Work In Secondary Schools Research Articles

Investigation of Secondary School Mathematics Teachers’ Processes of Preparing Mathematical Modelling Activities

In this study, it was aimed to investigate the mathematical modelling activity preparation processes of secondary school mathematics teachers who participated in mathematical modelling training. The study was conducted with six mathematics teachers working in secondary schools. In the study designed as action research, two action plans were applied to the teachers. The first activity forms collected from the teachers before the application, the second activity forms collected as a result of the theoretical training about modelling and the activity forms collected at the end of the active participation of the teachers in the modelling activities constitute the data source of this study. An activity evaluation form was used in data analysis. The results of the study showed that teachers initially had deficiencies in preparing modelling activities in accordance with all criteria. After the theoretical training given, it was determined that teachers’ competencies in preparing modelling activities improved very little. In addition to theoretical training, it was seen that the learning environment prepared to ensure teachers’ active participation in modelling activities affected their activity preparation competencies more positively. The results show that teachers’ theoretical knowledge deficiencies should be eliminated in modelling teaching and learning environments should be prepared for their active participation in mathematical modelling activities.

The Impact of Social Media on Global Citizenship According to Social Studies Teachers

Many events that occur in the world affect not only the place where they occur, but also many regions in the world.This situation necessitates the evaluation of the developments and changes in the world with a universal perspective rather than taking into account the national interests of each country. The universal evaluation of the problems experienced has led to the emergence of global citizenship. With global citizenship, individuals interact with other people and become sensitive to different events. The individual's interaction with other people and forming public opinion about the events that occur can be realized more quickly and more easily with social media, which is preferred by all societies globally. For this reason, the aim of the research is to determine 'the effect of social media on global citizenship' in line with the views of social studies teachers. Phenomenology, one of the qualitative research methods, was preferred in this study. The participants of the study were 22 social studies teachers working in secondary schools in Diyarbakır city center. In order to obtain the data, a semi-structured interview form developed by the researcher by consulting expert opinions was used. As a result of the research, it was concluded that the use of social media affects global citizenship awareness in terms of reaching the whole world, being aware of differences, combating social inequalities, interacting with different cultures, producing solutions to social problems, creating awareness, being sensitive, facilitating information sharing, critical thinkingand creating a sense of trust.

A STUDY ON THE JOB SATISFACTION OF WOMEN TEACHERS WORKING IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

A STUDY ON THE JOB SATISFACTION OF WOMEN TEACHERS WORKING IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT COMPETENCE OF HEAD TEACHERS, UTILIZATION PRIORITIES AND RELATIONSHIP WITH SCHOOL PERFORMANCE

The study aimed at finding the impact of school Head teachers’ budget management competencies, utilization priorities and relationship with school performance. The objectives of the study were; (i) to identify the budget management competencies among Head Teachers of secondary schools, (ii) to explore the priorities of head teachers regarding the utilization of Budget in secondary schools and (iii) to find out the relationship of secondary schools Head teacher’s budget management competency on school performance. The population consisted of 431 head teachers (202 male & 229 female) working in secondary schools of district Sargodha. All 352 head teachers were taken as sample. Two research instruments i.e., questionnaires for head teachers on a five-point rating scale and a checklist on three points were developed. The reliability coefficient Chronback Alpha value was .904. The major findings of the study were; Majority of Headteachers were good enough in budget management competencies and there was a positive and moderate correlation between the financial competencies of head teachers and their school performance. It is recommended that a committee of senior Head Teachers may be notified by the competent authorities for guidelines on financial issues.

A scale development study to determine the digital citizenship levels of social studies teachers

The aim of this study is to develop a valid and reliable scale to determine the digital citizenship levels of social studies teachers. In the scale development phase, a scale item pool of 79 items was created. The created scale item pool was submitted to expert opinion; 44 items were removed in the first stage and 14 items were removed in the second stage. The draft scale was applied to 321 social studies teachers working in secondary schools affiliated to the Ministry of National Education in Eskisehir province in the 2021-2022 academic year. As a result of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, a unique, valid and reliable digital citizenship scale for social studies teachers with 4 factors and 21 items was developed with a total variance explained of 54.959%. Cronbach Alpha coefficient for the whole scale was calculated as 0.91. The data obtained proved that the scale is a valid and reliable scale.

