from online assessment training. This study involved 37 elementary school teachers from 5 public and private schools in Malang City and was carried out in a pre-test and post-test design. The training was carried out face-to-face and online mentoring for 32 hours. The measuring instrument used triangulation of pre-test post-test data, observation and online questionnaires. Data analysis used descriptive statistics and gain score analysis using Cohen-D. The results showed a positive perception from the training participants who explained that the training could encourage and improve understanding of the urgency of teacher professional development programs. There was a significant increase in understanding based on Cohen-D test data of 1.19. The findings of this study are expected to contribute to strengthening the theory of elementary school teacher professional development programs and encouraging more massive use of technology in the learning assessment process in elementary schools.

The Influence of Training on the Academic Performance of Public Secondary School Teachers in Mwanza Region, Tanzania

The Influence of Training on the Academic Performance of Public Secondary School Teachers in Mwanza Region, Tanzania

Guru Inovatif dan Kreatif Berbasis Kearifan Lokal Menggunakan Aplikasi CANVA

Innovative and creative teachers can be trained through socialization and training activities for teachers. This activity aims to expand teacher knowledge and improve teacher skills in utilizing technology through the preparation and creation of teaching materials using the Canva application. The community service activities carried out by the PKM team of the Superior Human Resources Supporting Lecturer Program (PDPSU) at the State Elementary School located at Jl. Jawa 01, PAHANDUT, Pahandut District, Palangka Raya City, Central Kalimantan Province, have several stages, namely (1) Participation method, namely the community service team actively participates in providing knowledge socialization activities to teachers regarding the important role of teaching materials in learning, then material on how to utilize technology through the Canva application and link it to local wisdom; (2) Survey method, namely distributing questionnaires to training participants before and after implementation, as well as a satisfaction survey of community service partners and (3) Training, namely the community service team provides skills training to teachers to create teaching materials in the form of animated folk tales using the Canva application; (4) Activity Evaluation. This community service activity aims to produce innovative and creative teachers in compiling interesting teaching materials based on local wisdom. Partnership Program This activity can provide direct benefits to improving the human resources of Elementary School teachers in learning at school. Keywords: Innovative and creative teachers, Canva, Local wisdom

School teachers’ perceptions of intersectoral working with health in the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the challenge for teachers to integrate protective health measures into their academic daily responsibilities. The aim of this abstract is to analyse how school teachers’ views on intersectoral collaboration with health professionals during COVID-19 vary by country, seeking insights for future directions. Methods In 2021, an online survey was conducted in 6 languages with education and health professionals, followed by optional online semi-structured interviews. We explored the: 1-effect of the pandemic on schools/pupils/teachers; 2-reorganisation of schools; 3-experience of implementing infection control measures in schools; 4-intersectoral working; 5-important resources for keeping schools open. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and translated into English. Analysis of a survey question seeking professionals’ rating of intersectoral working led to a directed content analysis of transcripts and free-text survey responses regarding intersectoral working experiences. Results Data were analysed from 1046 school teacher survey responses from 6 countries/territories and 21 follow-up interviews. Ratings varied considerably across countries. A large majority of teachers in Taipei (83%) reported excellent or good collaboration with health professionals, about half in China (53%) and Portugal (51%), and far fewer in Brazil (38%), Morocco (29%) and France (15%). Taipei respondents cited the key role of school nurses as a positive factor; others added clear national guidelines and local protocols. Negative ratings related to health professionals’ rare visits or absence. Conclusions The direct support of health professionals in schools was offered as explanation for teachers’ positive ratings of intersectoral working in the pandemic. Policy and practice varied geographically; thus, understanding contextual factors that influence the effectiveness of intersectoral working in schools is crucial to orient future public health strategies. Key messages • This highlights the importance of understanding contextual factors that influence the effectiveness of intersectoral working in implementing protective health measures in schools. • This suggests that policy support and the presence of dedicated health personnel within schools play a pivotal role in ensuring effective collaboration between the education and health sectors.

