scholarly journals An Analysis of Elementary Teaching Undergraduate Program in Terms of 21st Century Skills

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmet Kanmaz ◽  

21st century skills emerge is one of the most crucial competencies that need to be considered in teacher education. With this in mind, the fundamental objectives of this study is to analyze the pre-service teachers’ competencies and perceptions of 21st century skills that are effectively present in today’s world. Explanatory mixed method was applied in this study. The aim of the study is to reveal the adequacy of the undergraduate elementary teaching program in the acquisition of 21st century skills from the perspective of pre-service teachers. In the study, quantitative data was collected through descriptive screening method, and qualitative data was collected through phenomenological analysis. 21st century skills scale was utilized to collect quantitative data, and semi-structured interview form was used to collect qualitative data. The sample of the study consists of 411 pre-service elementary teachers studying at a state university. According to the findings obtained, pre-service teachers perceived themselves quite sufficient in terms of “21st century skills”. Given the qualitative findings, pre-service teachers reported that the learning-teaching processes were ineffective in the context of achieving 21st century competencies. As a matter of fact, 21st century skills are defined as skills that should be acquired within the scope of the elementary teaching undergraduate program. Failure to teach these skills emerges as the most significant limitation of the program. In particular, these skills and evaluations should be incorporated into the curricula content of faculties of education.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmet Kanmaz

21st century skills emerge is one of the most crucial competencies that need to be considered in teacher education. With this in mind, the fundamental objectives of this study is to analyze the pre-service teachers’ competencies and perceptions of 21st century skills that are effectively present in today’s world. Explanatory mixed method was applied in this study. The aim of the study is to reveal the adequacy of the undergraduate elementary teaching program in the acquisition of 21st century skills from the perspective of pre-service teachers. In the study, quantitative data was collected through descriptive screening method, and qualitative data was collected through phenomenological analysis. 21st century skills scale was utilized to collect quantitative data, and semi-structured interview form was used to collect qualitative data. The sample of the study consists of 411 pre-service elementary teachers studying at a state university. According to the findings obtained, pre-service teachers perceived themselves quite sufficient in terms of “21st century skills”. Given the qualitative findings, pre-service teachers reported that the learning-teaching processes were ineffective in the context of achieving 21st century competencies. As a matter of fact, 21st century skills are defined as skills that should be acquired within the scope of the elementary teaching undergraduate program. Failure to teach these skills emerges as the most significant limitation of the program. In particular, these skills and evaluations should be incorporated into the curricula content of faculties of education.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-106
Author(s):  
Muhammad Amin ◽  
Muhammad Islam ◽  
Humera Amin

The paper is focused on exploring the factors that support females’ progression in higher education. The mixed methods approach is taken to conduct the research, consequently the study falls in pragmatic paradigm. The structured questionnaire is used to collect quantitative data from 200 university female students, and semi-structured interview protocol is used to generate qualitative data from 15 female students of the same university. Descriptive statistics (frequency and percentage) has been used to analyse quantitative data, whereas content analysis has been used to analyse qualitative data. The data highlight that literate parents, global trend of females’ acquisition of higher education, media, availability of jobs and scholarships are supportive factors in females’ progression in higher education. An interesting finding revealed from the data is that ‘Islamic Perspective’ of education is also considered as encouraging factor; generally in Pakistani societal context, especially in remote areas, people use ‘Islamic Perspective’ in a distorted way to restrict their girls from getting higher education.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 762-773
Author(s):  
Serkan Pullu ◽  

