Teachers In Urban Areas Research Articles

TEACHER COMPETENCE IN THE DIGITAL ERA A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY

This study aims to understand teachers' experiences in developing their digital competence in the era of educational digitalization through a phenomenological approach. The research focuses on the factors influencing teachers' digital competence, the challenges they face, and the role of institutional support such as schools, education policies, and professional training. The research method used is qualitative with a phenomenological approach, where data is collected through in-depth interviews with participating teachers and field observations. The data is then analyzed using thematic analysis techniques to identify key themes that emerge from the teachers' subjective experiences. The findings show that teachers' digital competence is influenced by access to technological infrastructure, prior experience with technology, and institutional support. Teachers in urban areas are generally better prepared to face digitalization compared to teachers in remote areas, who experience limitations in technological access. Additionally, relevant professional training and supportive education policies play a crucial role in enhancing teachers' digital competence. However, challenges such as psychological pressure and ethical dilemmas in maintaining social interaction with students also emerge as barriers in this adaptation process. In conclusion, holistic support, both technical and emotional, is essential to help teachers effectively develop their digital competence.

Research on the level of digital literacy of English language teachers (a case study in China)

Introduction. As the main force in cultivating digital citizens in the new era, teachers’ digital literacy level is directly related to the development of the entire nation’s digital literacy. Therefore, it is necessary to study the current development status of teachers’ digital literacy. This study aims to investigate the development status of digital literacy of English teachers in Changzhi City, China, through empirical research, and to discover the problems faced by teachers in the development of digital literacy. Materials and methods. The respondents of this study were English teachers from urban and nonurban areas of Changzhi City, a total of 100 people, finally 83 valid questionnaires were collected. Methods: comparative method, generalization, literature analysis, questionnaire method, statistics and data analysis (descriptive statistics and ANOVA analysis). The results are obtained using computer programs MS Excel and IBM SPSS 26.0. Results. An assessment tool is developed to examine the current status of teachers' digital literacy development in China. The study finds that the overall digital literacy level of English teachers in Changzhi City is high (arithmetic mean = 3.94); teachers perform well in digital awareness (arithmetic mean = 4.98) and social responsibility (arithmetic mean = 4.05), while they perform poorly in digital technical knowledge and skills (arithmetic mean = 3.61) and digital applications (arithmetic mean = 3.47). There is no significant difference in teachers' digital literacy in terms of teacher gender, education and type of school where teachers work (p>0.05). Teachers in urban areas are significantly better in digital literacy than teachers in non-urban areas. There are significant differences in the aspect of professional development(p=0.0360), digital technical knowledge and skills(p=0.0002), digital applications(p=0.0088). Teachers' digital literacy scores in five aspects differed significantly (p<0.05) at different levels of teachers' age and years of teaching experience. Conclusion. The ability to integrate digital technologies and disciplines, innovative teaching awareness, and abilities of English teachers in Changzhi City should be improved. When improving the digital literacy of teachers, it is necessary to consider the characteristics of balanced development of the city and non-urban areas. The results obtained can be used as methodological recommendations for improving the level of digital literacy of teachers.

Knowledge of Oral Prophylaxis and Dental Check-up Amongst Primary School Teachers in Lagos State: An Urban-rural Comparative Study

ABSTRACT
 Background: Oral health knowledge of school teachers will influence the success of the strategy of the National Oral Health Policy at the Community level.
 Aim: This study aimed to assess and compare the oral health knowledge in Urban and Rural areas of Lagos State.
 Methodology: A cross-sectional study, using a multistage sampling technique to select 200 primary school teachers in both urban and rural areas. A pretested, self-administered questionnaire was used. Data was analysed using SPSS version 20. Descriptive and crude odd ratio were used, and p-value ⩽0.05 is significant.
 Result: The mean age of the respondent is 39±10.92 and 47±7.56 for rural and urban areas respectively. More teachers were females in rural and urban areas. The ever-married were majority in both rural and urban areas. Majority had National Certificate of Education in rural and urban areas. Urban teachers [55%] had adequate oral health knowledge and 63% in the rural had inadequate oral health knowledge. Crude odd ratio revealed a significant association between geographical location and oral health knowledge [p=0.0102; OR=2.081]; marital status [p=0.0204; OR=0.26] and teaching experience [p=0.0442; ≤10years, OR=1.533; ≤15years, OR=2.130 and ˃16years, OR=3.179]. 
 Conclusion: Primary school teachers in urban area showed adequate oral health knowledge than their counterparts in the rural area of Lagos State.

