Teaching Environment Research Articles

Educating high school students in Vietnam on cultural behavior

Cultural behavior is important in creating a favorable environment for teaching and learning activities. The current study examines teachers' and students' assessment of cultural behavior education among high school students. There were 394 participants who completed the survey—55 teachers (14%) and 339 students (86%). Teachers' assessment of the manifestation of cultural behavior had mean scores from 1.53 to 4.05; all the mean scores of the methods and forms of cultural behavior were above three. This study examines all the mean scores of the teachers' assessments of the requirements of cultural behavior that are greater than four. In addition, all mean scores of teachers' assessment of the efficiency of cultural behavior outcomes were above three. Teachers must actively study, cultivate, and improve their professionalism and carry out the responsibility of educating students regarding cultural behavior. Creating a culture of respect, kindness, and responsibility in the classroom and establishing guidelines for teachers, staff, and students are some suggestions proposed for high schools to form cultural behavior among students. Teachers and staff must exhibit model behavior and be approachable and friendly to students. Initiatives both inside and outside the school should be organized to influence student conduct. Positive interactions between the family and school are necessary, thus teachers must maintain contact with families all year round, not only when issues develop.

Analysis of the Problems in the Application of Educational Technology in Underdeveloped Areas

In underdeveloped areas, the teaching environment of educational technology has been initially established, which has laid a solid foundation for further enhancing teaching efficiency and improving teaching quality. But only when it is used effectively and reasonably can its function be maximized. If educational technology is turned into a stunt, it is undoubtedly a waste of the country's precious educational resources. Based on this idea, this paper discusses how to better promote the development of applied technology from the current teaching practice of primary and secondary schools in underdeveloped areas.

Teaching Black Diaspora Stories with Digital Archives in the Classroom

One of the prime difficulties in the current teaching environment is educating students to make use of research skills that teach them not only how to be good historians but also how to be critical thinkers who can engage and evaluate sources. This piece focuses on the use of well-managed digital archives, which provide students with a focused set of research materials that help build a foundational point of historical inquiry. In addition to discussing the pedagogical benefits of such research, emphasis is also placed on specific assignments centered on several online databases, including “The Land Act Legacy Project Collection” of the South African History Archive (SAHA), the African Activist Archive of Michigan State University, and the “Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers’ Project, 1936 to 1938” of the Library of Congress. If these current times have taught anything, it is that digital literacy and proper research methods are essential components in understanding information during times of political and cultural change. By engaging with the stories in these digital archives, students learn about the diversity of opinions and opportunities that defined these stories of the Black diaspora throughout the twentieth century and beyond.

Examining the Predictive Capacity of School-based Assessment on Students' Mathematics Performance in Large-scale Examinations

This study underscores the importance of school-based assessment (SBA) in predicting students' mathematics performance in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in Ghana. The study was conducted using 150 mathematics teachers from public junior high schools in Ghana's Central Region, the research employed a quantitative approach, using surveys to gather data on internal examination scores, SBA practices, teaching experience, and gender. Regression analysis revealed a strong predictive relationship between internal exam scores and BECE performance (R² = 0.663, B = 0.374, SE = 0.006, t = 67.24, p < .000), while ANOVA showed significant variations in SBA practices based on teaching experience (F (3, 146) = 6.99, p < 0.05). However, t-tests indicated no significant gender differences in SBA practices among teachers (t (148) = 1.100, p = 0.273). These findings highlight the critical role of internal assessments and teaching experience in enhancing educational outcomes and suggest that educational policies should support effective SBA practices and professional development for teachers. Based on these findings, it is recommended to enhance formative assessment practices by focusing on continuous and comprehensive internal assessments, provide ongoing professional development for teachers to improve their skills in implementing SBA, and allocate adequate resources for mathematics education to support effective teaching and learning environments.