This study aimed to determine the effect of the activity-based environmental education course on the attitudes and behavior levels of the students of the child development program concerning environmental problems. The study was prepared by using the explanatory sequential design, one of the mixed method patterns in which qualitative and quantitative data are used together. While one-group pretest-posttest experimental design was used in the quantitative dimension of the study, phenomenology was employed in its qualitative dimension. The sample group of the study was composed of 60 first-year students attending Kayseri University Hüseyin Şahin Vocational High School Child Development Program in the 2019-2020 academic year (spring semester). Within the scope of the environmental education course, activity-based practices were performed with the students for 6 weeks. The students were divided into groups and one group applied the related activities they prepared with their friends in the classroom each week. Before and after the application, 'The Environmental Problems AttitudeScale' developed by Güven (2013) and 'The Environmental Problems Behavior Scale' developed by Güven and Aydoğdu (2012) were applied for the students. After collecting the quantitative data, 10 students were interviewed via a semi-structured interview form and their opinions on the activities were collected. Kolmogorov-Smirnov test for normality, t-test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used to analyze the qualitative data of the study. The qualitative data of the study were analyzed based on descriptive analysis. As a result of the study, it was determined that after the activity-based practices performed in the environmental education course, the scores of the attitude and behavior of the students concerning environmental problems increased. As a result of the interviews made with the students, it was found that the students had both positive and negative opinions on the activities conducted in the course. By these activities, the students emphasized that they had cognitive and affective acquisitions in the environmental education course. Finally, the students stated that they acquired awareness, consciousness, and responsibility about the environmental problems along with these activities.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 33
Author(s):  
Davut Hotaman

This study aims to examine the effect of “Formative Assessment (FA)” practices in “Assessment and Evaluation in Education” class on the academic achievement levels of prospective teachers. It uses a mixed research design. Quantitative data were collected by using double pretest-posttest design, which is one of the complete experimental design structures; while a semi-structured Interview Form was used to collect the qualitative data. The study group consists of a total of 220 prospective teachers who participated in a “Teacher Training Course” in Faculty of Education in Yildiz Technical University, Turkey during the 2017-2018 academic year. The data collection instruments included a 40-item multiple-choice achievement test (AT) chosen from a question bank in accordance with the course objectives and a semi-structured interview form. For the achievement test, reliability was achieved by the test-retest method (r=.95), and validity was secured by the “analytical” method based on expert opinion. Following the nine-week FA practices using the complete experimental double pretest-posttest research design, it was found that these practices (what do I recall? and what have I learned?) resulted in a significant difference in favor of the experiment groups. The responses of prospective teachers to the semi-structured interview form developed to collect qualitative data for the study were categorized into common themes, which demonstrate that the quantitative data are confirmed by the qualitative data regarding the FA practices. This harmony between the quantitative and qualitative data showed that FA practices (independent variable) are strong enough to affect the achievements of prospective teachers (dependent variable).


Author(s):  
Anita Triastuti

This study aimed to assess pre-service teachers’ knowledge base of teaching and the extent they perceive and reflect its implementation in a microteaching course. Employing mixed-methods design, the study involved pre-service teachers in a state university in Special Territory of Yogyakarta. The quantitative data were collected from a test on the pre-service teachers’ understanding of teacher knowledge base of teaching and a survey of their perceptions towards the implementation of teacher knowledge base of teaching in their microteaching practices. The qualitative data were gathered from the pre-service teachers’ reflections. The findings showed that despite the overall good test score average of the pre-service teachers’ knowledge base of teaching and the generally positive self-rating perceptions, the pre-service teachers’ limited and descriptive reflections did not sufficiently depict their actual implementation of teacher knowledge base of teaching in their microteaching practices.


Author(s):  
Handan Çelik

With no doubt, evaluation has a significant role to ensure continuous improvement of any course, and ESP course, which is included in language teaching programs to satisfy a particular need, is not an exception. However, ESP course evaluation studies are still rare. With this in mind, this study reports the tertiary level students’ end-of-course evaluations regarding the ESP course offered within Banking department at Applied Sciences School of a state university in Turkey. Adopting survey methodology to unearth instances of the case being examined within its natural context from the perspective of its participants i.e. the students, the study gathered quantitative data through a scale which the students (N=96) reflected back on; the ESP practitioner, course materials, and course, and also qualitative data via open-ended items to elicit the students’ evaluations regarding the strengths of the course and likely changes and improvements. While the analysis of the quantitative data broadly showed the students’ satisfaction with the ESP practitioner, course materials, and the course itself, the content analysis of the qualitative data revealed insights regarding such issues as content-specific instruction and language skills development as strengths of the course. However, the qualitative data also showed that the students’ evaluations upon likely changes and improvements such as use of L1, teacher talk, and assessment diverged, which indicate heterogeneity as a challenge along the way impeding the effectiveness of ESP courses.  