Exploring the relationship between teacher job satisfaction and professional development in urban schools during a pandemic

<span lang="EN-US">Job satisfaction and professional development are the talks of teachers in facing the challenges of 21st-century learning, where they must be able to adapt to the progress and development of information and communication in technology. Therefore, this article aims to analyze teacher job satisfaction, professional development, and the interaction between the two during the pandemic. A total of 232 public and private school teachers in urban areas were used as research samples. The sampling technique used a random technique. The research used an instrument developed and validated, then distributed through the principal and school supervisor, and the data were analyzed using the correlation technique. During the pandemic, the results revealed a high level of job satisfaction for state Islamic school teachers and a low level of job satisfaction for private Islamic school teachers, as well as a high level of professional development in both public and private Islamic schools and a moderate positive correlation between teacher job satisfaction and professional development in urban schools. Therefore, teachers should develop and carry out professional development in facing the challenges of 21st-century learning.</span>

Mathematics teachers’ perceptions and challenges in using blended learning for optimum mathematics delivery in the post COVID - 19 classrooms

The study examined mathematics teachers’ perceptions and challenges in using blended learning for optimum mathematics delivery in the post Covid-19 classrooms in Anambra State, Nigeria. Descriptive survey design was adopted. Two research questions and one hypothesis guided the study. The population for the study was 89 mathematics teachers in Awka Education zone of Anambra State. The population was made up of 54 mathematics teachers in urban areas and 35 mathematics teachers in rural areas. A 20-item “Questionnaire for Mathematics Teachers’ Perceptions and Challenges in using Blended Learning for Optimum Mathematics Delivery (QMTPCBLOMD)” was validated by three experts and rated on four Likert scales. Cronbach Alpha was used to establish the reliability co-efficient of the instrument. The Cronbach Alpha reliability co-efficient was estimated at 0.84. Research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation, while the hypothesis was tested using z-test at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study showed that both urban and rural mathematics teachers perceived blended learning as the learning process that provides forum for interactive learning, promotes e-learning, fosters collaborative learning experience, incorporates both personalized and group learning, helps to share mathematics information and ideas globally and promotes student-centred learning. Challenges in using blended learning include lack of ICT compliance, low level of interest in mathematics, time factor, low speed connectivity and poor funding of secondary education. There was no significant difference between the mean response of perceptions of urban and rural mathematics teachers in using blended learning for optimum mathematics delivery in the post COVID-19 classrooms. It was recommended among others that both mathematics teachers and students should be ICT compliant and adequate time should be given for teaching of mathematics. Then capacity building workshop on blended learning should be organized for both mathematics teachers and students and government should fund secondary education adequately.

Research on Professional Quality of Primary English Teachers in Urban Areas in China

Research on Professional Quality of Primary English Teachers in Urban Areas in China

Teachers’ Perspectives on Face-To-Face English Teaching After Teaching Online In Pandemic

Before the pandemic, previous research found that online teaching improved teacher face-to-face teaching. Especially in Indonesia, the pandemic has provided an unsatisfactory online teaching experience. Considerably, this study aimed to investigate teachers' perception of face-to-face English teaching after online teaching in a pandemic. The study was designed as a phenomenological study with a sampling method using purposeful random sampling. Sources of data came from interviews with five teachers in urban areas and five teachers in rural areas. Data was supported by documentation and field notes. The study found that teachers perceive face-to-face English teaching practice after the pandemic has changed compared to previous face-to-face teaching. The changes can be seen from three aspects: teaching practice, teaching competencies, and impact on students.