Language Policy and Practices in an Ethiopian University towards Multilingualism

The study explores an Ethiopian higher education institution’s language policy and practices, explicitly focusing on multilingualism. Thе rеsеarch highlights a discrеpancy between languagе policy and classroom rеalitiеs. Despite English being officially designated as the primary instructional medium of higher education institutions, the prevalent environment for teaching and learning is multilingual, incorporating Afaan Oromoo, Amharic, and other languages alongside English. This disparity challеngеs thе monolingual languagе еducation policy mandatеd by thе Ethiopian constitution. The study employs a mixed-methods approach to offer a comprehensive perspective on the issue, stressing the necessity for a more holistic understanding of the situation. Furthеrmorе, thе rеsеarch indicatеs that thе Ethiopian constitution lacks еxplicit provisions addressing multilingualism within highеr еducation institutions, rеvеaling a gap in thе lеgal framework. This misalignmеnt calls for potential policy adjustmеnts to bеttеr accommodatе thе multilingual nature of highеr еducation. Bеyond thе classroom, both instructors and studеnts frеquеntly usе Afaan Oromoo, Amharic, and othеr hеritagе languagеs in thеir intеractions, furthеr еmphasizing thе importancе of undеrstanding thеsе languagе dynamics in thе Ethiopian highеr еducation contеxt. Ovеrall, this study undеrscorеs thе nееd for a closеr еxamination of languagе practicеs and thеir implications, offеring insights into promoting morе inclusivе еducation and informеd languagе policiеs within Ethiopian highеr еducation institutions.

Lecturers don’t know everything: students listening to the thought processes of lecturers on unfamiliar ground

Abstract Due to the nature of the teaching environment, students may often develop perceptions of their lecturers’ ability as mathematicians, based on the pre-prepared and well-rehearsed content they present. In reality, performing mathematical calculations and solving problems is a difficult skill, and students may compare their own experiences unfavourably with the ease they see lecturers display. To interrogate this disparity, an exercise was included in an undergraduate maths session during which lecturers attempted unseen problems from A-level maths papers, so the students could see them describing the process of problem-solving—including making mistakes, applying helpful strategies and techniques, correcting their own errors and identifying gaps in their knowledge. As well as describing these positive behaviours for students, the session aimed to develop the students’ understanding that their own experiences of struggling with maths are normal and healthy. The activity formed part of a broader session on making mistakes in maths, which also included some advice and opportunities to find mistakes in mathematical working-out. The students were invited to participate in questionnaires and focus groups to explore their perceptions and attitudes towards their lecturers’ knowledge and capacity to make mistakes, and in this paper we analyse these responses and consider how this relates to teaching, and to students’ personal development.

Design and practice of blended teaching of internal medicine nursing based on O-AMAS effective teaching model

BackgroundSelf-directed learning (SDL) ability is the basis for cultivating nursing students’ ability to find and solve problems, lifelong learning, and providing high-quality nursing talents for healthcare. The O-AMAS (Objective, Activation, Multi-learning, Assessment, Summary) model adheres to the teaching philosophy of student-centered, result-oriented, combines the advantages of online and offline teaching, enriching teaching resources and learning channels, diversifying teaching and evaluation methods, and emphasizing integrating and applying knowledge conducive to improving students’ SDL ability and achieving teaching objectives. This study explored the course design, practical, and application effects under the O-AMAS effective teaching model in internal medicine nursing to provide a basis and reference for combining effective teaching models with blended teaching in future nursing courses.MethodsThis study is a self-controlled before-after trial. The participants were 76 nursing undergraduates from Hunan Normal University. This study utilizes the O-AMAS effective teaching model to design internal medicine nursing courses and implement blended online and offline teaching. Main links: The overall course design and application are student-centered, after clarifying macro and micro multi-dimensional learning objectives, with online and offline blended teaching environments activated students’ learning behavior and diversified teachers’ teaching activities, then based on instant and dynamic provide effective feedback; finally, students take the initiate to make a brief and potent summary under the teacher guidance. After the course, a unified assessment of the learning effect of nursing students was conducted, including the evaluation of the SDL ability of nursing students, a final comprehensive evaluation grade, and a teaching satisfaction survey.ResultsThe nursing students’ SDL ability scores are higher than before teaching, and the results were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The final average comprehensive evaluation grade of nursing students was 78.38 ± 7.12. More than 96% of the students are satisfied with this course.ConclusionApplying for internal medicine nursing blended teaching integrated with the O-AMAS effective teaching model is conducive to improving nursing students’ SDL ability, academic grades, and teaching satisfaction.

