Factors Motivating Virtual Lab Simulations Adoption in Secondary School Physics Instruction in Jordan

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 161-167

Abstract: The study investigated the factors that motivate secondary school physics instructors to use virtual lab simulations in teaching and learning in four regions of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. To examine the research question, the study utilized a quantitative survey research methodology using a survey questionnaire consisting of 25 Likert-type scale questions to measure physics instructors' attitudes toward using virtual lab simulations in practical investigations’ preparation and delivery. Contrary to what might be expected, the findings came across a number of variables that were not predictors of statistical significance for a physics instructor's virtual lab simulation adoption: gender; level of education; school site; average class size; ways of acquiring technology skills, for instance, self-taught and computer courses; and perceived barriers. The findings support the prediction that the lack of virtual lab simulations in the Jordanian high-school physics curriculum has an impact on Tawjihi students' achievement in physics. Keywords: Simulation, Virtual lab, Roger’s diffusion of innovations theory.

Author(s):  
Krishnashree Achuthan ◽  
Prema Nedungadi ◽  
Vysakh Kolil ◽  
Shyam Diwakar ◽  
Raghu Raman

<p class="Title1" align="left">Educational technology such as Virtual laboratories (VLs) are being perceived as sustainable solutions to growing concerns related to laboratory skill training i.e. delivering quality laboratory education to a large number of students due to shortage of infrastructure and access especially in developing nations. With these VLs being an innovation for engineering education, the study of its diffusion in higher educational institutions is critical for gauging its impact. This study examines the five variables of Rogers Diffusion of Innovations theory in determining how VLs have changed or modified users through its adoption. The involvement of early adopters participating through a program called Nodal centers and their innovation decision stages are addressed. The study also analyzed the change agents as the nodal centers for diffusing the innovation in teaching and learning processes. Virtual laboratory adoption by users (n=43600) over 30 months was surveyed and factors of diffusion were reported. Similar scoring in assessment factors suggested relative advantage, technology acceptance, intention of use and relevance of trialability were pertinent in users' perception of VLs. Social hubs among higher education institutions promoted early adoption through better engagement of students.</p>


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (12) ◽  
pp. 114-126
Author(s):  
Aimable Sibomana ◽  
Claude Karegeya ◽  
John Sentongo

Secondary school students continue to consider chemistry as difficult to learn and develop a negative attitude towards it. This leads to low achievement in the subject and reduces their interest. Studies on students' achievement in chemistry have been conducted and different instructional strategies of teaching and learning have been provided. Nonetheless, there are persisting misconceptions and factors that hinder the achievement of students, even after the implementation of suggested strategies. By applying innovative teaching approaches as remedial to teaching and learning barriers, students' achievement may be improved; and the retention of the learned material may be enhanced. In this study, we conducted a literature search to collect any related literature. Sixty-one studies were obtained; some of them were not related to our investigation; and those which did not answer the research question were excluded, we remained with 13 studies. The selection of studies was based on year of publication, and language. These studies were published in English and between 2011 and 2021. Consequently, this review highlights the influence of teaching methods on students' achievements, updating teachers on the factors affecting students' achievements in Chemistry, misconceptions in chemistry instruction, and ways for remedying those misconceptions, as well as methods for improving students’ academic achievements.


2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 731-748 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos J. Asarta ◽  
Regina Bento ◽  
Charles J. Fornaciari ◽  
Kathy Lund Dean ◽  
J. B. (Ben) Arbaugh ◽  
...  

Despite calls for and advances in the scholarship of teaching and learning (SOTL) over the years, research-intensive institutions have a persistent reputation as preferring and demanding Boyer’s “scholarship of discovery” at the expense of SOTL work. In this article, we challenge the dominant narrative that research-focused institutions—the Carnegie “R1”and “R2”—do not engage in or value SOTL research in business and management education (BME). In a previous empirical study, we found evidence that a surprising proportion of R1 and R2 schools are already creating and disseminating innovative and impactful BME work. Using diffusion of innovations theory, we argue that those institutions can provide leadership due to their BME work, and examine what this might mean in terms of the prospects for diffusion of BME research among all research-intensive institutions. Due to external stakeholder pressures for excellent, evidence-based instruction, we assert that institutions that do subordinate SOTL to discipline-based scholarship will be forced to reframe their research portfolios. We end the article with solutions for how faculty could include BME work within their overall research efforts and challenge institutions to reconsider how BME scholarship may help them craft a more inclusive research narrative.


2010 ◽  
Vol 112 (7) ◽  
pp. 1897-1936 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas B. Timar ◽  
Kris Kim Chyu