Teachers’ Teaching Capability in Urban and Rural Areas: A Comparative Study

In order to achieve excellence in teaching and learning, it needs stronger, skillful teachers with technical expertise. The study was conducted to compare the teaching capability of teachers in Urban and Rural areas. The study utilized descriptive-comparative and mixed methods of research, and it was conducted at selected schools in the urban Cotabato City division and schools in the rural, Maguindanao-1 division. There were 56 totals of teachers, both in urban and rural areas. Respondents determined using total complete enumeration from 1 to 6 English teachers and the principal of each school. A self-made survey questionnaire was used to gather data. Random interviews and observations were done to validate respondents' answers. Statistical tools used were mean to describe teaching capability and a T-test of independent means to determine the difference. The extent of teaching capability of teachers in urban areas in terms of teachers' teaching strategies was rated very satisfactory, and in the rural area rated satisfactory. Implementing classroom management in urban areas was very satisfactory, while rural ones rated satisfactory. The difference between teachers' teaching capability in urban and rural areas was not significant. It is concluded that teachers in both urban and rural areas were performing well, although there is little difference in the implementation of the task as their teaching capabilities. This recommends that teachers in urban and rural areas improve their teaching capabilities and give more effort to mold their pupils to become competent to face the standards at the next level of their education

Educational Communication and Stress at Preschool and Primary Teachers in the Educational Pandemic Context

Abstract In the pandemic context, both stress and educational communication have been altered. In this article, we will analyse the dynamics of the factors involved in didactic communication and identify the real and potential stressors for teachers teaching before pandemic; we will also assess their perceptions of the anxiety felt about online teaching and how it affects educational communication. The hypothesis of the research postulates that the stress perceived by the teachers has elevated during pandemic and the educational communication has gone through a series of changes and reorientations both at the level of the didactic strategies adopted and the regulation of anxiety factors involved (the feeling of safety, the perception of break as a stress factor instead of relaxation, the volume of tasks attributed to each teacher etc). The research variables were the pandemic context in school environment, the level of stress as perceived by the teachers and the educational communication. The research objectives were aimed at assessing the perception of teachers in rural areas vs. that of teachers in urban areas regarding the stress felt and the dynamics of educational communication; also comparing the stress felt by teachers and the dynamics of educational communication incumbents vs. substitutes, educators vs. teachers and teachers in rural areas vs. urban teachers. We expect that the results of the research would have therefore a more assumed awareness from school managers of the fact that there are many predictors of stress that should no longer be ignored and that raising teacher’s resilience both at personal level and academic one should become a priority. School managers should organize mindfulness courses and anxiety management courses for teachers.

Correlation Between Student Internet Access and Teachers’ Self-Efficacy in Teaching Online Classes

The most critical requirement of an online class is the availability of the internet for a teacher and students alike. The objective of this study was to find out how student internet access correlates to teachers’ self-efficacy in teaching an online class. This quantitative study used categorical data obtained using two questionnaires, one of which was student internet access consisting of three constructs, and the other is teachers’ self-efficacy in teaching an online class. The questionnaires were distributed online to in-service teachers who had completed or almost completed an online teacher professional development program in four major universities in Indonesia. As many as 158 teachers completed both questionnaires. The data were analyzed using Spearman Correlation Coefficient to reject the null hypothesis at the significance level of 0.05. The correlation was calculated for seven teacher categories, i.e. teachers in urban areas, teachers in rural areas, elementary school teachers, junior high school teachers, senior high school teachers, experienced teachers, and inexperienced teachers. The research results show that teacher-reported student internet access correlates with teachers’ self-efficacy in teaching an online class. The level of correlation ranges from weak to strong correlations, with moderate correlations for most teacher categories. The implication of this study for teacher education is also discussed.