Emotions and beliefs in teaching: promoting job crafting among academics

Academics are expected to craft their jobs to keep up with changes in the teaching environment. Improving academics’ willingness to engage in job crafting presents a significant challenge in higher education. Based on the Broaden-and-Build Theory, this study examines the association between teaching emotions and job crafting, and the mediating effect of teaching efficacy. Three hundred and thirty-two Chinese academics reported their demographic information, teaching emotions, teaching efficacy, and job crafting via an online platform. After controlling for gender, age, academic rank, and discipline category, the results of the mediation model indicated positive relations between teaching emotions and job crafting. Teaching efficacy fully mediated the relations between negative teaching emotions and job crafting. These findings offer valuable insights for future research on academics’ job crafting and provide practical recommendations for both university managers and academics.

Covid-19’s Emotional Toll on Students: Experiences during Online Assessments in an Open and Distance Learning Programme

The Covid-19 pandemic had an immense effect on teaching and learning during 2020. The fast shift to online examinations in reaction to the pandemic and subsequent lockdown underlines the significance of motivationally enriched and emotionally supportive instruction through this stressful time. It cannot be assumed that all students had the same access to online assets or internet-equipped devices such as laptops or tablets. Not all students coped well, as an analysis of student remarks in a qualitative study indicates. The purpose of this exploratory case study was to analyse student reports on emotions experienced during the first fully online assessments in the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) in order to develop an understanding of the motivating and supportive learning environments in online teaching. A total of 20 students from an open and distance learning university were purposefully selected to answer 15 questions related to their learning needs and, in particular, emotional challenges during lockdown. The study drew on a theoretical framing of five motivational design principles, which link emotions to academic performance. The 17 participants all had access to mobile phones and 12 to laptops for participation in online academic activities. The emotions experienced most by the students varied from anxiousness to restlessness, associated with technology access, and the trend was that emotions were shared mostly with family and friends. The findings are discussed in terms of the need to support student emotions in a fully online university course during these stressful times.

The Impact of School Climate on Teachers’ Self-efficacy Towards a Comprehensive Program for Professional Development

This study evaluated the school climate and the teachers' self-efficacy with a goal to propose a comprehensive program for teachers' professional development. Based on the findings, the researcher concluded the following: (1) The majority of teacher respondents are female, aged 31 to 40, holding Master’s degrees, and collectively possess over ten years of experience across all school departments. (2) School climate, especially student interactions, was highly manifested among the four indicators evaluated by teachers. Teacher relations ranked second, followed by leadership and decision-making. Attitude and culture were rated lowest but still assessed as highly implemented. (3) Teachers expressed highest self-efficacy in digital literacy, followed by instructional strategies, student engagement, and classroom management, indicating confidence in various teaching aspects. (4) School climate significantly impacts teachers' self-efficacy, influencing empowerment, motivation, and confidence in engaging students and using instructional methods effectively. (5) A proposed teacher professional development program aims to enhance teachers' self-efficacy through targeted initiatives focused on school climate improvement. Based on the study's conclusions, the following recommendations are suggested(1) Focus on raising awareness of attitude and culture within the school through initiatives like cultural competence training and diversity workshops. (2) Encourage collaboration among teachers from different departments to enhance understanding of teaching practices and promote a unified school climate. (3) Provide ongoing support and resources for integrating technology into teaching practices, including training on new tools and effective digital resource incorporation. (4) Foster cross-departmental collaboration among teachers to enrich teaching experiences and promote a sense of shared efficacy. (5) Execute a comprehensive teacher professional development program to cultivate a positive school climate, promote collaboration, and empower educators for an enriched teaching environment.