Social Studies Teachers' Views on the Turkish Education System: Current Problems and Suggested Solutions

This study aims to determine the current problems related to social studies education from the perspective of social studies teachers. The research was designed with content analysis technique, one of the qualitative research methods. The study group of the research consisted of 50 social studies teachers working in secondary schools in the center of Mardin province. The data were collected using a semi-structured interview form. The data obtained were first subjected to a descriptive analysis in accordance with the content analysis technique. Codes and categories were created. According to the results obtained from the research, it is seen that the school directly affects the student's readiness and intrinsic motivation. In addition, the genetic and mental state of the child, how the parents guide the child, the financial conditions in which the child lives are directly proportional to his/her education, and the environment in which the student grows up are directly effective in the success of the student. When the opinions of the teachers about the social studies textbooks are analyzed, the majority of them stated that the textbooks are not printed in high quality. In addition, teachers who were satisfied with the textbooks stated that the book contains basic information, that the visuals in the book are in a way to guide the students, that the coloring is good, that it is the best book on the market, especially for the sixth grade, that the texts and topics in the book complement each other, that it is suitable for the age level of the students, and most importantly, that it makes a great contribution to the developmental process of the students in a positive sense. The research was concluded with suggestions such as organizing all stakeholders in education, strengthening the infrastructure of schools according to the curriculum and making all schools equal in this sense, providing financial support to schools and opening study classes in schools.

The Relationship between Transformational Leadership, Educators’ Confidence in their Heads of Schools and Educators’ Dedication at Work in Secondary Schools of Mauritius

In Mauritian secondary schools (colleges), very limited studies exist regarding the influence of transformational leadership applied by rectors on educators’ trust in their leaders and their degree of commitment to their work. Objectives: to determine (a) (i) the levels of transformational leadership applied by rectors of secondary schools in Mauritius, (ii) the degree of trust of these educators in their rectors, (iii) the degree of educators’ commitment to their duties; (b) the relationship and influence of transformational leadership applied by schools leaders over (i) educators’ trust in their rectors, (ii) educators’ degree of commitment toward their work; (c) the existence of any relationship between educators’ trust and their commitment toward their duties. Method: Data was collected from 394 respondents across Mauritius during December 2022 using simple random sampling through an online survey. Analysis on SPSS 25 was carried out for correlations. Results: All three variables’ levels were rated as “high” and were significantly and positively correlated: (i) there was a significant positively moderate correlation between the level of transformational leadership applied in colleges and the degree of educators’ trust in their heads of schools; (ii) there was a significant positively low correlation between the level of transformational leadership applied in colleges and the degree of educators’ commitment to their work. Additionally, it was found that there was a significant positively weak correlation between the degree of educators’ trust in their heads of schools and the degree of educators’ commitment to their work.

Evaluation of Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue Competencies. Identification of Factors Related with Its Performance among Adolescents in the City of Barcelona

A survey study was carried out among 942 students in Barcelona. The study demonstrated that the questionnaire applied ensured validity and reliability for detecting and evaluating interreligious dialogue competencies. The most significant results were that a regression analysis identified five predictor variables of intercultural and interreligious competencies: (1) overcoming prejudice; (2) disregarding a person’s religion when establishing friendship; (3) the ability to cope with conflicts; and (4) not avoiding a relationship with someone due to their cultural background. Lastly, results also showed the importance of working in secondary schools in order to advance toward a culture of peace.

Examining the Opinions of School Administrators Working in Secondary Schools on Sports Fields

Examining the Opinions of School Administrators Working in Secondary Schools on Sports Fields

Social Studies Teachers’ Digital Literacy Levels

In this study, which was conducted to determine the digital literacy levels of social studies teachers, explanatory sequential design, which is one of the mixed pattern methods, was used. 543 Social Studies teachers working in secondary schools across Turkey participated in the study in the 2019-2020 academic year. 543 social studies teachers participated in the quantitative part of the study and 32 social studies teachers participated in the qualitative part. The sample of the study was chosen as an easy and accessible sample. The data of the study were collected through the personal information form developed by the researcher, the interview form and the digital literacy scale developed by Sulak, (2019). Quantitative data obtained in the study were analyzed with a statistical program. As a result of the research, it was determined that the digital literacy levels of social studies teachers were at the "I agree" level. Significant differences were found between the digital literacy levels of teachers and the variables of gender, use of technology in the lesson, and in-service training. With the data obtained as a result of the interviews, it was revealed that the teachers themselves have a perception that their digital literacy skill level is below the digital literacy level of today's Z generation. As a result of the findings, suggestions were made to carry out various studies to increase the digital literacy level of social studies teachers and to gain digital literacy skills through in-service/pre-service training.

