scholarly journals Improving educational quality through active learning: Perspectives from secondary school teachers in Malawi

2021 ◽  
pp. 174549992199290
Author(s):  
Hülya Kosar Altinyelken ◽  
Mark Hoeksma
Keyword(s):  
Active Learning ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Secondary School Teachers ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Large Classes ◽  
Implementation Challenges ◽  
Active Teaching

Addressing the learning crisis in low-income contexts remains a major concern. This paper analyses how active teaching and learning pedagogy (ATL) was implemented in secondary schools in Malawi to improve learning outcomes. Based on interviews with teachers and headteachers from five schools, the paper seeks to explore how ATL was understood and implemented, and what challenges were experienced from the perspectives of trained and untrained teachers. The findings reveal that ATL was positively viewed by all participants, as it was considered beneficial in improving students’ academic performance and skills development. All participants identified some key implementation challenges, including large classes, lack of materials, the use of English, long distance to school and poverty. The paper underscores the need to move away from a polarised view of pedagogy (direct instruction against ATL) and conceptualise active learning on a continuum.

“Green” Teaching and Learning in Schools

2015 ◽  
pp. 183-193
Author(s):  
Jack Blendinger ◽  
Leigh Ann Hailey ◽  
Donna Shea
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Secondary School Teachers ◽  
Learning Culture ◽  
Environmental Conservation ◽  
School Teachers

This chapter addresses the importance of shaping the school's teaching and learning culture to exert a powerful influence on students in regard to environmental conservation. The chapter presents 19 successful and practical examples of “teaching green” in action contributed by practicing elementary and secondary school teachers. How to contact the contributors is also provided in the chapter.

scholarly journals Will the benefit equal the effort? An investigation into the personal significance of the changes signalled in a mandated curriculum to New Zealand secondary school teachers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Brenda Mary Service
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Secondary School Teachers ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Educational Criticism ◽  
Personal Significance ◽  
New Curriculum ◽  
Beliefs About Teaching ◽  
The Impact

<p>A new school curriculum was implemented in all New Zealand schools during 2008 and 2009 and was mandated at the beginning of 2010. The changes signalled in the new curriculum required teachers to incorporate key competencies into their teaching and to move to student-centred practice which involves students in the decisions about their learning. It was possible that this social constructivist approach represented a change in teachers’ beliefs about teaching and learning and to their practice.  Much of the literature on educational change appears to overlook the transformational nature of the learning needed to bring about changes in beliefs and practice and teachers’ personal motivation to engage with it. Unless change is of personal significance to individuals they are unlikely to be motivated to engage with it. Using Eisner’s (1998) method of educational criticism, this case study is an investigation into the personal significance of the new curriculum to the teachers’ reality. In the spirit of educational criticism, the lens of an educational connoisseur was used to first develop an understanding of the teachers’ reality followed by that of an educational critic to evaluate what occurred.  Over a two-year period the study involved semi-structured interviews with twelve secondary school teachers in three schools, observations of the classroom practice, and analysis of school documentation and societal messages. While all the participating teachers’ espoused beliefs that were congruent with the philosophy of the new curriculum, constructivist practices were observed in the practice of only two teachers. What prevented the other teachers’ wholehearted engagement in the implementation of the new curriculum was not their beliefs about teaching and learning but rather, the extent to which external pressures determined their priorities. These pressures included the misalignment of the school goals and cultural norms, the impact of NCEA assessment regime, time constraints, leadership issues, lack of conceptual understanding and the absence of professional learning to support transformative learning.</p>

scholarly journals Identification of the Problems Faced by Secondary School Teachers in District Karak (Pakistan)

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
pp. 324
Author(s):  
Qaiser Suleman ◽  
Ishtiaq Hussain ◽  
Sarfraz Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Secondary School Teachers ◽  
School Level ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Critical Position ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Pilot Testing ◽  
Teaching Learning

