Smartphones and Learning: An Extension of M-Learning or a Distinct Area of Inquiry

The smartphone has become an integral part of the education landscape. While there has been significant smartphone research in education under the guise of m-learning, the unique role of the device suggests that m-learning may not be an appropriate characterization. The purpose of this paper is to review the use of m-learning as a primary descriptor for smartphone- and learning-related research. In support of this goal, the paper reviews the definitions associated with m-learning, smartphones, and related technologies from the perspective of educational research. In addition, a review of author keywords of research on smartphones in education is used to provide context to the classification of the research. Finally, three theoretically guided smartphone programs are presented as evidence of the unique nature of smartphone and learning research. This review concludes with recommendations for the characterization of future research.

Randomized Control Trials with Schools: Handling Real-World Practicalities and Problems

There is a need for more evidence-based research in education and research involving the use of randomized control trials (RCTs) to examine the efficacy of interventions. However, the difficulty of conducting interventional research in educational settings is often less acknowledged. This article provides practical examples of the issues encountered when implementing a cognitive science informed intervention and the solutions that were successfully implemented. This article will also highlight the importance of designing a multifaceted intervention while considering the cost of the intervention itself, especially when working with hard-to-reach families. It is helpful to make use of existing classroom resources in the intervention to lower costs. Additionally, being consistent and attentive to the developmental stage of the children and supporting parental engagement are two aspects that are crucial to the implementation of the intervention. Researchers would benefit from conducting workshops and public engagement events and can use these opportunities to provide practical strategies about how to support the development of children’s skills in the home environment. In-person interactions are key as parents can ask any questions that they may have, and it can help to dispel any mistrust that they may have with the research process. The article also provides suggestions for building the researcher-practitioner relationship from study onset, including being flexible and accommodating towards the changes in the school context and communicating effectively with teachers. Lastly, the article outlines the benefit of using scaffolding, positive reinforcement, and play-based learning over the course of the intervention to support child outcomes.

Project PROBE (Providing Research- Based Opportunities for Better Education): Addressing Gaps through Research in Education

This research determined the effectiveness of Project PROBE (Providing Research-Based Opportunities for Better Education) in addressing gaps on teachers’ research capabilities and utilization. Parameters were based on the School PPA Evaluation Tool from a total population of 25 teachers who were the recipients of the project. Through descriptive research design, findings from the evaluation of Project PROBE for the school year 2020 – 2021 were collected and interpreted using weighted mean and analysis of emerging themes. Data suggested that Project PROBE is highly evident as it obtained the overall mean score of 4.92 for Goals and Objectives; 4.99 for Relevance; 5.00 for Time Management; 4.96 for Student Participation; 4.92 for Internal and External Stakeholders Participation; 5.00 for Management of Resources; 4.95 for Effectiveness to Learning Outcomes Results; and 5.00 for Documentation/Accomplishment Report. Further, this is validated by the comments and suggestions provided by the respondents in the assessment of GFINHS PPA Evaluation Tool. Relatively, the outcome is consistent with a multitude of research that suggested that despite the pandemic, educators continuously seek resiliency and education reform. They acknowledged that research skills are critical to sustainable and lifelong learning. Hence, being teachers as researchers, they are innovators, curriculum drivers, agents of school transformation, and directors of their own professional growth. It can also be suggested that this study is vital for opening a better and greater avenue to recognize teachers’ efforts and contributions to the field of research. It will also help in bolstering education environment that spearheads innovations and practices which are evidenced-based for a wider community of greater benefit. you can type your own text. Keywords: teacher-research, research capabilities, research utilization, education research

“Transformative agency” as an object of sociological analysis: Contemporary discussions and the role of education

Negative trends of the global social-economic development enhanced by the covid-19 pandemic explain the theoretical and practical relevance of the study of perspectives for structural transformations and their possible sources. In education, this means the need to improve the existing models of institutional practice and to contribute to the development of agency that would support positive transformations in all domains of social life. The scientific attention to agency and its transformative potential in relation to structures is still limited compared to the issues of structures reproduction. The so-called new institutionalists in sociology (including primarily J.W. Meyer and his followers) provide a promising basis for new theoretical models and empirical studies of the content, factors and effects of transformative agency. Meyers core idea is that social structures can both suppress and support the initiative formation of new social entities and the corresponding new values and modes of action. Further research in education should refer to the concepts of institutional entrepreneurship, institutional work and expanded actorhood, when using the proposed theoretical framework to empirically study (1) globally and nationally promoted initiatives in entrepreneurship education in universities, and (2) processes of transformation of institutional contexts in education under the continuing global pandemic with an emphasis on the proactive role of students.