Impact of Physical Education Informatization on the Physical Fitness of College Students in Guangdong, China

The development of college students' physical fitness has become an area of great concern in Chinese university physical education. This study aims to explore the effects of physical education teaching informatization on college students' physical fitness through quasi-experimental research methods. Through the introduction of informatization teaching methods in university physical education courses, a more effective learning and teaching process can be achieved. In this study, 15 freshmen from Guangzhou Software College were selected as respondents, and relying on the Internet, an eight-week informatized physical education teaching was carried out using video instruction, AI interaction, AR simulation, and Internet platform push. The pre-test and post-test of physical fitness of the respondents at various stages before and after the intervention of informatization technology were conducted by Chinese college students' physical fitness test standards, and the learning experience of the respondents in physical education class was investigated by questionnaire survey method, and then the measured results were statistically counted and analyzed by statistical methods. The results of the study showed that the physical fitness levels of the respondents after receiving the 8-week informationalized physical education intervention were improved to different degrees compared to the pre-intervention level. In addition, the results of the questionnaire about the participants' learning experience showed that the informatized teaching could stimulate the respondents' interest in learning, increase the intensity and frequency of exercise, and cultivate the habit of exercise, and that the students were more actively involved in the classroom activities in the informatized teaching environment, formed a closer cooperative relationship with their peers, and enhanced the learning experience. Therefore, this study preliminarily verified the positive impact of physical education teaching informatization on college students' physical fitness. It is suggested that more informatized teaching means should be gradually introduced into university physical education teaching to promote the overall development of students and improve the level of physical fitness. Future studies can further explore in depth the applicability of informatization teaching in different physical education courses and different disciplines to provide more scientific guidance for university physical education teaching.

The Stories Behind Students’ Dropping Out: The Case Of The Philippine Alternative Learning System

Education for all has been a campaign of education advocates over the years. But despite having various education initiatives and programs that promote inclusivity, there are still learners who have left the traditional teaching and learning environment. In the Philippines, the Alternative Learning System (ALS), which is considered to be a parallel learning program, serves as a bridge for those who are unable to attend the formal education system due to various circumstances. Hence, this paper aims to deeply understand the reasons behind students’ dropping out of formal education. Additionally, using a qualitative case study research design, this attempts to examine the authentic experiences of out-of-school youths and adults that led them leave the four corners of classroom. Interestingly, the results of this study revealed that ALS students left the formal education system due to problems with family, personal conflicts, financial concerns, and accessibility concerns. Nevertheless, the narratives shared by the participants served as a way of deeply understanding the root cause that impedes their learning journey as they navigate the path of alternative education. Keywords: Adult education, Alternative Learning System, Education for all, Inclusive education, Out-of-school youths and adults

Disentangling the mechanism of student engagement in online language classrooms from the perspective of Community of Inquiry

Previous studies have revealed that students' participation is a complex matter affected by pedagogical, environmental, and individual factors. However, there is still insufficient empirical evidence regarding how those factors work in shaping classroom participation in the online context. In the field of language education, moreover, it still remains unclear as to how social interactions among students and teachers may affect students' cognitive engagement. To further understand the complex relations between language students' online engagement and the influencing factors, the current study conducted in-depth interviews with 24 university students enrolled in three online English courses in an International university in China. Analyses and interpretation of the qualitative data were informed by the Community of Inquiry framework. The findings suggest that students' engagement in online classrooms is a situated process affected by 1) pedagogical practices and support from teachers, which determines students' cognitive presence and perceived teaching presence directly, and 2) students' perceived social presence, which was shaped by both group dynamics and the online environment. Notably, the physically isolated online environment seemed to have played an impeding role in some students' cognitive engagement, but a facilitating a role in some others’, as mediated by their preference for social presence or absence. Overall, our study highlights the importance of providing students with a constructive, supportive and interactive environment for online language teaching and learning.

