Historia literatury inaczej. Komparatystyczne – zagadnieniowe kształcenie literackie… w szkole ponadpodstawowej

Along with the successive reforms of education, the discussion on the method of teaching literature in high school returns, including the role of the history of literature in preparation for the matriculation examination. The article presents the advantages of a comparative approach to literary education in the core curriculum of the Polish language from 2008, which in individual programs prepared by teachers can also be successfully used in themed-chronological teaching, facilitating work with history of literature based, extensive in terms of issues and essential readingscore curriculum from 2018. Examples of original curriculum solutions come from the author’s own experience and were created during her classes of literature didactics at secondary school at the Faculty of Polish Studies of the Jagiellonian University.

Role of village-level workers in the process of political decentralisation

India, the second-largest democratic country in the world with about 1.21 billion people, among which all most half of the total population lives in the villages, and to the welfare of our nation, it is essential to improve the conditions of the villages. Therefore, rural development has become the first and foremost necessity for our country to develop. In India for all-round development of the rural areas the village level worker is responsible. They are recruited by a district-level selection committee chaired by the district collector. Usually, there are ten village-level workers in a development block. They must have passed the matriculation examination and the age limit is 24. They must belong to a rural area. From planning to implementing various policies for the rural people, from making aware the rural poor to ensuring their participation in them are the primary duties of the village level workers.

Studiosta steissille – Multimodaaliset kuuntelutehtävät ylioppilastutkinnon pitkien oppimäärien kielikokeissa 2018

Tässä tutkimuksessa tarkasteltiin ylioppilastutkinnon kielikokeissa esiintyvien kuullunymmärtämistehtävien reiluutta ja tarkoituksenmukaisuutta. Keskityimme multimodaalisiin tehtävätyyppeihin, jotka tulivat mahdolliseksi digitaalisen ylioppilastutkinnon myötä. Aineisto käsitti englannin (n = 37086), ruotsin (n = 1626) ja saksan (n = 491) pitkien oppimäärien kokeisiin vuonna 2018 osallistuneiden kokelaiden osiokohtaiset pistemäärät, joita analysoitiin tilastollisin menetelmin. Lisäksi kyseisten kokeiden koetehtäviä ja niiden kuvauksia analysoitiin teorialähtöisellä sisällönanalyysillä. Multimodaaliset tehtävät edellyttävät kielitaidon lisäksi monilukutaitoa eli monimuotoisten tekstien ja niiden yhdistelmien tulkintaa. Eri kohderyhmien välisiä eroja tutkittaessa havaittiin joitakin eroja englannissa poikien ja ruotsinkielisten ja ruotsissa tyttöjen eduksi. Tasa-arvoisimmiksi osoittautuivat saksan kokeet. Tulokset hyödyttävät koetehtävien laatijoiden lisäksi kielten opetuksen parissa työskenteleviä. From Studio to Station – Multimodal Listening Comprehension Task Types in in Long Syllabus of Languages in Finnish Matriculation Examinations in 2018 Abstract This study addressed fairness and meaningfulness of listening comprehension tasks in the newly digitalized Finnish Matriculation Examination focusing on multimodal task types. The data comprised item scores of test takers in 2018 in long syllabus English (n = 37086), Swedish (n = 1626) and German (n = 491) and related test tasks together with task description sheets. Item scores were analyzed with statistical methods, and the task content with theory-driven content analysis. Multimodal items prerequisite multiple language-related and general competences and strategies and combinations of them. Group wise differences between investigated groups were detected in English in favour of boys and in Swedish in favor of girls, while all differences were smallest in the German tests. The results contribute to item writing and language education in general. Keywords: listening comprehension, language assessment, high-stakes tests, computer-assisted testing

Ajattelun taidon tasot maantieteen ylioppilaskokeessa taloudellisen kestävän kehityksen koekysymyksissä ja vastauksissa

