Teaching-learning Activities Research Articles

Blended Learning Through the Google Classroom in the “New Normal” Era of the Covid-19 Pandemic: EFL Teachers’ Perception and Challenges

This study investigates the application of blended learning using the Google Classroom in EFL teaching and learning in the "new normal" era of the COVID-19 pandemic. The research also examines the teachers' perceptions and the obstacles they encountered while applying the Google Classroom for blended learning. The study is a mixed-method survey. As many as thirty-eight English teachers from 25 schools in the town of Wonosobo, Indonesia, participated in the study. They were recruited on a purposive sampling basis. Close-ended questionnaires and interviews were used to collect the data. The finding has revealed that the teachers' perception of using blended learning through the Google Classroom is 83%, falling into the category "Extremely Effective." This result indicated that the Google Classroom is beneficial for teaching-learning activities and effective for student learning outcome. Students could access the teacher-provided learning resources anytime and from any location. However, utilizing the Google Classroom is not obstacles free, with an average of 78% belonging to a "high" difficulty level. Furthermore, the finding has shown that teaching and learning activities using the Google Classroom continue to confront hurdles such as data quota, internet access, and restrictions imposed by the Google Classroom features.

Investigating the Effectiveness of Virtual Physical Activity Education on Students’ Quality of Life of Karaj in 2020

Background: Sedentary lifestyle is regarded as one of the main risk factors for obesity and chronic diseases. As schools provide students with important opportunities for physical activity, their closure, prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, had a detrimental impact on vulnerable populations, particularly youth and school students. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of virtual physical education on students’ quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This community trial was conducted with an experimental and a control group. For this purpose, 300 students aged 13 to 15 years, selected among students of the 1st year of high school, were selected from the four education districts of the urban areas of Karaj city in the year 2020 using a cluster sampling method. The selected students were randomly assigned to the two groups of intervention and control, each with 150 people. There was no difference between the two groups in terms of inclusion criteria and demographic characteristics. Following group assignment, the intervention group received virtual physical education for eight 30-minute sessions, one session each week. All subjects completed the Physical Activity and Quality of Life Questionnaires before and after the training. The data were analyzed with SPSS software version 20, using the chi-square test, paired t-test, and independent t-test. Results: The mean and standard deviation of the scores in almost all areas of quality of life (both physical activity and mental health) in the intervention group had a significant improvement after the training courses (P<0.05). After training, the mean scores of quality of life in the virtual education group were significantly greater than control group (P<0.05). Conclusion: The virtual school-based physical activity intervention had positive effects on children’s psychological and psychological wellbeing. The online educational method could provide customizable physical education learning activities as a suitable step in promoting physical activity engagement for different groups of students.

Online Teaching: Challenges Experienced by Students and Teachers during the Covid-19 Pandemic in Kathmandu

COVID-19 pandemic has entirely put the world upside down and has adversely affected the economy, social life, tourism, education and others all around the globe. As there is a prolonged period of lockdown, there is uncertainty everywhere. The ravaged pandemic has affected the education sector widely. Due to the implementation of social distancing, almost all the universities and colleges throughout the world have been closed and are forced to shut down. Realizing the consequences, countries are internationally adopting a practice of online teaching in the pandemic period.
 Online learning is in the nascent stage in countries like Nepal. This study aimed to gain insights into pro challenges encountered by teachers and students while transitioning to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in higher education. The study is based on an exploratory research design, following both quantitative and qualitative methods. A survey was conducted with a pre-structured questionnaire. Then the standardized open-ended interview was assessed with faculties and students who were engaged in online classes during a pandemic period.
 This current study concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic should be taken as an opportunity brought by the crisis in the education sector. It was necessary for the Nepalese government and concerned stakeholders in education sector for immediate response so that education would not be in halt. However, there were some common challenges highlighted by participants such as limited electricity and unreliable internet, limited infrastructures and technology, and low digital knowledge and skills of teachers, which hampers the effectiveness of teaching-learning activities.