COVID-19 and Kazakhstani Women Teachers: An Empirical Study of Factors Affecting Mental Health

The study investigates stress and organizational climate factors affecting mental health of women school and university teachers in pre‐COVID‐19 and COVID‐19 periods in the context of Central Asia considering the case of Kazakhstan. The results of quantitative empirical study show that the pandemic has caused an increase in perceived anxiety and depression among women teachers. Women teachers in urban areas experienced greater anxiety and depression than rural teachers. The moderation interaction predictor indicates that the effect of perceived stress becomes less negative with increased level of Material and Technical Security or Access to Technological Resources. In conditions of COVID-19 the effect of Material Technical Security/Access to Technological Resources on Mental Health becomes significant when women teachers have a better Social Climate at work. Its effect on Mental Health becomes significant when women teachers are more engaged in the decision making process with clearly defined organizational goals according to the Participatory Management policy and when women teachers more frequently receive Performance Feedback.

Attitude towards the Teaching Profession: The Secondary School Teachers’ Outlook

Investigated in this study is the attitude of secondary school teachers towards the teaching profession. Survey design was adopted for the study and three research questions guided the study. The sample of the study comprises of all the 55 secondary school teachers of Senior Secondary 2 (SS2) in urban and rural schools, in Awka South Local Government Area, Anambra State. The instrument for data collection was a 20 item questionnaire developed by the researchers. The data collected was analyzed by computing mean and standard deviation. The findings of the study revealed that the majority of the secondary school teachers possessed positive attitude towards the teaching profession. It was also found that the female secondary school teachers had more positive attitude towards the profession than the male secondary school teachers. Furthermore, the secondary school teachers in urban areas had higher positive attitude than the secondary school teachers in rural areas. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that both the government and teacher organization should see to the training, retraining and motivation of secondary school teachers. If they are well-trained and motivated, they will be more committed and learning will be enhanced.

Primary School Science Teachers’ Creativity and Practice in Malaysia

Creative pedagogy has been explored extensively, and previous research suggests that there is a gap between the level and practice of creativity of science teachers, and that it varies by school location. The aim of this study was to determine the levels of creativity, and creativity practice of primary school science teachers, and differences in the levels of creativity and creativity practice of primary school science teachers based on school location. The Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT) were used to acquire qualitative data from 20 participants, and a questionnaire of creativity practice in science teaching was used to collect quantitative data from 409 participants. The qualitative data were analyzed according to the TTCT scoring technique and the quantitative data were analyzed descriptively using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 26. This study found that, that while overall teacher creativity was low, the teachers perceived that they employed highly creative practices. No difference was found in relation to environment, teaching aids, skills and science process skills of teachers in urban and rural areas. However, teachers in rural areas were more knowledgeable about creativity, while teachers in urban areas were better at practising it. This research provides baseline evidence on current practices in creative pedagogy of science teachers nationwide.

Factors influencing teachers’ willingness to move in the Chinese school system

ABSTRACT A recently introduced national policy in China, Opinions on Promoting the Rotation of Principals and Teachers in Compulsory Education Schools within the County/District, mandates teacher mobility between urban and rural areas, thereby ensuring a more equitable distribution of human resources. This study investigated a key but understudied issue in the Chinese school system: factors influencing teachers’ willingness to move. A survey questionnaire was distributed among 650 teachers in urban areas, since they are considered as more experienced, prepared, and qualified than their rural peers. Data were analysed using the chi-square test, Spearman and Pearson correlation analyses, and binary logistic regression analysis. Results showed significant differences in teachers’ willingness to move, based on their teaching experiences, family status, and professional titles. The social responsibility of promoting educational equality and expectations of professional development encourage mobility, while familial obligations and adaptability concerns discourage them. The findings provide insight into the implementation of a policy compelling teachers to serve in unfamiliar settings and emphasize the necessity of appropriate physical, psychological, and professional support to encourage such mobility.

