Essential teaching methods to enhance learner academic achievement in physical sciences in rural secondary schools

2017 ◽  
Vol 118 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 170-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rekai Zenda
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Effective Teaching ◽  
Teaching Methods ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Physical Sciences ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Hands On

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore teaching methods that can allow learners to be creative and proactive. The learners should be able to solve problems, make decisions, think critically, communicate ideas effectively and work efficiently. Teaching and learning are evolving and developing in many countries, with a focus concerning what is actually learned through effective teaching methods. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative research was carried out, identifying effective teaching methods and exploring their roles in teaching and learning in physical sciences in selected rural secondary schools. Face-to-face interviews with physical sciences teachers, school principals and curriculum advisers were used to collect data. Findings A range of teaching methods that may be integrated into teaching and learning activities is identified. The teaching methods ensure that topics are discussed and explored through interaction and sharing of perspective, views and values through which new learning can emerge. Viewed from this perspective, there is a need to create a stimulating, enriching, challenging and focused environment for physical sciences learners through the use of multiple teaching methodologies. Research limitations/implications The improvement of science learner’s academic achievement requires also the teachers to develop new skills and ways of teaching the subject. Improving learner academic achievement in physical sciences requires an approach to improve the skills of teachers as well, which focuses on the effective use of teaching methods such as experiments. This means attempting to change the attitude of teachers to regard the processes of teaching and learning as central to their role. In addition, the achievement of learners in science could possibly solve the problem of shortages of engineers, skilled artisans, technicians, doctors and technologists for sustainable development. It is important to create conducive conditions for learning and teaching in physical sciences, and continue to progressively and within available resources, realise that collaboration, problem-solving and hands-on activities are effective teaching methods to improve learner academic achievement. Practical implications The learners should be able to solve problems, make decisions, think critically, communicate ideas effectively and work efficiently. The study is limited to the teaching methods used in physical sciences. Hands-on activities are essential in science teaching and learning. Social implications The use of collaborations, peer teachings and hands-on activities allows learners emphasise the creation of a classroom where students are engaged in essentially open-ended, student-centred and hands-on experiments. Originality/value The paper is original work, in which face-to-face interviews were carried out. Qualitative research was carried out. The paper could assist educators in the teaching of physical sciences in secondary schools using the identified methods. The results were obtained from physical sciences educators, school principals and curriculum advisors in South Africa. Poor academic achievement in rural areas is a concern, and therefore, the paper provides effective methods which can be used by educators in the teaching of physical sciences in rural areas.

scholarly journals Teaching Medicine Online During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Malaysian Perspective

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aneesa Abdul Rashid ◽  
Mohd Radzniwan A Rashid ◽  
Mohamad Nurman Yaman ◽  
Irfan Mohamad
Keyword(s):  
Effective Teaching ◽  
Teaching Methods ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Medical Science ◽  
Higher Learning ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
Medical Teaching ◽  
Teaching Online ◽  
Face To Face

The COVID-19 pandemic affected institution of higher learning as some teaching and learning activities had to halt due to safety of the students and staff. Face to face teaching was stopped, and lecturers had to find other methods of teaching. Online teaching was the only allowed method. The methods were synchronous and asynchronous. Lecturers have had to find innovative ways to practice effective teaching methods. Assessments had to also be done online taking important factors into consideration, following steps given by authorities. This article discusses issues around medical teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol.19(0) 2020 p. S 77-S 81

iMindMap as an innovative tool in teaching and learning accounting: an exploratory study

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wan Noor Hazlina Wan Jusoh ◽  
Suraya Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Technology Acceptance ◽  
Teaching Methods ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Accounting Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Course Content ◽  
University Of Technology ◽  
Conventional Teaching ◽  
Innovative Tool ◽  
The University

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore the use of iMindMap software as an interactive tool in the teaching and learning method and also to be able to consider iMindMap as an alternative instrument in achieving the ultimate learning outcome. Design/methodology/approach Out of 268 students of the management accounting at the University of Technology MARA (Terengganu), 97 students have participated in this survey to evaluate the effectiveness of iMindMap in teaching and learning. Findings Results indicate that the majority of the students acknowledged that iMindMap is more attractive than conventional teaching methods and found that iMindMap shows clearly how the points are all associated and linked together. Students could find that learning is an exciting experience and were able to visualize the whole course content remarkably via iMindMap. Originality/value This study presents an alternative instrument, which is innovative and interactive in teaching and learning, especially for accounting students where the students’ technology acceptance could also be viewed.