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 337-346
Author(s):  
Irem Dilmen ◽  
Nurhan Atalay

This study investigates augmented reality (AR) applications on 21st-century skills and basic skills of elementary school students. The research method is determined as a mixed method. The sample group of the research consisted of 62 randomly selected elementary school 4th-grade students. In the experimental group, courses were taught using AR, and in the control group, the lessons were taught with activities included in the science class. In the research, the 21st-century learning and innovation scale and basic skills scale was used as a quantitative data collection tool, and semi-structured interview and researcher's journal were used as a qualitative data collection tool. According to the results, the study of science using augmented reality applications has positively affected the skills of elementary school 4th-grade students. The qualitative results of the research concluded that students' creativity and innovation, critical thinking, making inferences, problem-solving, collaboration, and communication skills developed. During the interviews with students and the classroom teacher, they stated that the AR application makes information more permanent by embodying the information in their minds. The lessons are fun and exciting; their interest in technology is increased and should be used in other lessons.


Author(s):  
Jesus H. Trespalacios ◽  
Barbara Chamberlin

Today’s students need more than just content knowledge to be able to work and excel in the 21st century workforce. Skills in problem solving, communication, collaboration, creativity, and innovation are essential for students to succeed. An increasing body of evidence suggests video games are powerful ways to give students these skills. This chapter includes a description of 21st century skills and provides information on generative gaming based on the generative learning theory, which requires students to generate their own learning based on their experiences in an individualized environment. It concludes with an example of a mathematics-based game development initiative at New Mexico State University that teaches content knowledge and fosters 21st century skills by enabling generative gaming.


Author(s):  
Ngawang Chogyel ◽  
Norbu Wangdi

This study investigated the factors influencing the teaching of chemistry in class nine and ten in the schools under Chhukha District, Bhutan. Adopting convergent mixed method design, the study employed structured questionnaire to collect quantitative data and semi-structured interview and classroom observation to collect qualitative data. The sample comprised of 10 Chemistry teachers and 500 students from class nine and ten from three middle secondary schools and two higher secondary schools. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics in the form of tables, mean and standard deviation whereas the qualitative data were analyzed based on content analysis technique. The findings of this study highlighted that the lack of laboratory resources, limited time allocated for chemistry theory and practical classes, and teachers’ heavy workload impacted teaching of chemistry negatively while the teacher’s sound knowledge on the chemistry subject impacted the teaching of chemistry positively.


2021 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-92
Author(s):  
Rawezh Mohammed Ibrahim ◽  
Latif Yahya Hamad

In the English as a Foreign Language EFL contexts from different settings, the issue of language learning anxiety has been extensively studies and investigated. However, in the Kurdish settings a few studies carried out about this issue, specially about speaking anxiety in English classes. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to investigate the level, major factor of foreign language speaking anxiety among the Kurdish EFL students and the students’ perspectives about foreign language speaking anxiety in the context of a university in Kurdistan. For achieving the study purpose, first year students (N=91) from English Department at a state university participated. The data regarding the level of EFL speaking anxiety gathered through administering a questionnaire (Foreign Language Anxiety Classroom Scale FLCAS) by (Horwitz et al. 1986), as well as through a semi-structured interview with the participants (N=18). The quantitative data were analyzed through descriptive statistics by using the SPSS software program (version 25), and the qualitative data were analyzed by content analysis. The results of the quantitative data illustrated that the students experienced a moderate level of EFL speaking anxiety, and the qualitative data confirmed the results whilst the participants perceived speaking as the most anxiety provoking factor. It was also found that fear of making mistakes, fear of negative evaluation, fear of speaking in front of others and immediate questions were as the major causes of the students’ speaking anxiety. This research contributes to the literature as it is the first to target FL speaking anxiety among Kurdish freshmen EFL learners.


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