Teachers possess the most important and critical position in the entire education system. Successful and effective teaching learning process depends upon the quality of a teacher. The purpose of this research study was to identify the problems which affect the performance of secondary school teachers. The objectives of the study were: (a) to identify the problems faced by male and female secondary school teachers in District Karak (b) to make workable recommendations to enhance the performance of male and female secondary school teachers. All the male and female secondary school teachers in District Karak, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Pakistan) constituted the population of the study. The study was delimited to only 60 female and 80 male Govt. High Schools. In order to ensure adequate representation of the population, only 120 female and 160 male secondary school teachers were selected as sample randomly. The study was descriptive type and the researchers designed a questionnaire on five likert rating scale for the collection of data. Pilot testing was conducted to remove the misconceptions, ambiguities and weakness of the questions in the questionnaire. After pilot testing the questionnaire was revised and its final version was prepared in the light of suggestions given by the experts. In order to collect data, the researchers personally visited to the respective participants and distributed questionnaires among them and data was collected. Then it was organized, tabulated and analyzed. For the statisitcal analysis of the data, the percentage, means, standard deviations, and differences of means were computed for each male and female SSTs. Significance of difference between the mean opinions of both the male and females SSTs were tested at 0.05 level by applying t-test. After statistical analysis of the data, the researchers arrived at the conclusions that there are various problems which negatively affect the performance of secondary school teachers. These problems are: unattractive pay package; lack of basic facilities; overcrowded classes; misbehaviors of students; financial crises of teachers; overwork load; long distance to school; autocratic environment inside school etc. In the light of the findings and conclusions, it is recommended that teachers should be given attractive salaries and pay scale. Educational facilities should be provided to them. Heads of the institutions should be democratic minded and adopted the principles of equality. KEYWORDS: Identification, problems, secondary school teachers, secondary school level

Digital libraries in the classroom: Secondary school teachers’ conception

2011 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 224-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Abrizah ◽  
AN Zainab
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Digital Library ◽  
Digital Libraries ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Secondary School Teachers ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Digital Resources ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
History Curriculum ◽  
Use Of The Internet

This paper presents findings from a case study investigating secondary school teachers’ understanding of the term digital libraries and their relationship with learning. The study addresses two research questions: (1) How do teachers conceptualize digital libraries, their relevance and issues relating to their integration into the curriculum? and (2) What are the teachers’ perceptions of the initiative to develop a collaborative digital library for school projects? A series of interviews were carried out on six History subject teachers which provide a detailed and succinct information on their understanding of digital libraries, their knowledge and use of the Internet and digital resources, their perception of the possible impact of digital resources on teaching and learning, the benefits teachers seen in digital resources and the problems they have in using them. It also offers important insights on History subject teachers’ perceptions of the initiative to develop a collaborative digital library for History projects, perception of its potential use, pointing out the conditions that facilitate its use in the classrooms. The paper also points out the relevance of digital libraries to the History curriculum which will make readers understand that using the technology is relevant to the teaching of all subjects.

scholarly journals Emergency Remote Teaching and Learning in Portugal: Preschool to Secondary School Teachers’ Perceptions

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 349
Author(s):  
Filipa Seabra ◽  
António Teixeira ◽  
Marta Abelha ◽  
Luísa Aires
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Secondary School Teachers ◽  
Work Conditions ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Open Questions ◽  
Role Of Parents

Emergency remote teaching and learning (ERTL) represent a critical and challenging time for teachers globally. To understand how Portuguese teachers interpreted their ERTL experiences of the first lockdown, we started by asking: What perspectives do teachers have about ERTL? Answering three open questions made available online between April and May of 2020, a sample of 305 preschool, basic, and secondary school teachers expressed their perspectives on (i) difficulties throughout ERTL; (ii) students’ constraints in participating in ERTL; (iii) the potential and benefits resulting from this exceptional period. Data were analyzed using content analysis. While Portuguese teachers perceived ERTL with concern, a majority also saw it as an opportunity. Workload, work conditions, and time management were the most frequently mentioned difficulties. Regarding students’ constraints, teachers emphasized participation, the role of parents, lack of contact, and autonomy. Despite the constraints and difficulties, teachers highlighted gains such as the development of digital competencies and the opportunity to transform teaching and learning. Only 18 teachers suggested there were no positive outcomes from this experience. Since this is an exploratory study, further studies are needed to triangulate the findings.

scholarly journals Regulatory Focus on Higher Secondary School Teachers with Reference to Classroom Climate with Selected Variables – A Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 338-340
Author(s):  
Jeyanthi Subrahmanyam
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Regulatory Focus ◽  
Classroom Climate ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Secondary School Teachers ◽  
Great Influence ◽  
Teaching Experience ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Analyse Data

Classroom climate is an important factor in the teaching and learning process. Both physical and psychological aspects of the classroom should be conducive to learning. Less number of students, student-teacher ratio and undivided attention of the teachers have a great influence on students’ academic performance. The study is conducted to find out whether gender has any impact on the performance of teachers in classrooms and their qualifications based on the subject they studied have any influence on their teaching. Experience enhances everybody’s learning. So, the teaching experience is an important factor that should be considered in managing a class. This study is done with 150 teachers selected from 10 higher secondary schools from the Kancheepuram district. A simple random technique is used to collect the sample. The teaching experience is classified as below 5 years and above 5 years. The tool, Classroom climate inventory, is standardised by the investigator. T-test and Correlation were used to analyse data.

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