Efficacy Testing of the Comprehensive Institutional Model (CIM) using Design-based Research: Instrumental Case Study

COVID-19 was a “black swan” event that forever altered higher education’s adult teaching and learning landscape by requiring a pathway shift in institutional resources to meet student and faculty support needs for academic success and institutional sustainability. Over the last two years, thousands of scholarly articles have been published about the challenges that higher education institutions (HEIs) faced during COVID-19 and their lasting impact on student learning, faculty engagement, and institutional operations in the post-COVID environment. Many researchers offer strategies and guidance to help address the challenges; however, research is limited to testing these strategies and proposed models designed to mitigate the challenges and manage such a crisis in the future. The proposed study will help close this gap by assessing the efficacy of the Comprehensive Institutional Model (CIM), developed based on the findings of Perceptions of Online Strategies and Digital Readiness in the COVID-19 Environment: An Instrumental Case Study by McCray et al. [19]. The CIM aims to provide HEIs with a model to support Hy-flex learning environments to ensure readiness for new emergencies and the aftermath of a “new normal” in higher education. The model organizes how aligning administrators, faculty, and graduate students impacts effective Hy-flex teaching and learning environments. Design-Based Research (DBR) will be used to systematically collect and analyze evidence-based testing results of the CIM across three iterations.

Future Direction of Teaching and Learning Module in Nepal

This paper studies shift of physical class adopting Information and Communication Technology in teaching and learning activities in Nepal. Integration of ICT in academic activities changes the traditional teaching model ignoring teacher centered method into effective student-centered method. It as qualitative research employed semi-structured online interviews with secondary students, teachers and parents through Facebook messenger, telephone call, personal interview and Zoom class observation. Documentary analysis provided a ground for the analysis of data gathered through interviews and observations. This paper reports on how online mode of learning would be effective pointing out collaborating learning environment, easy access to materials and in terms of time saving. Moreover, use of ICT in academic activities changes teacher-centered teaching and learning environment into student-centered environment. ICT skills of teachers, poor ICT infrastructure and government policies have been pointed out as hurdles for virtual classes. However, integration of ICT in academic activities is demand of the time. Findings suggest that the use of ICT in academic activities will be effective way of teaching and learning activities in coming days in Nepal. Moreover, online classes can benefit students who are from marginalized, disadvantaged communities and who have no easy access to schools.

Replication of the true knowledge of constitutional land law is the basis of sustainable nature management in Ukraine

It was established that the root cause of the multiyear wandering of the Ukrainian «elite» in the search for ways and methods of forming the sustainable development of a new sovereign Ukrainian state, among the civilized nations of the world, was the hybrid manipulative pro-Soviet system of knowledge of the «departmental monopoly», which took root in the scientific and pedagogical environment of Ukraine and gradually grew into the «corrupt-oligarchic» system of interest in the entire space of social relations. It is substantiated that the communist majority of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine already in 1992 (in the pre-constitutional period) in a hybrid way (divide and rule) spontaneously divided the land and its natural resources, which is the absolute property of the Ukrainian people, into three different forms of ownership of «land» (state, collective and private). The so-called land reform carried out in Ukraine on the basis of «collective ownership of land» has not been introduced into the constitutional field until now, but on the contrary continues to deepen, by introducing in an anti-constitutional way the contrived circulation of agricultural land (up to 10 thousand hectares in the same hands). It has been proved that the most important primary action as a factor in establishing law and order in the Ukrainian reality is true knowledge of the economic and legal essence of constitutional land pragmatism. The level of life activity in today’s Ukraine depends on the level of worldview education of its citizens, especially young people who study in the institutions of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. It is required that every educated citizen of Ukraine, as a fullfledged (de jure) co-founder of the state (republic) and co-owner of the land and its natural resources, especially young students graduating from universities, including agricultural ones, should have knowledge of constitutional rights regarding «land» as the main capital of the nation, which is the irreplaceable basis of everyone’s civilized and prosperous life. It has been proven that the presence of a personal founding (statutory) share in the capital of the nation, the size of which will initially be equivalent to more than 200 thousand US dollars, will become a real driver of the process of manifestation of the civil rights of a Ukrainian.

