Upgrading Classroom Environments for Tomorrow's Learners

Educational structure in the P-12 environment has not changed in a century. However, with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, school districts were forced to become innovative in their lesson delivery models. That necessary shift has provided innovative thinking for administrators and teacher leaders about what classrooms of tomorrow might look like, supported by a hybrid model or completely online courses. This chapter will outline how to design and implement courses for a potential hybrid or online class from a teacher perspective. Further, suggestions for administrators to support the ever-evolving role of the teacher will be shared.

Evaluation of the Emergency Distance Education Process Starting with the Covid 19 Pandemic from the Perspective of Teaching Staf

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused restrictions and shutdowns affecting all industries worldwide. The scope of the steps taken to prevent the spread of the pandemic, universities in Turkey also began to provide distance education in March 2020. This process has provided an important experience in which the education system is questioned on the basis of educational infrastructure, lecturers and students. The experience of a nationwide transformation in such a short period of time in the education system is considered to be unique. In this study, it is aimed to create a decision support document by compiling this valuable experience and suggestions for further improvement of the higher education system. In this context, the opinions and recommendations of teaching staff regarding the distance education process were taken with the help of surveys which were responded by 744 lecturers from 84 universities of Turkey. As a result of the study, it was seen that factors such as the type of university, distance education experience, and age make a difference in the views of the lecturers towards distance education. In addition, the determinations and suggestions of the instructors that they stated by openended expressions were compiled under main headings. This process experienced offers an important opportunity to question the current educational structure and to improve it further. As also stated in the survey results, it is predicted that the weight of distance education in higher education will also increase at post-pandemic term. Therefore, it is thought that the necessary steps should be taken in the light of the experiences in order to make the next process more efficient

Volunteering as a Predictor of Social Solidarity

The relevance of the topic of the article is due to the widespread volunteering of representatives of various age groups. Volunteering allows a person to combine the satisfaction of personal needs with the needs of the society. The purpose of this research is to study the relationship between volunteerism and social solidarity in the Russian society by the example of studying the motives of a volunteer activity among the population of Yaroslavl region. The realization of the research goal is intended to contribute to a new understanding of the motives of a volunteer activity in the context of the development of social solidarity of citizens of the modern Russian society. The object of the study was people engaged in volunteer activities. The study involved 420 respondents aged 14 to 67 years. The hypothesis of the research is that volunteering is important for our modern society, since it is a predictor of the development of social solidarity, mutual assistance and cooperation. The study was conducted by the personal interview method. The survey was based on a zoned quota sample, represented in accordance with the gender, age and educational structure of the population of Yaroslavl (n = 420 people). The research showed that volunteer activities are more determined by the motives of socially approved behavior. The participation of people in socially useful activities as volunteers is mainly determined by the influence of family values and the values of the immediate environment. The motives for choosing and engaging in a volunteer activity, which is a predictor of social solidarity, are associated with a person's desire to be a part of a group, a membership in which is due to common interests and similar views on life and difficult life situations.

Assessment of student achievements in reading comprehension

The paper presents a research conducted with the aim of assessing student achievement in reading and comprehension of the reading text by teachers and researchers. Such assessments contribute to a better understanding of the reading process and the types of assignments used in comprehension tests. The study involved 200 students, one hundred in each of the control and experimental groups, who were equals of gender, reading and writing achievement results and parents‘ educational structure for better assessment,. The results of comprehension tests show a positive effect on student achievement after the involving the experimental procedure. Quantitative analysis has found a high correlation of the evaluation criteria with the subjects of the experimental group and the examiners against with the subjects of the control group.

CHURCH’S RESPONSE AS NOSTRUM TO THE CHALLENGES OF STUDENT ACTIVISM MOVEMENT IN NIGERIAN HIGHER INSTITUTION OF LEARNING

Students’ populace serves as a key stakeholder in education which cannot be disregarded in decision making. Also, education impacts students with knowledge, skills and empowerment to be active in developing the society, part of the educational structure in higher education is student activism movement. Students Activism movement in higher institution of learning performs these activities to the student’s populace and the society - Student Welfare, Academic development, Social Activities, Community Service, Infrastructural Development and others. Moreover, the benefits students derive in this movement are – Confidence booster, enables the student to get involved in reformation, building new connections, discovery of hidden talents and developing ability to move out of comfort zone. However, the movement is faced with diverse challenges that combat its original intention. Such challenges are – Cultism, Examination malpractice, Indiscipline, Insecurity, Frequent harassment and others. Furthermore, nostrum to the challenges of this movement is the intervention of the faith-based organization like the Church. The church is therefore, saddled with the responsibilities of constant enlightenment to the prospective students on the activity of the movement. The writer thus recommends the following to combat the challenges of student activism movement in the Nigerian higher Institution of learning - Student Activism movement should return to its original purpose of existence as enumerated by its founder, government should create enabling school climate for the students of higher institutions in Nigeria, the church should give proper enlightenment to the prospective students on the activities of student in the higher institution of learning. KEYWORDS: Student Activism, Church, Education.