Образовательный и профессиональный выбор рабочей молодежи сервисных отраслей

The relationship between education, profession and social status in the modern global world is not obvious. A high level of education does not guarantee a professional career. The discrepancy between professional education and occupation is especially acute in the field of customer service. On the one hand, it reduces the quality of services provided and, on the other hand, causes tension among workers of this industry. The aim of the research is to study educational values, the choice of an educational trajectory and professional self-determination of modern working-class youth in the service industry. The article is based on the materials of an empirical study using quantitative and qualitative sociological methods: a mass survey of working-class youth in the Ural Federal District and a biographical interview, the informants of which are employed in the real sector of the economy and the service sector. The contradictory attitude of young service workers to education was revealed: not seeing the connection between the level and quality of education and the characteristics of their own life, young people are confident in the value of education and maintain a respectful attitude towards educated people. The personal significance of education for the new generation of working-class youth is small; the social prestige of education does not in any way affect personal life plans, including the professional choice. The established relationships between the educational and professional choice of working-class youth - the basic layer of the social structure of any society - can be used to organize vocational guidance work in secondary school, and can be in demand by the state and regional authorities of vocational education.

IMPLEMENTATION OF AN EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM FOR TRAINING PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS IN THE INNOVATIVE ORGANIZATION OF METHODOLOGICAL WORK IN NUS

The article analyzes the readiness of teachers for innovative methodical work. It is noted that the traditional system of organizing methodical work in secondary schools does not fully satisfy the requirements of modern new education, the focus of which is determined by teacher preparation for pedagogical activities in the context of the New Ukrainian School. The context of the state policy and strategy for the development of education in Ukraine focuses on a new understanding of methodical work as an important factor in the implementation of the "New Ukrainian School" concept. The tendency of demand by society for innovations in education is increasing, which necessitates the development of fundamentally new approaches to the interaction of pedagogical science and practice, the introduction of modern technologies of methodical management. The content of the experimental program for the training of managers and teachers for the innovative organization of methodical work at NUS was revealed. It is noted that the theoretical and methodological basis in the development of the experimental program was a system-structural approach to determining its content. The program reflects all the main ideas and features of methodical work at the National University of Higher Education, takes into account pedagogical culture in the management of the teaching staff, reveals the essence of management, organization, control and correction of methodical work; principles of innovative pedagogy; specifics of the educational institution; the content of the training course on mastering a sufficient level of computer use. The data collected during the experiment show that the technology of innovative organization of methodical work has its own logic, orients to a certain goal, tasks and stages of learning. Moreover, two lines interact in the organization of methodical work: one – in the logic of ensuring professional training of managers for the innovative organization ьof methodical work, which includes the ethics of service relations, the identification of "real" management problems in resolving conflicts that accompany any labor team; the other is traced within the framework of specific educational activities of teachers regarding the assimilation of the content of innovative learning technology.

Пріоритети застосування інтерактивних методів навчання в технічній підготовці волейболістів на етапі початкової підготовки

The purpose of the study was to determine methodological priorities for the use of interactive educational methods in the technical preparation of volleyball players at the stage of initial training. Materials and methods. The methods of theoretical analysis and generalization of data from scientific and methodical literature, the method of expert evaluation, methods of mathematical statistics were used. During September-December 2020, 24 coaches and physical culture teachers who conduct volleyball group work in secondary schools were interviewed. Results and discussion. The rating of interactive educational methods for studying individual technical techniques in volleyball has been determined. Experts offer to use different methods for studying and improving the ball serve: discussing the problem in a general circle, acting out the situation, working in small groups, decision tree; for passing the ball: rotating (changeable) threes, working in pairs, microphone and acting out the situation; for receiving the ball: working in pairs, working in small groups, discussing the problem in a general circle and solving problems; offensive strike: evaluative discussion, work in pairs and discussion of the problem in the general circle; for blocking: two-four-all together, work in pairs, rotating (changeable) threes, work in small groups. Experts recommend using eleven separate interactive educational methods, among them: five belong to the subgroup of cooperative learning: work in small groups, rotating (changeable) threes, work in pairs, circle of ideas, two-four-all together; four methods belong to the subgroup of collective-group learning: discussion of the problem in the general circle, decision tree, microphone, problem solving; one – to the subgroup of situational modeling – acting out the situation by roles (role play, imitation) and one – to the subgroup of evaluation of debatable issues – evaluation discussion. Interesting and effective methods and means should prevail at the initial stages of athletes’ preparation. This gives reason to recommend the use of interactive educational methods for working with beginner volleyball players. Conclusion. For the first time, recommendations for the use of interactive educational methods in the preparation of athletes at the stage of initial training in game team sports (on the example of volleyball) were defined and summarized; recommendations for the application of individual methods and their subgroups for solving problems of teaching certain technical actions of volleyball are determined. Based on this, it is possible to make an objective correction of the content of the educational and training process of volleyball players of the first year of study at the stage of initial training in terms of their technical preparation

