scholarly journals Good Educational Robotics Practices in Upper Secondary Schools in European Projects

Author(s):  
Marco Cantarini ◽  
Rita Polenta

AbstractIn the fields of MINT (mathematics, ICT, natural sciences, technology), there is an increasing lack of young talent throughout Europe. It is clear that early exposure to scientific experiences is the key to motivating young people, especially girls, to develop an interest in these fields. The Erasmus + MINT “Kits for Kids” project is a current initiative for the design and production of integrated learning units as open educational resources for primary school students, of which there is a real demand. The main themes are learning media for primary education, such as simple mechanical machines, computer software, electrical appliances and related learning material. Our product, R4G—Robot for Geometry, is a device that can be used to teach mathematics, geometry and fractions. The aim is to improve performance and motivation from primary school level, using interactive and innovative teaching methods and tools. A second project, named EUWI—European Waste Investigation, is currently in progress, whose aim is to investigate water and pollution in the countries involved in the partnership.

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger Persson ◽  
Ulf Leo ◽  
Inger Arvidsson ◽  
Carita Håkansson ◽  
Kerstin Nilsson ◽  
...  

Abstract Background While poor mental health and psychiatric disorders attributed to stressful work conditions are a public health concern in many countries, the health consequences of the occupational stress experienced by school principals is an understudied issue. Although current data is lacking, some research suggests that principals have a stressful work situation that eventually may lead to burnout and exhaustion disorder, thus negatively affecting the ability of principals to function as leaders. To gauge the situation in Sweden, and as a basis for future preventive actions, we examined to what extent principals displayed signs of exhaustion and whether the prevalence rates of exhaustion differed across school levels, length of work experience as a principal, and gender. Methods Principals (N = 2219; mean age 49 years [SD 7 years]; 78% women) working at least 50% in pre-schools, compulsory schools, upper secondary schools or adult education completed a cross-sectional web survey entailing two validated inventories: The Karolinska Exhaustion Disorder Scale (KEDS) and the Lund University Checklist for Incipient Exhaustion (LUCIE). Data was analysed using traditional non-parametric methods. Gender stratification achieved covariate balance when analysing school level and length of work experience. Results Altogether, 29.0% of the principals met the exhaustion criteria in KEDS. The prevalence rates for the four LUCIE-steps of increasing signs of exhaustion were: no signs of stress, 48.8%; weak signs of stress, 25.6%; clear signs of stress but no exhaustion, 15.4%; possible exhaustion disorder, 10.2%. Compared with male principals, female principals reported more signs of possible exhaustion disorder in both LUCIE and KEDS. School level was not associated with reports of exhaustion symptoms in neither LUCIE nor KEDS. Among male principals, length of work experience was associated with exhaustion symptoms in KEDS. Conclusions A large group of Swedish principals working in pre-schools, compulsory schools, upper secondary schools or adult education displayed a symptomatology of signs of exhaustion that if sustained might lead to poor health. This observation suggests that education authorities, or other relevant stakeholders, ought to take some form of preventive action. However, effective combinations of individual, group, organisational, and/or societal preventive activities remain to be identified and tested.


2008 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katariina Salmela-Aro ◽  
Noona Kiuru ◽  
Minna Pietikäinen ◽  
Jukka Jokela

School burnout can be defined as consisting of exhaustion due to school demands, cynical, and detached attitude toward one’s school, and feelings of inadequacy as a student ( Kiuru, Aunola, Nurmi, Leskinen, & Salmela-Aro, 2008 ; Salmela-Aro & Näätänen, 2005 ; Schaufeli, Martínez, Pinto, Salanova, & Bakker, 2002 ). The first aim of the present study was to examine the extent to which schools differ in school-related burnout. Moreover, the aim was to examine the extent to which school-related and background factors are associated with school burnout at the school level and at the individual level. The participants were 58,657 students from 431 comprehensive schools and 29,515 students from 228 upper secondary schools who filled in a questionnaire measuring their school burnout, school-related variables (i.e., negative school climate, positive motivation received from teachers, support from the school), and background variables (i.e., gender, grade-point average, socio-economic status, and family structure). The results revealed only small differences between schools in school burnout. Among the comprehensive school students the results at the school-level showed that negative school climate typical of the school was positively related, while support from school shared among school members was negatively related to school-related burnout. Among upper secondary school students, in turn, positive motivation received from teachers typical of the school was negatively related to school-related burnout. At the individual level, negative school climate was positively related, and support from school and positive motivation received from teachers were negatively related to burnout among both the comprehensive and upper secondary school students. In addition, girls and those with lower GPA experienced higher levels of school burnout compared to boys and those with higher GPA.