Technology Shaping Education in Rural Communities

2018 ◽  
pp. 184-204
Author(s):  
Jillian R. Powers ◽  
Ann T. Musgrove ◽  
Jessica A. Lowe
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Rural Teachers ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Grade Levels ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Impact Of Technology ◽  
The Impact

This chapter examines how technology has shaped the teaching and learning process for individuals residing in rural areas. Research on the history and unique needs of rural communities and the impact of technology in these areas is discussed. Educational experiences of students across all grade levels, from early childhood though post-secondary education, is examined. Examples of innovative and creative uses educational technologies in distance and face-to-face settings are described from the perspective of rural teachers and students.

scholarly journals Loss of brick-and-mortar schooling: how elementary educators respond

2020 ◽  
Vol 121 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 411-418
Author(s):  
Emma Anderson ◽  
Avneet Hira
Keyword(s):  
Elementary School ◽  
Elementary Educators ◽  
School Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Teaching Online ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Web Technologies ◽  
Distant Learning ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Brick And Mortar

Purpose This paper aims to understand how elementary school educators who teach subjects that traditionally require hands-on work in schools are rising to the challenge of losing brick-and-mortar facilities in the wake of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis. Design/methodology/approach The authors interviewed six elementary school educators and developed iterative grounded codes from the interviews to understand how the teachers are rising to the challenge of teaching online, what supports they need, and how they are viewing their roles and student learning in the present landscape. Findings In response to losing brick-and-mortar schools, teachers are rising to the challenge by creating creative assignments and communicating with students and parents via multiple platforms. They are learning to use technology to create meaningful, socially distant learning experiences and, in the process, blurring their own boundaries between work and life. They exercise compassion for their students while providing the best education they can in these circumstances. Practical implications This work provides administrators, educators, policymakers and technology developers insight into the challenges teachers are facing. Originality/value In addition to the timeliness of this study in light of the COVID 19 crisis, the focus on elementary school students, who often need support from parents or guardians to use Web technologies, and subjects traditionally requiring face-to-face interactions and hands-on work contribute to the originality of the study.

Collaboration in Online Communications

2011 ◽  
pp. 264-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert L. Ingram ◽  
Lesley G. Hathorn
Keyword(s):  
Teaching Methods ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Online Teaching And Learning ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Online Communications ◽  
Clear Idea ◽  
Distance Courses

Collaboration and cooperation have become firmly established as teaching methods in face-to-face classes (e.g., Johnson, Johnson, & Smith, 1998). They are also rapidly becoming widespread in online teaching and learning in both hybrid (mixed traditional and online) course and distance courses. The methods are likely to be most effective if they are firmly grounded in how people actually work together. Some groups collaborate more successfully than others. Frequently, instructors may place students into groups in the expectation that they will collaborate without a clear idea of what collaboration is or how to recognize and encourage it. We must define what we mean by the terms, both so that we can use the techniques successfully and so that we can research them accurately.

Collaboration in Online Communications

2011 ◽  
pp. 314-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert L. Ingram ◽  
Lesley G. Hathorn
Keyword(s):  
Teaching Methods ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Accurate Solution ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Online Teaching And Learning ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Online Communications ◽  
Clear Idea ◽  
Distance Courses

Collaboration and cooperation have become firmly established as teaching methods in face-to-face classes (e.g., Johnson, Johnson, & Smith, 1998). They are also rapidly becoming widespread in online teaching and learning in both hybrid (mixed traditional and online) course and distance courses. The methods are likely to be most effective if they are firmly grounded in how people actually work together. Some groups collaborate more successfully than others. Frequently, instructors may place students into groups in the expectation that they will collaborate without a clear idea of what collaboration is or how to recognize and encourage it. We must define what we mean by the terms, both so that we can use the techniques successfully and so that we can research them accurately. In addition, we must distinguish between groups in which people act independently from those who act collaboratively. As Surowiecki (2004) has pointed out, when all the results are aggregated, a large number of people acting independently may give a more accurate solution to a problem than an expert. Interdependent groups may often produce results inferior to the results obtained by their best-performing members or may be affected by a “groupthink” mentality.

Beyond the marginalization thesis

2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 400-417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin C Williams ◽  
Ioana Alexandra Horodnic
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Small Firms ◽  
Shadow Economy ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Extensive Evaluation ◽  
Formal Employment ◽  
The Unemployed

Purpose – Grounded in an emergent recognition that those people in formal employment conduct the vast majority of work in the shadow economy, the purpose of this paper is to evaluate for the first time the degree to which shadow work is conducted by those in formal jobs and the characteristics of those in formal employment who participate in the shadow economy. Design/methodology/approach – To do this, the authors report a 2007 survey of participation in the shadow economy involving 26,659 face-to-face interviews conducted in 27 European Union (EU) member states. Findings – The finding is that in the EU, the formally employed undertake a disproportionate share of work in the shadow economy. Analysing the characteristics of the employed most likely to work in the shadow economy, however, it is those who benefit least from the formal economy, namely, younger unmarried men and on lower incomes living in rural areas, working in the construction sector and in small firms. Research limitations/implications – The outcome is a tentative call for recognition that although people in formal employment conduct the vast majority of work in the shadow economy, these are mostly particular vulnerable and weaker groups of the formally employed. Whether similar findings prevail at other spatial scales and in other global regions now needs investigating. Practical implications – This survey displays the need for policy not to target the unemployed but particular groups of the formally employed. Originality/value – The first extensive evaluation of the extent to which shadow work is conducted by those in formal jobs and the characteristics of those in formal employment who participate in the shadow economy.