Tutkimme artikkelissamme sitä, miten ajattelun taidon tasot ilmenevät maantieteen ylioppilaskokeen taloudellista kestävää kehitystä käsittelevissä kysymyksissä sekä esseevastauksissa. Kestävään kehitykseen liittyvät ylioppilaskoekysymykset ovat usein vaativia, koska ne ovat tietoa laajasti soveltavia ja niissä yhdistetään useiden maantieteen kurssien ja muiden oppi-aineiden sisältöjä. Luokittelimme kahden ylioppilaskoekysymyksen tehtävänannot ja niissä vaadittavat ajattelun taidon tasot Bloomin taksonomian mukaan ja vastaukset SOLO-taksonomian mukaan. Tehtävänannot edellyttivät pääasiassa ymmärtämistä, soveltamista, analysointia ja arvioimista. Keskimäärin vastausten ajattelun taidon tasot jäivät tehtävänantojen vaatimuksista noin puoliväliin. Harvat parhaista ylsivät vaaditulle tasolle vastauksissaan. Sisällönanalyysin perusteella opiskelijat hallitsivat hyvin reiluun kauppaan ja luonnonvarojen kestämättömään käyttöön liittyviä sisältöjä, mutta osasivat heikosti taloudellisen kestävän kehityksen perimmäisen ajatuksen. Vastauksista puuttui myös pohdintaa tulojen epätasaisesta jakautumisesta lähde- ja kohdemaan välillä. Tulosten perusteella suosittelemme lukion maantieteen opettajia keskittymään entistä enemmän sen varmistamiseen, että opiskelijat ymmärtävät teemojen syvemmän luonteen ja problematiikan. Vastaustekniikkaa, esseevastausten jäsentelyä ja syy-seuraussuhteiden perustelemista tulisi harjoitella entistä enemmän. Geography matriculation examination and levels of thinking skills in questions and answers on economic sustainability Abstract In this study, we have researched how the complexity in students’ understanding can be seen in the Finnish matriculation examination at the end of upper secondary school. We concentrated on exam questions related to economic sustainable development because it is the common subject in several disciplines taught in the Finnish upper secondary school. In addition, economic sustainable development as a study content demands complex understanding. We analyzed two matriculation examination questions according to Bloom’s taxonomy. Similarly, we analyzed the essay answers according to the SOLO taxonomy. Those questions required comprehension, application, analysis, and evaluation. On average, students’ essay answers reached the middle level. Only rarely students reached the highest levels of complexity in understanding. According to the content analysis, students knew well the contents of the fair trade and the unsustainable use of natural resources. However, they did not manage so well the core idea of the economic sustainable development. Moreover, students did not know so well the unequal distribution of incomes between the source and destination countries. We suggest that teachers in the upper secondary school should secure that students have adopted the core of the economic sustainable development. Teachers should also emphasize answering techniques, structuring essay answers, and reasoning causal relationships. These will enhance the complexity in understanding seen in the students’ essay answers. Keywords: Bloom’s taxonomy, upper secondary school, student assessment, SOLO taxonomy, economic sustainable development, matriculation examination

INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES OF SCIENCE TEACHERS IN RURAL LEARNING ECOLOGIES

The outcomes of IEA's Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) conducted from 1995 to 2002 confirmed that there was no improvement in the learning outcomes of grade eight learners in Mathematics and Science. Additionally, the failure rate in Mathematics at the National Senior Certificate (NSC) Matriculation examination has increased from 2008 to 2018 in South African schools. It was consequent on this decline in performance that the South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) Chair in Science and Mathematics Education developed a short learning intervention programme for Mathematics teachers in South Africa in 2013 and 2014. This research reports post-intervention instructional practices of five teachers at Reitz who took part in the intervention programme. The teachers took part in the training workshops that were orgnised for participants at the University of the Free State, implemented the knowledge acquired from the programme in their respective schools, and compiled an evidence portfolios of their post-intervention instructional practices. The portfolios of evidence submitted by the teachers were thus analysed to give voice and meaning to their post-intervention instructional practices and reflections. The analyses provide evidences of which aspects of their instructional delivery worked well while other aspects did not work well. Keywords: evidence portfolios, instructional practices, science education, short learning intervention programme, secondary school teachers

The Finnish matriculation examination in biology from 1921 to 1969 – trends in knowledge content and educational form