Author(s):  
L. G. Dmitrieva ◽  
A. A. Nasyrova ◽  
N. A. Kolesnikova ◽  
M. S. Bunakova

The article is devoted to the role of increase of junior schoolchildren’s cognitive activity as an important condition for the development of cognitive abilities of  learners.  Psycho-pedagogical  support  should  be  focused  on  the  development of cognitive functions of junior schoolchildren, and psychologists and parents should be involved in this process, as well as the teachers. Traditionally, psycho-pedagogical support at primary school focuses on the child's adaptation to the new educational environment.  We  consider  that  a  child  needs  the  same  support  in  the  process of mastering  the  curriculum.  There  is  no  true  support  without  an  emotional involvement and empathy, and as a result cognitive activity of a child might suffer greatly. It was proven by empirical results obtained in an ordinary school, where no innovative teaching methods are used. At the end of primary school pupils have a significantly reduced motivation, teachers express no serious interest in problems of junior high school students. Not entirely satisfactory educational environment also could not provide a positive influence on the development of cognitive sphere. 


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 72-84
Author(s):  
Nik Azmah Nik Yusuf ◽  
Norazilawati Abdullah ◽  
Noraini Mohamed Noh

Like other countries, Malaysia is concern about the students’ engagement with science in upper secondary schools and the numbers pursuing the further study of science as their careers, thus this research was carried out to demonstrate relationships between the five constructs: pupils’ interest and attitude, inquiry learning, science activities outside school hours, aspirations to engage in science careers, and representation of science and scientists. Using a correlational research design, a set of Science Interest Instrument by Dillon et al., (2008) was adapted and translated to Malay Language and administered to a total of 938, 13-year-old and 14-year-old school students. The data collected were analyzed descriptively in terms of percentage, and inferentially using Pearson Correlation. The results indicated that there was a large positive correlation between interest and attitude towards science and inquiry learning. Also a strong relationship between high interest and attitude towards science, and aspiration of students to become scientists or taking up science jobs. The young students also had favourable representation of science and scientist. The result of this study was discussed in relations to students’ science identity, and the government and parents could nurture this aspect of identity in adolescents.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 55
Author(s):  
Siti Zuraida Maaruf ◽  
Wan Nur Nadia Hanin Wan Abdul Hamid ◽  
Muhammad Faiz Sabri

Up-cycling is a sustainable alternative incorporating the prevalent 3Rs of Recycle, Reuse, and Reduce of used items in campaigns to save the environment. The ‘DIY Art and Craft Activity Module’ is used as a scaffolding tool to enhance environmental awareness and its impact among primary school children through Visual Arts Education. This research utilised the Design Development Research Method (DDR) comprising of three phases namely; Phase 1: Needs Analysis, Phase 2: Design and Development, and Phase 3: Implementation and Evaluation. The data was collected by interviewing Visual Art teachers on the usability of the module and document analysis on the collection of artworks produced by students. Findings of this study demonstrated positive feedback from the teachers and students on the usability of the Junk Art module as supplementary learning material in order to enhance recycling awareness among Primary School students through Visual Art Education.