Pre-Service Teachers’ Instructional Innovation Capabilities: A Many-Faceted Rasch Model Analysis

Innovation capability has become a necessary requirement for qualified teachers in the context of informatization. However, the validity and objectivity of existing assessments are unclear. Therefore, this study selected nine researchers to evaluate the instructional innovation capabilities of 60 pre-service teachers from a Chinese normal university. The Many-Faceted Rasch Model (MFRM) was used to measure and analyze the rater severity, difficulty of evaluation criteria, and instructional innovation capability of pre-service teachers. Combined with qualitative analysis, the results showed that most participants had moderate instructional innovation capability, and only certain individuals demonstrated a high level. In addition, innovation related to teaching content and learning activities was easier than innovation related to instructional and evaluation strategies. These results suggest directions for fostering pre-service teachers’ instructional innovation capabilities.

Translingual practice in remote EFL tertiary education: How multilingual speakers create translanguaging spaces

Published studies on translingual practice in the pedagogical realms have burgeoned in the current literature, generating important insights into how communication has become dynamic and fluid. However, these studies have focused almost exclusively on face-to-face, in-person interactions. As COVID-19, which hit all domains of life (including education) worldwide, has compelled schools to conduct remote learning interaction, it will be more revealing to pursue further how translingual practice is enacted in a virtual classroom. Drawing on the notion of translingual perspective (Canagarajah, 2013), this study investigated how English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers and learners at tertiary education created a translingual space in their interactions by deploying specific negotiation strategies and various multimodal resources in a digital learning platform. Employing a netnography method and interactive model (Miles Huberman, 1994), this study employed virtual observation, surveys, and interviews as the sources of data. The study has revealed the complexity of translingual practices in EFL remote learning interactions that occurred naturally in different parts of teaching-learning activities. The use of verbal, semiotic, and multimodality resources as negotiation strategies for meaning-making plays essential roles in facilitating fluid and dynamic interactions. Pedagogically, the interaction in EFL remote learning has been found to be more multilaterally engaging.

Digital learning in Saudi University: evaluating digital transformation post Covid-19

ABSTRACT Digital transformation is the use of electronic technology in teaching-learning activities during post-COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia. As a result, this paper looks at the percentage of development of digital transformation platforms acceptance in Saudi Arabia's. This research offers a novel contribution to the field of digital learning by providing efficient and detailed analyses of digital transformation, broadening the comprehension of the development of digital technologies in the platforms of education sectors, focusing on Saudi Arabia as a unique context. This research method is to describe the personal data of the study sample, frequencies and percentage statistical methods used. To test the reliability of the questionnaire, the study adopts Cronbach’s Alpha factor. To measure the rating scale of each statement in the questionnaire in the Five Likert Scale, a relative importance index is used. The main motive of the study is to prove statements such as the conventional learning issue has been reduced by digital learning. The conclusions of this article reveal Saudi Arabia's educational sector's attitude towards emerging technology. This study result will investigate the universities’ efforts to establish a rationalisation to enhance operating efficiencies through research by incorporating data analysis from a digital platform.

Improving Teacher Talk To Enhance Teacher – Students Interaction (An Action Research at SMP Negeri 1 Bangun Purba)