The history and evolution of science assessment remains poorly known, especially in the context of the exam question contents. Here we analyze the Finnish matriculation examination in biology from the 1920s to 1960s to understand how the exam has evolved in both its knowledge content and educational form. Each question was classified according to its topic in biology, and its cognitive level by Bloom’s taxonomy. Overall, the exam progressed from a rather dichotomous test of botany and zoology to a modern exam covering biology from biochemistry to environmental science, reflecting the development of biology as a scientific discipline. The contribution of genetics increased steadily, while ecology witnessed a decline and a renaissance during the same time period. The biological profile of the questions was established by the 1950s. The educational standard and cognitive demand of the questions was always high and established by the 1940s. Tiivistelmä Luonnontieteellisten koekysymysten historiaa ja kehitystä on tutkittu hyvin vähän. Biologian ylioppilaskokeen kysymyksiä tarkasteltiin 1920-luvulta 1960-luvulle koekysymysten sisällöllisen ja opetuksellisen kehityksen selvittämiseksi. Kysymykset luokiteltiin biologisiin sisältöluokkiin, kun taas kognitiivinen taso arvioitiin Bloomin asteikolla. Tarkastelujakson aikana koe kehittyi kaksijakoisesta kasvi- ja eläintiedettä käsittelevästä kuulustelusta uudenaikaiseksi kokeeksi, joka tarkasteli biologiaa biokemiasta ympäristötieteeseen, heijastaen biologian kehitystä tieteenalana. Perinnöllisyystieteen osuus kokeessa kasvoi tasaisesti, kun taas ekologia koki jonkinasteisen taantuman ja uudelleentulemisen samalla aikavälillä. Kysymysten biologinen profiili vakiintui 1950-luvulla. Kysymysten opetuksellinen taso ja kognitiivinen vaatimustaso oli korkea alusta saakka ja vakiintui jo 1940-luvulla.

Permutation of UTME Multiple-Choice Test Items on Performance in Use of English and Mathematics Among Prospective Higher Education Students

In an attempt to curtail examination malpractice, the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has been generating different paper types with a different order of test items in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). However, the permutation of test items may compromise students’ performance unintentionally because constructive suggestions in theory and practice recommend that test items be sequenced in ascending order of difficulty. This study used data collected from a random sample of 1,226 SSIII students to ascertain whether the permutation of test items has any effect on the performance of students in two different subjects (Use of English and Mathematics). The study adopted the Equivalent Groups Quasi-Experimental Research Design with three independent groups. Findings emerged, amongst others, that there is a significant difference in the performance scores of prospective university students’ in use of English and Mathematics examintaions arranged in three different orders (ED, DE, R). There are no significant gender differences in the performance of students in Use of English and Mathematics based on test item permutation. However female students perform better than male students when test items are arranged in ascending order of difficulty while males perform better when test items are arranged in descending order of difficulty. It was concluded that the permutation of test items in UTME examination tends to affect the performance of students in Use of English and Mathematics. This finding has implications for the future conduct of UTME examinations and enrolment into higher education as the randomization of UTME test items changes the difficulty order of different paper types. It was recommended that other measures of curtailing examination malpractices that would not affect students’ academic performance should be adopted.

Classifiers ensemble and synthetic minority oversampling techniques for academic performance prediction

The increasing need for data driven decision making recently has resulted in the application of data mining in various fields including the educational sector which is referred to as educational data mining. The need for improving the performance of data mining models has also been identified as a gap for future researcher. In Nigeria, higher educational institutions collect various students’ data, but these data are rarely used in any decision or policy making to improve the academic performance of students. This research work, attempts to improve the performance of data mining models for predicting students’ academic performance using stacking classifiers ensemble and synthetic minority over-sampling techniques. The research was conducted by adopting and evaluating the performance of J48, IBK and SMO classifiers. The individual classifiers models, standard stacking classifier ensemble model and stacking classifiers ensemble model were trained and tested on 206 students’ data set from the faculty of science federal university Dutse. Students’ specific previous academic performance records at Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, Senior Secondary Certificate Examination and first year Cumulative Grade Point Average of students are used as data inputs in WEKA 3.9.1 data mining tool to predict students’ graduation classes of degrees at undergraduate level. The result shows that application of synthetic minority over-sampling technique for class balancing improves all the various models performance with the proposed modified stacking classifiers ensemble model outperforming the various classifiers models in both performance accuracy and RSME values making it the best model.<strong></strong>

Exploring the Relationship between Law Students’ Prior Performance and Academic Achievement at University

As Finnish university admissions are reformed, more information is needed on the relationship between performance in prior education and later academic achievement. Transition to university is a critical period, and low performance in prior education is associated with challenges in later study. In the present study, law students’ (n = 426) performance in the National Matriculation Examination was investigated in relation to later academic achievement at university. Quantitative methods were used. Findings showed that prior performance was not only associated with study success but also with study progress. The results also showed that law students who had grades in the advanced mathematics course were faster and more successful at university. This work contributes to the existing knowledge of university admissions ahead of the Finnish reform by providing new insights into prior performance and how it is related to academic achievement at university.