Author(s):  
Dorota Góreczna

Phrasal verbs are an essential, though difficult to teach and learn, part of the English language. Although phrasal verbs are commonly used by native speakers, for English learners they pose a considerable challenge as far as their acquisition and use are concerned. The aim of this study is to examine students’ attitude towards phrasal verbs taught at the B2 level in upper-secondary schools, and to analyse the significance of these multi-word verbs. The paper presents an excerpt of a survey conducted among secondary school students, which examined their understanding of phrasal verbs and analysed students’ opinions about the importance of acquiring these demanding multi-word verbs.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 10647
Author(s):  
Melita Mokos ◽  
Giulia Realdon ◽  
Ivana Zubak Čižmek

Even though the ocean is a defining feature on Earth that regulates climate and provides oxygen, food, and jobs, students still have low to moderate marine and ocean literacy knowledge. Ocean literacy is an understanding of the ocean’s influence on people and people’s influence on the ocean. It is an emerging need necessary for ensuring the sustainability of the ocean and its resources. The UN has declared a Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, and one of the priority research and development areas is ocean literacy. Unfortunately, marine science and ocean literacy topics are poorly represented in school curricula across the world. This study presents the level of marine knowledge in a sample of primary school students before and after different themed non-formal educational interventions and the effect of non-formal educational activities on students’ knowledge. These activities led to significant increase in the knowledge level three weeks after they were performed, indicating the retention of gained information. Performed educational activities and knowledge transfer from graduate level to primary school level significantly increased the level of students’ knowledge, and consequently ocean literacy, and revealed some of the learning misconceptions. Results of this study show that there is a need for an integrated approach to the teaching of Ocean Literacy starting from the early grades by combining teacher’s professional development, strengthening ocean-related topics in school curricula, and promoting non-formal educational activities.


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 43-51
Author(s):  
Popoola Abiodun Agnes ◽  
Olaniyan Omoniyi Mathew

This study identified mathematics anxiety and its effects on students’in performance in Mathematics among Senior School Students in Ekiti State, Nigeria. The sample consisted of 238 SSSII students and 25 math-teachers that were randomly and purposively selected respectively. A questionnaire adapted from the Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitudes Scale (FSMAS) was used for the study. Descriptive statistics was used to answer the research questions while t-test was used to test the hypotheses. The study showed that mathematics anxiety exist among senior school students in the study area, which is characterized by feverish feelings in Mathematics class, difficulty in understanding math problem, failure to contribute in Mathematics class, truancy in Mathematics class among others. The study showed that there is a difference in the performance of Mathematics anxious and non-mathematics anxious students as revealed from the t-test.  Also, the mean score of the math-anxious student and non-math anxious students were found to be 31.84% and 61.31% respectively. It is concluded from the study that Mathematics anxiety affects students’ performance in Mathematics. Concerned stakeholder should implement policies at secondary school level to extend the time of Mathematics class on time table, provide conducive environment and engage innovative teaching methods for the teaching of Mathematics.


2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Slávka Krásna

AbstractThe article focuses on the value “health”, as a component of the value orientation of students of lower secondary schools and upper secondary schools in our country. At the same time, it focuses on the presentation and interpretation of the results of a research conducted on a sample of students of selected schools, which was a part of a more comprehensive research on subjective understanding and individual interpretation of selected life values of lower secondary and upper secondary school students in Slovakia.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 12
Author(s):  
Toni Mäkipää ◽  
Raili Hildén

Our main aim in this study was to compare encouraging feedback practices in Finnish general upper secondary foreign language classes and examine how students perceive language teachers’ assessment practices. The participants were 160 students of English, 95 students of Swedish, and 27 students of French from six general upper secondary schools. The data comprised one open-ended question and one Likert scale question with nine items. Both qualitative and quantitate methods were used to analyze the data. The results showed that content was the most important feature in feedback that was perceived as encouraging by students. The results further indicated that students considered teacher assessment practices to be primarily summative, but differences were also found between schools. The evidence from this study suggests that students appreciate teacher feedback, but do not perceive it to be an intrinsic part of teacher assessment practices. The importance of formative assessment and feedback should be more heavily emphasized in foreign language teacher education.


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