CHALLENGES OF BEING A SECONDARY SCHOOL MATHEMATICS TEACHER

This study was conducted to reveal the challenges experienced by mathematics teachers working in secondary schools. The study is a descriptive case study which was carried out in accordance with a qualitative understanding. The participants of the study consisted of 145 secondary school mathematics teachers. The participants reported the challenges they experienced by writing on a form developed by the researchers. The data obtained were analysed through the content analysis method, by considering the professional experiences of the participants. The findings of the study indicated that the challenges experienced by the participating mathematics teachers were based on four basic sources including learner, teaching process, parents, and curriculum. Learner-related challenges included students’ negative attitude towards mathematics, lack of prior knowledge, unwillingness to learn, lack of study habits and misconceptions. In terms of the challenges related to the teaching process, the participants stated that they experienced difficulties in the following areas: teaching according to student level, teaching abstract concepts, the pressure of high-stake tests, teaching with more effort compared to other courses, and limited technological infrastructure. Parent-based challenges, on the other hand, included parents’ prejudice against mathematics and unrealistic expectations from their children. As for the curriculum-related challenges, the mathematics teachers faced difficulties because of an excessive number of topics in the curriculum, abstract concepts, constantly changing curriculums and curriculum’s being above the student level.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0452/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Value Orientations of School Principals and Teachers Working in Secondary Schools

Purpose: Teachers have crucial influence on shaping students’ values and behaviors either directly or indirectly besides implementing the curriculum. The current study examined the effects of gender, job position, seniority, marital status and educational status on principals and teachers’ value orientations. Design/Methodology/Approach: To understand teachers’ values, we used survey research design. We conducted group comparison analyses (t-test and ANOVA) to determine whether gender, job position, seniority, marital status and educational status led to a difference in teachers' value preferences. Findings: The values that are considered the most important by teachers were “hedonism” and the least mean score in “stimulation”. Also, the variable of gender caused a statistically significant difference in the values of “achievement”, “benevolence”, “security” and “universalism” in favor of female teachers. Single teachers have higher level of “achievement”, “benevolence”, “security”, “self-direction”, “stimulation” and “universalism” values. With regard to educational status, no meaningful difference was found towards value orientations. Also, age and seniority variables didn’t cause meaningful difference. Highlights: It is important to reveal the values ​​adopted by teachers and school principals to make sense of education systems. Especially today's changing structure makes it necessary to determine the values ​​adopted in educational organizations by repeating them in different periods.

The Role of Gender, TPACK, School Support and Job Satisfaction in Predicting the Technostress Levels of Social Studies Teachers

Technostress which is called a disease of the modern era has significantly increased its impact on educators due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In this period, social studies teachers also encounter technostress intensively. The aim of this study is to determine the relationships between the technostress levels of social studies teachers and the variables of gender, Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge [TPACK], school support, and job satisfaction. The study is based on a quantitative research approach and is designed with a correlational survey model. The data of the study were obtained from 270 social studies teachers working in secondary schools. Personal information form, Technostress Scale, Technopedagogic Education Competency Scale (TPACK-deep), School Support Scale, and Minnesota Job Satisfaction Questionnaire-Short Form were used to collect the research data. In the analysis of the research data, SPSS 22.0 program was used. In the analysis of the data, descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient, and hierarchical multiple regression analysis were used. As a result of the research, it was found that gender, TPACK, school support, and job satisfaction significantly predict the technostress levels of social studies teachers. Future research may focus on how school culture can be strengthened to reduce the technostress levels of social studies teachers.

Special educators' intentions towards supporting practice of inclusive education for students with disabilities in secondary schools in Ghana.