The purposes of the study were to find out the interaction pattern in the classroom during the teaching-learning activity, to find out the effort might be done to improve teacher talk and to know how to enhance teacher-students interaction through improving the teacher talk. An Action Research was conducted with the object of this study was teacher talk delivered by the teacher of SMP N 1 Bangun Purba and the interaction pattern in the teaching-learning activity at the seventh grader students of VII-4. The activity of action research consisted of planning, acting, observing and reflecting. In cycle 1, a discussion about certain material related with the teacher talk and interaction was conducted. The result of interaction in the pre cycle activity was also given in cycle 1. The same activity was conducted in cycle 2, a discussion and interaction analysis of the cycle 1 was delivered to the teacher. Those activities were done outside the classroom. An analysis instrument from Moskowitz named Foreign Language Interaction Analysis (FLINT) was used to analyze the teacher talk and the interaction. An interview and questionnaire were conducted to know the teacher and students opinion of the research. All the collected data was described qualitatively. The report of the research consisted of descriptive of some facts and events occurred during the research. The result of the research showed that the pattern of interaction was mostly started by the teacher and giving information category was the most pattern occurred. The action research phases, the given suggestions and discussion succeeded to improve the teacher talk. The teacher talk was not dominating and the students got more opportunities to interact. It was shown by the decrement of the teacher talk percentage occurred in teaching-learning activity. The teacher talk in pre cycle activity was 66.2%, 64% in cycle 1 and 57.3% in cycle 2. The teacher also succeeded to enhance the interaction in the classroom. The students become more responsive and participate actively in the teaching-learning activity. The enhancement of interaction was shown by the students‘ response. In the pre cycle the students talk achieved 28.3%, 22.5% in cycle 1 and 37.5% in cycle 2. Based on the result above, it can be concluded that the teacher talk had been improved and the interaction showed an enhancement through the students‘ response. Giving reflection to the teacher talk can improve the talk to be better and giving suggestion based on the theory of certain expert can be beneficial input to improve the teacher talk and creating interactive situation in the classroom.

ONLINE LEARNING THROUGH ZOOM MEETING DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AT A HIGHER EDUCATION IN SUMEDANG

In the midst of the Covid-19 epidemic, many sectors are affected including education sectors. Teaching-learning activities are commanded to be held online, one of which is through Zoom Meeting application. The purposes of this research are to investigate the perceptions of lecturer and students towards online learning using Zoom meeting, to find out the advantages and disadvantages of online learning through Zoom meetings, and to figure out the students' participation during online learning through Zoom meetings. A descriptive qualitative method is used in this study. To collect the data, some techniques are used involving questionnaire, observation, and semi-structured interview. The questionnaire adapted from Roudlotun Nurul Laili and Muhammad Nasir (2020) and Minhas, et al (2021) was distributed to the fourth semester students and the lecturer of a private university in Sumedang. The findings show that the perceptions of students and lecturer about Zoom Meeting as an online learning application media are very diverse, but this Zoom Meeting application is arguably still effective for online learning. There are some advantages of online learning through Zoom Meeting, such as its flexibility to be used anywhere and on any type of gadget and its beneficial features that make easy for learning activities to take place. Apart from that, there are also disadvantages of using Zoom Meeting as a learning medium. The results show that it wastes a lot of internet data and the internet connection is not stable. The students participate more actively in a smaller scale of class or breakout room than in a large class during online learning.

Penggunaan Media Berbasis Lingkungan Dalam Meningkatkan Kreativitas Anak Usia Dini

This study was motivated by the lack of variety in early childhood education learning activities and a lack of inclination toward ideas, creativity, or toughness. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of using environment – based learning media on students’ creativity in early childhood. The problem was devised about how the use of environment-based learning media increases the creativity of early childhood education. This study used a quantitative research design. The result of this study indicated the improvement of early childhood creativity by using environment-based learning media. The result showed that the t-test is 3.294 and the t-table is 1.796. This differentiable learning was used by providing game variation, stimulating the children to develop and try to choose activities accordance with their study style, and also getting the real experience of using the learning media from the surrounding environment. So that the children’s exploration and their imagination have the opportunity to develop creativity and critical thinking.