Retracted] Comprehensive Evaluation of Teaching Ability Based on Network Communication Environment

With the continuous development of school teaching quality, the measurement of the current teaching ability level has become a concern of people. This research mainly discusses the comprehensive evaluation of the teaching ability level based on the network communication environment. This study uses fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method to comprehensively evaluate the system. First, obtain the representative evaluation standards of education informatization and a series of indicators related to informatization teaching at home and abroad; secondly, conduct a comprehensive analysis of the various evaluation standards and related indicators of informatization teaching that have been obtained; finally, the process in each indicator is discussed and revised by experts and relevant information technology teachers, and a number of schools are selected to conduct small‐scale experimental evaluation experiments to form information‐based teaching evaluation indicators. In this study, the proportion method is used to calculate the membership degree of each observation index based on the recovered data and establish the fuzzy relationship matrix of each evaluation factor. Paying attention to the level of index weights can guide the development direction of informatization teaching and promote the healthy development of informatization teaching. Therefore, this article uses the expert scoring method combined with the analytic hierarchy process to determine the weights in the evaluation index system. There is a significant difference between teachers in urban areas and teachers in rural areas (p < 0.05). The ratio of each grade of the teacher’s informatization teaching ability comment collection is “bad 0.5%,” “relatively poor 5.7%,” “normal 35.3%,” “good 53.1%,” and “excellent 5.3%.” This research will help promote the improvement of school teaching quality.

Contextualising science and mathematics teacher professional development in rural areas


 
 
 Science and mathematics teacher professional development in South Africa does not adequately address teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge or ability to integrate indigenous knowledge into the curriculum. This situation is partly due to traditional teacher professional development programmes that utilise top-down and expert-driven approaches without consulting teachers. This “one- size-fits-all” model is rarely relevant to teachers’ classroom realities, especially in rural areas. The research question that guided this research was: How could the professional development intervention be contextualised to better meet the educational needs of a rural environment? In this paper, we explore the design principles for teacher professional development interventions that could addressthe needs of teachers and the context, acknowledging that teachers in rural areas face different challenges compared to teachers in urban areas. We use the Hantam region of the Northern Cape Province as a case study to explore the affordances of partnerships with local indigenous knowledge holders and cultural institutions (museums) in the professional development of teachers. Data were generated from semi-structured interviews with Hantam school and community participants using a qualitative approach. Two major themes that emerged from this qualitative research was that (a) the involvement of indigenous knowledge holders and museums as “third partners” in the value chain between universities and schools, could greatly assist to better contextualise the “western” science curriculum, and (b) the incorporation of indigenous knowledge in the STEM curriculum could assist in building the self-esteem of learners. We argue that contextualising science and mathematics teacher professional development for the rural environment has affordances for improving not only teacher competencies, but also learners’ views on the relevance of science and mathematics in everyday life.
 
 

Rural teachers’ sharing of digital educational resources: From motivation to behavior

Research indicates that knowledge sharing promotes teacher professional learning opportunities and development. However, it is yet to be known what motivates teachers in rural schools in sharing their knowledge as they may face more challenges than teachers in urban areas when sharing. This study examined factors explaining rural teachers' sharing behavior regarding digital educational resources, both within and outside school, as posited by combining motivation theory and the integrative model of behavior prediction. Self-reported questionnaires from 709 rural teachers were collected and analyzed employing the Structural Equation Modeling. Different motivational factors were found to be related to sharing behavior within school and outside school. More specifically, internal motivation was positively and external motivation was negatively related to sharing behavior in both contexts. Moreover, sharing intention and sharing climate significantly explained teachers' sharing behavior, but only outside school. A mediation analysis using a bias-corrected bootstrapping method revealed that the effect of internal motivation on sharing intention within school was mediated through self-efficacy and attitudes whereas the effect of external motivation on sharing intention outside school was only mediated by attitudes. These findings contribute to a better understanding of how to support teachers’ sharing behavior in different contexts.

Rural and urban general education teachers’ instructional strategies in inclusive classrooms in China: a dual system perspective

ABSTRACT Due to China’s unique rural-urban dual system, education differs significantly between rural and urban schools. However, research related to the rural-urban disparity in inclusive education is limited. Moreover, general education teachers’ instructional strategies, in particular, remain unclear and could be studied further. To bridge this gap, a qualitative method was adopted to interview 16 general education teachers in rural and urban inclusive classrooms in China, and the differences in inclusive instructional strategies, teaching design, and support for and barriers to general education teachers’ inclusive instruction were explored. The findings showed that shorter assignments and different expectations were the most frequently utilised strategies in inclusive classrooms; teachers’ teaching designs were significantly geared towards general education instead of students’ individualised needs, and the barriers to inclusive instruction were far greater than the support obtained. Moreover, general education teachers in urban areas adopted more teaching strategies, had fewer barriers to inclusive instruction while receiving more support than rural teachers. Implications for future research and practices in the field of general education teachers’ instructional strategies in inclusive education were discussed.