BackgroundAlthough teacher training institutions have introduced courses in inclusive education to equip teachers with the necessary pedagogical skills to teach in diverse classrooms, it has been argued that the services of special educators are essential when it comes to teaching students with disabilities in regular classrooms. Unfortunately, there is scant literature on the views of special educators regarding the enactment of inclusive education in sub-Saharan African countries, such as Ghana.ObjectiveIn an effort towards promoting inclusive education in Ghana, there has been deployment of special educators across Ghana to supervise the implementation of inclusive education in schools. The purpose of this study was to explore the intentions of special educators towards supporting teachers to teach students with disabilities in secondary schools.MethodAjzen’s theory of planned behaviour guided the development of interview guide for data collection for this qualitative study. Twelve special educators were purposively selected and interviewed from five districts in Ghana.ResultsThe participants expressed their unpreparedness to work in secondary schools because of multiple factors, such as their job description, resistance from teachers, and inadequate teaching and learning materials.ConclusionThis study concludes on the need for policymakers to reconsider the deployment of special educators to cluster of schools or geographical areas in order to supervise the education of children with disabilities.

Teachers’ Views on Citizenship Subjects within the Context of Social Studies Literacy Regarding Identity Formation and Acquisition of Citizenship Awareness of Immigrant Students

While immigrant students, who live in Turkey, have their own values at home, they encounter Turkish culture and values at school and in their social life. This situation brings along certain tensions in identity formation processes. Citizenship education aims to prepare students for social life by providing them with the necessary knowledge and skills to grow up as democratic citizens. Therefore, citizenship education has an important function in the identity formation of children. Therefore, citizenship education has an important function in the identity formation of children. The aim of this research is to determine teachers’ views about citizenship subjects regarding identity formation and citizenship awareness in the context of social studies literacy. Case study, which is one of the qualitative research methods, was used in this study. Data was gathered via a semi-structured teacher interview form. The data of the research was obtained via Social Studies teachers that work in Secondary Schools in Hatay, Turkey, during 2019-2020 academic year. For this purpose, semi-structured interviews were performed with 15 Social Studies teachers. Descriptive analysis technique was used to analyze the data obtained as a result of semi-structured interviews. The data obtained from the research was evaluated; the findings were defined and interpreted. Accordingly, it was concluded that citizenship issues have a unifying and integrating structure, both individually and socially, in identity formation and realizing citizenship awareness, and also influence the adoption of social rules and transforming them into behavior.

Views of Social Studies Teachers on Support and Training Courses

The purpose of this research is to identify the views of social studies teachers working in suptive training courses on courses. In the study, case study pattern which is used frequently in qualitative research has been preferred. To identify the views of social studies teachers about supportive training courses semi-structured interview form has been used. Data has been gathered in 2019-2020 education season and content analysis method has been used in analyzing the data. Study group consists of 21 social studies teachers who both work in secondary schools situated in central Afyonkarahisar and supportive training courses. Most teachers find supportive training courses useful and state the reason of working in them both financial and service score. As to the effects on students while most teachers have mentioned positive effects like equality of opportunity some have stated attention and interest levels of students have decreased due to fatigue. As for the effects on teachers, most have stated positive impacts like financial benefit and service score while some have mentioned negative effects like getting tired. In general teachers have named typical common problems as transportation, nutrition and absenteeism. Accordingly with the findings of the study some suggestions have been made.

The Relationship between Technology Literacies and Proactive Personalities of Secondary School Mathematics Teachers

The aim of this study is to determine the level of technology literacy and proactive personality of secondary school mathematics teachers, the relationship between technology literacy and proactive personalities, and how much of the proactive personality is explained by the technology literacy, according to the perceptions of secondary school mathematics teachers. The study was designed around a relational survey model, which is a quantitative research technique. The population of the study consisted of mathematics teachers working in secondary schools in Turkey and the sample was 380 secondary school mathematics teachers selected by simple random sampling method. Technology Literacy Scale and Proactive Personality Scale were used as data collection instruments. Descriptive statistics, correlation and regression analyses were used to analyse the data. The secondary school mathematics teachers' perceptions about technology literacy and proactive personality were found to be high. In addition, there was a moderate level positive and significant correlation between technology literacy and proactive personality of the secondary school mathematics teachers. Finally, the proactive personality of secondary school mathematics teachers explained their technology literacy at 30.7% level.