Implementing discipline-specific searches in EBSCO Discovery Service

2014 ◽  
Vol 115 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 102-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Fu ◽  
Cynthia Thomes
Keyword(s):  
Effective Teaching ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
University Of Maryland ◽  
Search Results ◽  
Discovery Service ◽  
University College ◽  
Effective Teaching And Learning

Purpose – This paper discusses how University of Maryland University College (UMUC) librarians customized EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS) to allow for searching across librarian-selected sets of discipline-specific databases. Discipline-specific searching results in a smaller and more relevant set of search results, which can make research more efficient and effective. Design/methodology/approach – This paper describes the collaboration between systems and reference and instruction librarians to develop, test, launch, promote, and assess discipline-specific searching in EDS in support of effective teaching and learning. Findings – Customization of a discovery tool to allow researchers to run searches across pre-selected sets of discipline-specific databases is beneficial to the researchers since it enables them to find a smaller and more relevant set of search results than they would otherwise receive if they searched across all databases available in the discovery tool. Originality/value – This paper provides detailed instructions regarding customization of EDS to allow for discipline-specific searching and discusses ways in which this enhancement can be brought to researchers' attention during reference and instruction interactions. This paper should be of interest to technical librarians as well as to reference and instruction librarians.

Factors Militating against Effective Teaching and Learning of Computer in Secondary Schools in Enugu State Nigeria

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Ogbonna Mercy. N
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Effective Teaching ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
School Administration ◽  
The State ◽  
Computer Education ◽  
Instructional Materials ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Enugu State ◽  
Effective Teaching And Learning

The teaching and learning of computers in secondary schools is very beneficial for preparation of students for more challenging education in the University. However, many factors militate against the effective computer education in the schools. This study sought to assess these factors in Enugu State Nigeria. Specifically it sought to assess teachers-related factors; students-related factors; government-related factors and school administrative factors that militate against effective teaching and learning of computer in the State. The study adopted survey research method and hundred questionnaires were used for the study.  Data were analysed with the use of descriptive statistics (mean) in SPSS. Respondents agreed that teachers based factors that contribute to ineffective teaching and learning of computers in secondary schools included that teachers of the subject were unqualified (=2.9) and lack experience (=2.6). Students based included absenteeism by students (=2.7) and lack of interest by students (=2.7). Government based factors included that government provide voluminous curriculum (=2.9) and do not provide funds (=3.2). School administration based factors were that mismanagement of procured instructional materials (=2.9) and mis-use of provided funds (=2.9). This study concludes that students, teachers, government and school administration have important roles to play for effective teaching and learning of computer in secondary schools. For a way forward, the study recommends that government and individuals should encourage in and out of school computer education by establishing learning centres in the State. Computer teachers should always be provided with on-the-job training or re-training programmes. Government and school administration should as a matter of priority provide computer systems and other lacking instructional materials in their schools. Students should attend to classes and improve their interest in computer education.

scholarly journals Pedagogical advances in business models at business schools – in the age of networks

2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (7) ◽  
pp. 889-900 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Lorange ◽  
Howard Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Business School ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Business Schools ◽  
Learning Material ◽  
Learning Spaces ◽  
Interactive Teaching ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to focus on potential advances in pedagogy and on the process of learning in business schools. It examines innovations in teaching and learning methods particularly in the context of networked organizations. Design/methodology/approach – It approaches, and examine the impact of, three key developments in business schools, namely, recent advances in IT, changes in the architecture of classrooms and learning spaces and advances in the way teaching is undertaken. Findings – The paper suggests that a blend between self-learning via distance approaches and face-to-face learning will increasingly become the norm. Face-to-face sessions might be in a “flat room” environment with a creative mix of short lectures, experiential, group learning and conceptual plenary lectures, software innovations, and digital textbooks “open plan” learning spaces would complement the instructional process. Research limitations/implications – There are clear implications for parallel IT (developments in course modules) and architectural innovations for the design of more effective and creative learning spaces. Practical implications – Improving pedagogy together with the physical design and layout of learning spaces is critical. The aim is, through enhanced participative pedagogy and “friendly” architecture, to improve learning by encouraging dialogue and closer interaction between students and professors from different disciplines and fields. Social implications – The authors argue that this model of collaborative learning and an interactive teaching framework should enable the same amount of learning material to be covered in a business school in approximately half-the-time required in conventional pedagogical approaches. Originality/value – It offers a prescription for a participative, technology enhanced and interactive teaching pedagogy that could produce more effective and efficient, teaching outcomes. This has strong implications for the sustainability, and funding capability, of many existing business schools and business school models.

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