Effects of Generative Chatbots in Higher Education

Learning technologies often do not meet the university requirements for learner engagement via interactivity and real-time feedback. In addition to the challenge of providing personalized learning experiences for students, these technologies can increase the workload of instructors due to the maintenance and updates required to keep the courses up-to-date. Intelligent chatbots based on generative artificial intelligence (AI) technology can help overcome these disadvantages by transforming pedagogical activities and guiding both students and instructors interactively. In this study, we explore and compare the main characteristics of existing educational chatbots. Then, we propose a new theoretical framework for blended learning with intelligent chatbots integration enabling students to interact online and instructors to create and manage their courses using generative AI tools. The advantages of the proposed framework are as follows: (1) it provides a comprehensive understanding of the transformative potential of AI chatbots in education and facilitates their effective implementation; (2) it offers a holistic methodology to enhance the overall educational experience; and (3) it unifies the applications of intelligent chatbots in teaching–learning activities within universities.

Perspectives of Teachers Towards Students with Diverse Disability: A Case of Special School in Kailali District

Working with differently able children in the classroom is challenging in under-resourced contexts for Nepal teachers. This study explores teachers’ perceptions toward managing the diversity of the students in terms of disability, teaching-learning activities, assessment practices, and interpersonal skills in a special school. This qualitative study adopts a case study design. In-depth Interviews, focus group discussions (FGD), and participant observation were the major methods for data collection. Six teachers (three ordinary and three with disability) for FGD and two key informants (head teacher and chairperson) were selected purposively for in-depth Interviews from a special school located at Attariya in Kailali district. The study shows that teachers have positive perceptions toward disabilities, especially teachers with disability. Teachers have invested efforts in managing diversity in instruction and in assessment; however, it is challenging due to the traditional approach of teaching and evaluation, lack of training and resources, and the gap between policies and practices. The study further indicates that teachers’ positive perceptions and extracurricular activities are crucial for developing students’ interpersonal skills.

Implementation of Integrated Language Skills in English Teaching Process

Integrated Language Skills (ILS) is an approach considered to integrate the four language skills into teaching learning activities in order to develop students’ communicative competence. This research aimed to investigate teachers’ implementation of ILS and the challenges in implementing ILS in teaching learning process. The participants were four English teachers and chosen by using purposive sampling technique. The research findings revealed that all of the teachers only integrated two and three language skills in English teaching process, except for one teacher implemented the four language skills in a meeting. Whereas, the challenges faced by the teachers in implementing ILS in teaching process were: students’ less interest and motivation in learning English, teachers were lack of competence and creativity in allocating time of teaching duration, school’s facilities were not maximally adequate. Therefore, teachers were expected to attend teaching training to develop their competences in terms of preparing materials and equipment, strategies or techniques in conveying teaching material such as giving them short video or games to motivate them before learning started. These things can be forwarded by school capacity to inadequate attention language skills integration.

IMPLEMENTATION OF MONTESSORI METHOD IN LEARNING ACTIVITIES AT BRAINY BUNCH INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC MONTESSORI SCHOOL MALAYSIA

The selection of effective and superior learning methods is one of the challenges in the world of education, especially in Islamic educational institutions. This study aims to analyze the Montessori method as one of the relevant methods to overcome problems in the world of education, especially related to learning methods. Metode Montessori itself has been implemented at the Brainy Bunch International Islamic Montessori School Malaysia which is also the location of this research. Researchers use qualitative research with case studies and data analyzed descriptively. The informant determination technique uses purposive sampling, where the informant involves educators in related educational institutions which include the Chief Executive Officer, Principal, Vice Principal, Teacher, and Students in the Brainy Bunch. This research found related to the internalization of Islamic values, the preparation of applied learning, the completeness of effective and inter-creative learning facilities and media, learning activities that are supported and equipped with subjects, learning focus, and learning support activities, as well as effective, descriptive and evaluative learning assessments. This research contributes to enriching scientific characteristics related to the implementation of effective Islamic Montessori methods in superior primary and secondary education learning activities.