Dealing with the social-emotional effects of the COVID-19 pandemic: School administrators’ leadership experiences in Texas, USA

The onset of COVID-19 in March 2020 presented unprecedented disruption to the education systems across the globe. Given that school leaders were at the forefront of guiding schools during the tumultuous times, the purpose of this article is to highlight the aftereffects of the COVID-19 pandemic on schools and examine how school leaders addressed these challenges, particularly the lingering social-emotional disruptions the students and teachers are experiencing. This qualitative study utilized an online survey to collect the perspectives of South Texas school leaders on the challenging circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings are organized by: leadership experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic (lessons learned and critical practices), additional knowledge and skills (social-emotional well-being, resources to address social-emotional well-being, and parental engagement), and suggestions for preparation programs (students’ social-emotional learning (SEL) and teachers’ well-being). The scale of emerging pandemic-related challenges has left school leaders scrambling to seek innovative approaches to maintain a safe and orderly teaching and learning environment. Implementing SEL for students and educators seems to hold promise.

Connectedness with students as a key factor in online teaching self-efficacy

This paper investigates how lecturers’ connectedness with students affected their experience of online teaching during the first COVID-19 lockdown in the UK and Switzerland. We examined how this connectedness predicted lecturers’ self-efficacy in online teaching. This was in addition to other social context variables (connectedness with colleagues and perceived support from the university) and their previous experience with digital tools. The shift to online teaching in the lockdown period abruptly removed any in-person contact between lecturers and their students. Lecturers’ self-efficacy in online teaching is crucial to student motivation, achievement, and the lecturer's own teaching experience. Likewise, lecturers’ connectedness with students and colleagues has been identified as a key factor in learning. Consequently, this study explored how different forms of connectedness predicted lecturers’ self-efficacy in the new teaching environment. A total of 252 lecturers from UK and Swiss universities completed an online survey about their teaching experiences before and during the COVID-19 lockdown. Multiple regressions were used to predict lecturers’ online teaching self-efficacy. The results revealed that connectedness with students was a significant and positive predictor of online teaching self-efficacy. However, connectedness with colleagues and perceived support from the university did not. The perception that digital tools enhanced teaching prior to the lockdown was a significant predictor only for the UK lecturers, but not for the Swiss ones. These findings point towards lecturers’ connectedness with their students being a pathway to success in online teaching.

An Analysis of Classroom Management and Manner Used by English Teacher at Seventh Grade of MTsN 3 Lima Puluh Kota

Classroom management is multifaceted and is the concept of everything in the classroom. Classroom management is an action used by teachers to create an effective and good cooperation in interaction. Classroom management is also defined as the teacher's effort to form an effective environment for learning and teaching, while manner is the teacher ways treat their students in class.. This study focuses on classroom management and manner used by English teachers in seventh grade MTsN 3 Lima Puluh Kota. Therefore, this study is intended describe classroom management and manner used by teachers in teaching English. The researchers using descriptive qualitative with observation and interview as the instrument. Researchers examined two teachers who taught English in the seventh grade of MTsN 3 Lima Puluh Kota. Researchers describe the process of teachers managing classes and the manner of teachers in teaching. Researchers concluded that classroom management and teacher manner are quite good and use existing components in classroom management and manner, although there are some components that are not always implemented by teachers every time they teach in class.

Assessing Students` Experiences of Psychosocial Support for Sustainable Learning at a South African TVET College

A positive psychosocial environment is necessary to create a conducive environment for effective teaching and learning. Thus, this study assessed students` experiences of psychosocial support for sustainable learning at a South African TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) College. This study followed a qualitative phenomenological research technique, which provides participants with a voice to share their psychosocial experiences. Data was collected from twenty individuals through face-to-face interviews and a focus group discussion. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data. The results of the study revealed that majority of students at this college experience low self-esteem, stressful situations, lack of peer tutoring, peer counselling, counselling skills from a Student Development Practitioner (SDP), and inadequate provision of social and emotional needs. This was attributed to a lack of psychosocial support to students from lecturers and SDPs, who ought to work collaboratively to provide such support to students at South African TVET colleges. It became evident from this study that lecturers and college personnel need to assist students in improving their self-esteem by doing the following: reducing students` stressful situations, promoting peer tutoring, providing peer counselling, providing counselling skills and catering for students` social and emotional needs at a college in order to promote sustainable learning. This study will empower lecturers and SDPs with psychosocial support skills to be able to respond to the psychosocial challenges of student development. Keywords: Academic support, emotional support, psychosocial support, sustainable learning, TVET college.