University Students Intention to Continue Using Online Learning Tools and Technologies: An International Comparison

In recent years, universities have put enormous efforts to promote the use of online learning among students and lecturers. Despite this, little is known about the intention of students to use online learning. The objective of this research is to study the continuance intention of online learning in the post-COVID-19 period in higher education. The research focuses on online learning tools and technologies by applying a modified Expectation-Confirmation Model (ECM) developed from earlier theoretical models, including three new constructs: the self-management of learning, computer anxiety, and habit. The international research compares three countries—Spain (Europe), Chile (Latin America), and Jordan (Asia)—which differ economically and culturally. The Partial Least Squares approach (PLS-SEM) was used to test the research model. As a conclusion of the study, the relationships of the proposed model’s constructs vary among the three countries, given their socioeconomic, technological, and cultural differences. Interestingly, self-management learning is a key factor that has a significant positive influence on continuance intention for the three countries, especially in Jordan. This study makes an interesting contribution to existing research in education and discusses how learning can be made more sustainable in complex settings.

Is it all bad? Saudi EFL student perceptions of the role of anxiety when writing

PurposeThe study aims to ascertain the degree to which Saudi tertiary level writers experience foreign language (FL), English, writing anxiety compared with other variables known to affect writing, such as motivation, types of self-efficacy or teacher assistance, how anxiety relates to those other variables, and whether the effects of anxiety on writing are always perceived as negative.Design/methodology/approachThis study used questionnaire and interview data following writing tasks in two conditions (practice and exam).FindingsThe key findings were that, regardless of level or writing condition, writing anxiety emerged as the least strongly experienced of all the relevant variables. From factor analysis, it was found to be associated with perceived general English language proficiency and writing strategic ability and not with topic knowledge, teacher or motivational variables. Contrary to the assumption in much of the literature, many participants experienced some anxiety as having a positive effect on their English writing, in certain ways and at certain times (dependent on the writing condition) and not solely a negative impact.Research limitations/implicationsImplications are drawn for theory and for the teaching of writing.Practical implicationsDrawn towards the end of the paper.Social implicationsAny research on factors that affect writing seemingly has practical value and implications in such contexts, in addition to interest for L2 writing research and theory.Originality/valueThere remains a question that applies across the whole field of anxiety research in education and applied linguistics concerning whether anxiety is, as often assumed, always bad and so constitutes something to be removed, or whether in fact some degree of anxiety is actually helpful (Alpert and Haber, 1960). This study aims to answer.

Exploring Reliability and Factorial Validity of Responsible Talk and its Impact on Cooperative Classrooms

The aim of this study was to validate an instrument which enables the evaluation of talk which maximizes student performance during different segments of interaction-interactivity throughout a complete learning sequence. Based on works developed by the Learning and Research Development Center of the University of Pittsburgh, a scale was developed that gathered the most relevant behaviors of each proposed dimension by researchers from this university center. The scale was used to develop a core subject for a final year Bachelor of Arts degree in Primary Education at a university in Spain and was applied to the 65 students (M = 19, F = 46) taking the subject. The data analysis used an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) that yielded a reliability of α = 0.922. EFA revealed a final interpretable three-factor structure, and the factorial solution comprised 87.86% of total variance. Results show that the talk that students use has three purposes: to constitute an effective group for learning, to build knowledge and to verify its acquisition. The results are discussed in terms of input from the Center for Research in Education and Educational Technologies at the Open University and the Learning Research and Development Center of the University of Pittsburgh.

Reporting on Qualitative Components of A Research Project

<div class="page" title="Page 1"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><p><span>In this brief commentary, I first overview the strengths and weaknesses of qualitative research in education and also briefly consider mixed methods. I then offer a few suggestions for reporting on particular methodological components and the results of qualitative research. I do not address the reporting on other significant components such as the literature review and theoretical framework, given that these aspects are generic to both qualitative and quantitative research. The points I make are brief and are by no means exhaustive. Nevertheless, it is hoped that they offer some guidance for authors in education who adopt primarily qualitative methods. </span></p></div></div></div>