POLA INTERAKSI SOSIAL MAHASISWA DALAM PROSES KOMUNIKASI BELAJAR E-ELEARNING KULINO

Coronavirus Disease 2019 or Covid-19, entered Indonesia indonesia since early 2020. This has an impact on the activities to experience restrictions, including the aspects of Teaching and Learning Activities (KBM) in Higher Education. Based on the Joint Decree of the 4 Ministers, learning activities, especially at tertiary institutions in all zones, must be carried out online. Institution designs a distance learning system use the e-learning system. One of the Best Private Universities in Central Java, namely Dian Nuswantoro University, helped build a distance learning system, namely KULINO, which is a Moodle-based Learning Management System (LMS) in overcoming the Covid-19 Pandemic situation. This research aims to discover the social interactions that occur in online learning using KULINO. This study uses a qualitative research method with a phenomenological approach. Research results show interaction between students and lecturers in synchronous learning is more interactive. In contrast, the asynchronous learning interactions run in one direction so education is not interactive. The form of social interaction in online learning is associative in the form of cooperation and assimilation, while the form of dissociative interaction is in the form of conflict in the task group. Learning that is synchronously intertwined is more interactive, althought it must still be combined with asyncronous. Suggestions that can be given are that lecturers should be able to build interesting situations so that students are not bored and passive during online lectures.

Analysis of Students' Learning Motivation Using Guided Inquiry Learning Model

The implementation of this study aims to analyze students' learning motivation toward the application of the Guided Inquiry learning model at SMA Colombo Yogyakarta. The research design used in this research is experimental. The sample used in this study was class XI students with a total of 9 students, but learning activities were carried out in one class but focused on 9 students. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling. The data collection technique was carried out by filling in the student's learning motivation questionnaire. The data analysis used is a descriptive analysis by calculating the percentage of the overall score on the learning motivation questionnaire. The results of this study are the level of learning motivation of students at SMA Colombo Yogyakarta in the high category by filling out a questionnaire by 5 students and very high by filling out a questionnaire by 4 students. The role of the teacher in learning activities using the Guided Inquiry model has a very large role in developing students' learning motivation.

Knowing the Role of the (TGT) Cooperative Learning Model on Student Learning Activeness

Background: This study aimed to investigate the impact of the Teams Games Tournament (TGT) cooperative learning model on student learning engagement in the subject of Ecosystem. Method: The research was conducted at a Middle School in Muscat, Oman, utilizing cluster random sampling. The study involved two groups: a control group and an experimental group. The research design employed was a quasi-experiment with a posttest-only control design. Data analysis was conducted using the t-test with a significance level of 1%. Data collection techniques included observation and questionnaires. Results: The hypothesis test results revealed a t-test value of 8.1, whereas the critical t-table value was 2.66. The calculations indicated that t-test > t-table, leading to the rejection of H0. This finding indicates that students responded positively to the learning experience using the (TGT)cooperative learning model. Conclusion: In conclusion, implementing the (TGT)cooperative learning model enhanced student learning activity in Ecosystem education.

Causal maps in the analysis and unsupervised assessment of the development of expert knowledge: Quantification of the learning effects for knowledge management purposes

This study proposes an application of cognitive maps in the representation of cognitive structures of the experts and assessment of their development/modification as a result of a (computer or expert system-assisted) learning process. It strives to identify information needed for the guidance of the process of creation and management of expert knowledge by formal modeling tools. Changes in experts’ cognitive structures are assumed to stem from individual and collaborative (group-level) learning. The novel approach to assessing the outcomes of learning reflected as changes in the cognitive structures of experts or groups of experts, modeled by cognitive maps, does not assume any correct or desired outcome of the learning process to be known in advance. Instead, it identifies and analyzes the changes in (or robustness of) the constituents of the cognitive maps from different points of view and allows for quantifying and visualizing the actual effect of the learning. The proposed methodology can identify changes in cognitive diversity, causal structures in terms of causal relations and concepts, and the perceived importance of strategic issues over the learning period. It can also detect which cause–effect relationships have appeared/disappeared considering the pre-/post-mapping design. Thus, it provides an exploratory account on the changes in the cognitive structures of the expert(s) as a result of learning. The applicability of the proposed methods is illustrated in the assessment of the learning outcomes of a group of 71 graduate students who participated in an eight-week business simulation task. The results of the empirical analysis confirm the viability of the proposed methodology and indicate that the students’ understanding of the utilized concepts and associated relationships in the decision-making process improved throughout the learning activity, ultimately showing that the course learning has considerably improved students’ perception and knowledge. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the proposed approach has the potential to be effective in assessing learning outcomes in teaching–learning activities.