Improving Elementary School Teacher Competency Through Portfolio Assessment in Low Grade

The purpose of this study was to obtain objective information and clarity regarding Elementary School Teacher Competitions through Low grade Portfolio Assessment. The results of this study indicated that the development of thematic learning models through the assessment of low-grade portfolio by Bengkayang District Elementary school teachers is in a "sufficient" position. The planning of learning model by elementary school teachers in urban areas had an actual score of 495 and an ideal maximum score of 840 or 58.92% with the category "sufficient." In the suburbs, it had an actual score of 334 and an ideal maximum score of 840 or 39.76% with the "enough" category. While in areas outside the urban area have an actual score of 335 and an ideal maximum score of 840 or 39.88% with the category also "sufficient." In each assessment effect, model planning effect in the Urban area obtained an actual total score of 96 ideal maximum score of 144, = 66.67%; At the Suburbs the actual score was 48 ideal scores 144 = 33.44%; while for the Outer Urban area obtained an actual score of 47 ideal scores 144 = 32.64%. The aspect of the preparatory stage for the implementation of the thematic learning model of low-grade portfolio assessment by elementary school teachers in the urban area obtained an actual score of 80 from an ideal maximum score of 120, reaching 66.67%; Suburbs obtained an actual score of 53 ideal scores 120 = 44.16%; Whereas in the out-of-urban effect urban area, the actual score was 52 ideal scores 120 = 43.33%. Implementation Stage Thematic learning model in the assessment of low-grade portfolio in the urban area obtained an actual score of 201 ideal maximum score of 360, = 55.83%; In the suburbs the actual score: 161 ideal scores 360 = 44.72%; while Out of urban the actual score is 162, the ideal score is 360 = 45.00%. The aspect of How to assess thematic learning models in the assessment of low-grade portfolio in the Urban area obtained the total score of 62 ideal maximum scores of 96, = 64.58%; Suburbs actual score 29 ideal score 96 = 30.21%; While out of urban the actual score of 31 was an ideal score of 96 = 32.29%. The aspect of the implication of thematic learning in the assessment of low-grade portfolio in the urban area obtained the number of actual scores of 57 ideal maximum scores of 120, = 47.50%; Suburbs actual score 43 ideal scores 120 = 35.83%; Out of urban the actual score of 43 was an ideal score of 120 = 35.83% of what it should be. For this reason, it was suggested thematic learning model planning for portfolio assessment should continued to be maintained by increasing the ability to compile annual programs, compile semester programs, compile syllabi, compile lesson plans, compile mapping and learning theme networks. The thematic learning model of portfolio assessment was not rigid but flexible, adapts existing situations, and conditions were active, creative, effective, and pleases learners referring to the concept of independent learning implementation of thematic learning of portfolio assessment by conducting initial activities, core activities, and closing / ending activities. Assessment of the thematic learning model portfolio assessment referred to indicators that have been determined by the education authority. Implications of implementing thematic learning model portfolio assessment was done by giving individual and group assignments by not burdening students, and utilizing and optimizing available learning media.

Research on the Influence of Internet Development Level on Community Education in China

The rapid development of information technology has a profound impact on education industry in China. This paper attempts to clarify the influence of informatization on community education in China, so as to further analyze its influence on the development of education industry characterized by the upgrading of community education. By building a random effects model, we analyzed panel data of 32 communities in Beijing and Shanghai from 2009 to 2016, and considered time effect, urban effect and other factors, and find that the improvement of the level of Internet development has a significant positive role in promoting the number of ordinary middle school students and teachers in urban areas, fully demonstrating the power of the development of the Internet. We suggest to carry out top-level design, increase financial investment, encourage resource sharing between government and enterprises, and promote the excellent mode of community education construction with information technology, so as to further promote the development of community education.