Ethically challenging situations in teachers’ work: role of school neighborhood socioeconomic status

Abstract Background Ethically challenging situations are common in the teaching profession and can lead to significant stress. In particular, teachers working in socially disadvantaged areas may face these kinds of situations more often due to conflicts between educational needs and available resources. We investigated the link between school neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) and the prevalence of ethically challenging situations among teachers. Methods Data were from primary school teachers (n = 1265) participating to the Finnish Public Sector study in 2022. Experiences on ethically challenging situations were assessed with two questions: In your work how often do you feel that you have to 1) reflect on ethically challenging situations and 2) act contrary to rules, norms, or personal values (at least weekly vs. less frequently). Survey data were linked to information on school neighborhood SES obtained from national grid database. Log-binomial regression models were used to analyze the relationship between school neighborhood SES and ethically challenging situations. Results Of the respondents, 61% reported having to reflect on ethically challenging situations, and 18% felt they had to act against rules or personal values at least weekly. Teachers in schools located in the most disadvantaged areas were more likely to feel that they had to act against rules, norms, or values weekly compared to teachers in schools in the most advantaged areas (adjusted RR 1.43, 95% CI 1.01-2.02). No association was observed between reflecting on ethically challenging situations and school neighborhood (adjusted RR 0.98, 95% CI 0.87, 1.11). Conclusions School neighborhood SES appears to be associated with teachers’ possibilities to choose action in ethically challenging situations. Key messages • School neighborhood SES appears to be associated with teachers’ possibilities to choose action in ethically challenging situations. • It is essential to develop strategies to support teachers in managing ethically challenging situations in their work environments.

The role of public school principals and teachers in developing the social responsibility of students with learning disabilities: a joint perspective

IntroductionPublic school principals and teachers are crucial in shaping students with learning disabilities to become socially responsible individuals. Beyond academics, educators use adaptive teaching and leadership to instill values of empathy, cooperation, and civic duty in these students, ensuring they can contribute positively to their communities.AimThe present study aimed to identify the role of government school principals and teachers in developing the social responsibility of students with learning disabilities in the Kasbah of Salt from their viewpoint.MethodA descriptive analytical approach was used, where a random sample was taken from the principals and teachers of some of the Kasbah Al-Salt schools for the primary stage, and thus the sampling unit consisted of (106) principals and teachers, and the scale was sed, and it includes (27) items distributed on three dimensions of social responsibility (education, preservation Environment, community service).ResultsAccording to the findings of the study, the degree of social responsibility among students who have learning difficulties is comparable to the average level. However, the study also discovered that there are disparities in the level of social responsibility due to the gender variable, and these differences are in favor of males. In addition, there were no differences that could be considered statistically significant between the levels of social responsibility and the educational level variable.Scientific noveltyThe study’s novelty lies in its exploration of educators’ views on fostering social responsibility in students with learning disabilities in the specific context of the Kasbah of Salt. The research uses a descriptive analytical method, focuses on primary schools in Kasbah Al-Salt, employs the structured Melhem (2018) scale for evaluation, and reveals gender as a significant factor in social responsibility, while educational level is not.

Unmasking teachers’ proficiency in harnessing Artificial Intelligence (AI) for transformative education

This paper examines the awareness of artificial intelligence (AI) among school teachers in Nepal. We interviewed twenty teachers from ten urban schools in Nepal over four weeks using a semi-structured interview tool. The analysis of interview data reveals the teachers’ mixed perception of AI, including their understanding of innovative technologies in education, the potential challenges for new-generation teachers, and the opportunities for pedagogical transformations. The findings suggest that although the teachers have limited awareness of how AI can be used in teaching and learning, they possess some level of understanding that has opened up new opportunities for exploring innovative ways of teaching and learning. Notably, participants discussed tools, such as Education Management Information System (EMIS) for record keeping and automated grading and AI-driven chatbots for student tutoring. However, teachers also expressed concerns about the possibility of AI replacing human teachers. These insights provide valuable implications for policymakers and educators regarding the integration of AI into classroom instructions to promote innovative and equitable learning opportunities.