IMPROVING SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ REPRESENTATIONAL COMPETENCE IN FORCE AND MOTION CONCEPTS

verbally expressed laws, mathematical equations, diagrams, graphs, charts and animations involved in physics which are related to abstract concepts. One aspect of this competence with relevance to physics education is the students’ ability to understand the physics-specific representations in relation to their physical and real-world applications which encompass to static as well as dynamic entities. In this study, attention has been paid to developing, validating and utilizing a lesson-specific assessment tool to identify students’ difficulties in understanding such representations encountered in selected Grade 10 physics-related science lessons presently taught in Sri Lankan government schools, namely, Resultant force, Newton’s laws of motion, Friction and Equilibrium of forces. The tool has been administered as an online test for a sample of 72 selected Grade 11 students who have already completed the lessons in their schools at Grade 10. It consists of 28 multiple-choice questions. It showed a mean score of 52.65% with a standard deviation of 24.94%. The tool gave high reliability (Cronbach's alpha value of 0.795). By analyzing the students’ performance at individual questions of the tool it revealed that the students have certain difficulties in understanding the representations such as the inability to determine the line of action of a force related to a given real-world situation, inability to predict the nature of the motion of an object if the object is acted upon by a constant force continuously, inability to identify difference between the action force and the reaction force mentioned in Newton’s third law of motion which act in two distinct objects, and marking such forces in a free body force diagram. The extent to which the prescribed curriculum materials help the students to overcome these difficulties has been evaluated and some suggested teaching-learning activities have been proposed to improve the students’ representational competence.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0036/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

A model for integrating microgames in teaching primary education for sustainable development

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to propose a model for integrating microgames in teaching primary Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and illustrate the application of the proposed model in teaching integrated mathematics, arts, technology and language in primary ESD.Design/methodology/approachThe model was based on conceptual mapping from the reviewed literature and reflection from their teaching experience.FindingsThe model and the related teaching-learning activities have been proposed.Originality/valueThe proposed model enhances the use of microgames in an interdisciplinary teaching framework.

Problems of Learning Sports and Health Physical Education in the Special School

This study has the main objective of describing a situation concerning the problems of physical education, sports and health in Special Schools which focus on: (1) Analyzing the process of preparing for physical education in SLB (2) Analyzing the process of implementing Physical Education learning activities in SLB and (3) Analyzing the form of physical education learning assessment in SLB. This study uses evaluation research methods. Data were analyzed using the Countenance Stake Model. This model emphasizes two types of operations, namely descriptions and judgments, and distinguishes three phases in the evaluation of Physical Education learning in SLB, namely: (1) preliminary (antecedent) stage, (2) process (transaction) stage, (3) ) stage of results (outcomes). The subjects of this study were school supervisors, school principals, physical education teachers. Data collection techniques in this study using interview techniques. Research data were analyzed using qualitative descriptive analysis techniques. The results of this study indicate: (1) the preliminary stage (antecedent), namely the description of Penjasorkes learning is good, because the learning objectives have been adapted to the conditions of the students, the teacher has qualifications so that they are able to compile semester programs, syllabus and lesson plans, the condition of supporting infrastructure, teacher understanding on learning strategies and having mastery of Penjasorkes learning materials; (2) the process (transaction) stage, namely the description of Physical Education learning is quite good because the implementation of Physical Education learning is in accordance with the curriculum, namely using integrative thematic learning with a scientific approach and carrying out authentic assessments; (3) the outcome stage, namely the measurement of the results of the teacher's assessment which includes aspects of attitude, knowledge.