Background School accountability policies and high-stakes testing have created new demands on state policy makers to provide assistance to low-performing schools. California's response was the Immediate Intervention/Underperforming Schools Program (II/USP) and the High Priority School Grants Program (HPSGP). Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study This study explores the effects of the HPSGP on improving academic performance of the lowest performing schools in California. The study focuses on the organizational factors that influenced resource allocation decisions. The discussion addresses what might be done to ameliorate some of the key problems implicated in nonperforming schools. Participants Data for this study came from site visits to 15 schools that received HPSGP funding. Of the 15 schools we studied, 10 were high schools, and the remainder elementary schools. Eleven of the schools were urban, and four were rural. Program Description Schools in the bottom 10th percentile are eligible to apply for HPSGP funds. The State of California provided 655 schools with $400 per pupil each year for three years, with an optional fourth year. Participating schools also could apply for an optional planning grant of $50,000 in the initial year. Research Design Using qualitative case studies of 15 schools in California, the study compares HPSGP recipient schools that made significant academic improvement with HPSGP schools that remained stagnant. The site visits, which took place between February and May 2006, comprised structured interviews with principals, teachers, HPSGP and special program coordinators, and school site council members, as well as classroom observations and focus groups. During a two-day visit, at least five people at each school were interviewed. Conclusion This study found that organizational characteristics, such as leadership of principals, member participation in decision-making, and existence of coherent goals and plans, have a significant influence on the ability of schools to make effective use of grant funding and to achieve higher student performance. The study's main finding was that improving schools were deliberative and purposive in their use of program funds. Nonimproving schools, on the other hand, were opportunistic, lacking a plan or vision for using funding to build effective regimes of teaching and learning.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 199-203
Author(s):  
Hristina Petrova ◽  

A particularly important aspect of learning physics is using models of physical objects, processes and phenomena. Modeling is an important component of learning and cognitive activity. This determines its importance for the formation and development of students’ knowledge and skills. The Physics Education Technology (PhET) project creates useful simulations for teaching and learning physics and makes them freely available on the PhET web site: http://phet.colorado.edu The simulations are interactive, animated and visual. Some ideas for their using in physics education are presented. They can be used in various of ways, including demonstration experiment as part of lecture, student group work or individual worksheets, homework assignments or labs. The possibility for using simulations in remote education is considered. Students are given interactive assignments. They include interactive problems in the form of computer simulation and questions related to it. The students work with data which they analyze and present tabular and graphically. This approach suggest activities based on enquiry. In result their motivation and interest in physics increases.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
E A Villegas Vázquez ◽  
J C Leyva Chipol ◽  
K C Cervantes Gómez ◽  
S I Valencia Almeida ◽  
F G Márquez Celedonio ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction Within the current context in our Mexico, major states of violence for women have been manifested on a daily basis without having any more reason than being female. Veracruz is the first place in feminicides in Mexico with a rate of 3.44 per 100 thousand women. Research question: What is the intensity of the violence committed and victimization in the courtship of young students of the Upper Middle level in the Veracruz - Boca del Río area, according to their gender? Material and Methods A cross-sectional, prospective, observational and analytical study was carried out from December to February 2020. Middle-high school students from the Veracruz-Boca del Río region were included, who had a dating relationship and were excluded those who did not accept to participate. The variable “violence committed and victimization in courtship” was quantified with the CADRI instrument. The spss v22 software was used, Sudent's T was calculated for independent samples, with statistical significance p &lt; 0.05. Results 741 students were included. There was a prevalence of violence committed of 86.2% and victimization of 89.2%. Of the total number of students who suffered and committed violence, women occupy 66.3% and 66.7% respectively. There is a difference in the intensity of violence between women and men in verbal-emotional violence (4.5 ± 4.2 vs. 3.4 ± 3.4), physical violence (0.6 ± 1.3 vs. 0.36 ± 3.6) and violence in general (5.7 ± 5.7 vs 4.3 ± 4.8) (p &lt; 0.05), while victimization scores do not make a difference between both genders (p &gt; 0.05). The history of psychological and sexual violence in previous relationships, as well as sexual violence in daily life are more frequent in the female sex (p &lt; 0.05) Conclusions The violence generated is more intense in women, however, they also have a history of having suffered violence more frequently in previous relationships and in their daily lives. Key messages Women suffer more aggressions at different stages of their lives, which may increase the risk to tolerate aggressions or be more aggressive or suffer mental health problems. We must study if the violence generated by women is a response to a previous aggression from their boyfriend.


1997 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 276-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bridget M. Leggett

CENTRALLY prescribed managerialist practices have become part of the assumed processes of secondary school administration. But the logic which linked the new practices for central office bureaucrats was absent in the understandings of teachers in Western Australian secondary schools in 1992. There were substantial differences in the meanings attributed to key concepts and the value ascribed to the required procedures. The implications of these differences are established in this paper, using insights from central office and school personnel. Particular attention is given to the three agendas of school improvement, accountability and participative decision making. The pressure to re-norm the management of schooling has been applied through a range of discursive practices including the use of language, the presumption of meaning and the enforcement of policy. Although claims have been made that these changes have resulted in a more professional approach to teaching and learning, questions remain as to their real impact.


2015 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colleen Stieler-Hunt ◽  
Christian M. Jones

This study used qualitative methods to explore why some educators embrace the use of digital game-play (DGP) in the classroom. The results indicated that these teachers had a very strong belief that DGP could be beneficial for learning which stemmed from experiencing their own form of subjective success with using DGP in the classroom, availing themselves of information and advocacy about using DGP in the classroom and personal experiences with DGP either through their own DGP or through watching their own children play games. They also shared positive attitudes towards information and communication technologies generally and had initially been invited to use DGP in the classroom by someone in authority. Their use of DGP was also something that they felt made them different to other teachers. Applying these findings to Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations theory predicted that the diffusion rate of using DGP in the classroom will continue to be slow. Finally, this study indicates that teachers need to experience their own form of subjective ‘success’ in order to find DGP valuable and this subjective ‘success’ often goes beyond test score performance.Keywords: game-based learning; video games; elementary education; secondary education; educational beliefs; pedagogical issues(Published: 4 September 2015)Citation: Research in Learning Technology 2015, 23: 26155 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/rlt.v23.26155


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