Integrating philosophy of science in civil engineering: an integrative course design strategy

Many philosophers of science think scientific practice can benefit from philosophical concepts, and as such philosophy of science should play a direct role in science and engineering education. In this paper we consider a highly integrative course design strategy for integrating philosophy of science in specific disciplinary educational programmes through adaptation, operationalization and embedding of philosophy of science material to fit both the scientific and educational structure of a programme. The goal of the strategy is to help encourage students to recognize the value of philosophical concepts to scientific decision making and to apply them in their own scientific practice. We use the example of a 7.5 ECTS civil engineering course which implements this design at a European technical university, to elaborate these concepts, and present some evidence on how students receive the course. We discuss some of challenges and limitations of implementing this kind of strategy for teaching philosophy of science.

Intellectual and Practical Education and its Patronage in the Northern Highlands in the Century after the Reformation

This two-part article presents a holistic approach and a comprehensive background to intellectual and practical education in the northern Highlands before the SSPCK. It underlines the way in which intellectual and technical education was experienced, consumed, but also encouraged in one culturally heterodox part of Scotland, essentially the northern Highlands, with its population of Gaels and non-Gaels, from around the Reformation until the mid-seventeenth century. The first part will investigate education through the institutional system of schools and universities as well as education abroad and the patronage of education. It demonstrates that a number of northern Highlanders fully embraced the educational opportunities presented to them by the Crown and by local agencies. As a result, State formation and the integration of the region gradually unfolded through soft power and the shaping of minds. Northern Highlanders, mainly but not solely the clan elite, exploited the educational developments of the time and fully participated in and supported the broader dynamic of education and culture but at times balked at funding it. The education in the northern Highlands presented in this article thus appears much more in flux and less antagonistic between the area and the educational structure developed by the Crown.

Análisis del conductismo, cognitivismo, constructivismo y su interrelación con el conectivismo en la educación postpandemia

No son pocos quienes consideran que después de la pandemia por covid-19 el mundo debe enfrentarse a una nueva forma de cotidianidad, donde se evidenció que existen áreas que son indispensables para la subsistencia de la especie, mientras que otras pueden permitirse la transformación de sus espacios productivos para adaptarse a los requerimientos, quedando manifestó que el engranaje productivo-social puede regularse sin la excesiva burocratización de los procesos. Por otro lado, la educación también pudo desarrollarse dentro de las fronteras del hogar, sin la necesidad de acudir a los espacios educativos y esto solo fue posible por el desarrollo de las tecnologías de comunicación apropiadas. La adaptación rápida de las medidas educativas en ningún caso supone “innovación”, simplemente fueron la respuesta resiliente propia de las personas, por lo tanto, debemos interiorizar si los resultados que se lograron durante el desarrollo de la virtualidad permitieron el correcto aprendizaje de los estudiantes dentro de sus hogares. Dentro de este último aspecto, se asume que existirán muchas investigaciones que abordarán dicho análisis, por lo cual, la presente investigación tiene como propósito establecer las diferencias y similitudes entre varias teorías de enseñanza-aprendizaje, tales como el conductismo, el cognitivismo y el constructivismo, para posteriormente determinar una simbiosis teórica que podrían desarrollar estas teorías de enseñanza-aprendizaje dentro de la estructura de la educativa postpandemia. A criterio de los autores se seleccionaron estas tres teorías, ya que se consideran que son las que actualmente se desarrollan dentro de los diferentes escenarios pedagógicos. Para esto, se realizó una revisión bibliográfica de diferentes fuentes especializadas, para conocer los fundamentos conceptuales sobre los cuales se desarrollan las teorías antes mencionadas. Posteriormente, se realizaron esquemas que permitieron la priorización de los ejes. Entre las principales características se encuentra que el conductismo estudia de forma objetiva la conducta que desarrollan las personas, por su parte, el cognitivismo concibe que los aprendizajes y conocimientos se originan desde la experiencia que cada uno desarrolla con el entorno, mientras que el constructivismo intenta explicar la naturaleza de los conocimientos humanos. Finalmente se trata de examinar al conectivismo como una teoría emergente, sin embargo, se denota que la misma carece de los fundamentos apropiados para ser considerada como un nuevo paradigma educativo. Se concluye que la neoeducación debe poseer componentes moldeables, que permitan cambios en el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje a la misma velocidad que lo realiza la tecnología o la sociedad. There are few who consider that after the COVID-19 pandemic the world must face a new form of daily life, where it was evidenced that there are areas that are essential for the subsistence of the species, while others can afford the transformation of their productive spaces to adapt to the requirements, being stated that the productive-social gear can be regulated without excessive bureaucratization of the processes. On the other hand, education could also be developed within the borders of the home, without the need to go to educational spaces and this was only possible due to the development of appropriate communication technologies. The rapid adaptation of educational measures in no case implies "innovation", they were simply the resilient response of the people, therefore, we must internalize if the results that were achieved during the development of virtuality allowed the correct learning of the students within their homes. Within this last aspect, it is assumed that there will be many investigations that will address this analysis, therefore, the present investigation aims to establish the differences and similarities between various teaching-learning theories, such as behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism, to later determine a theoretical symbiosis that these teaching-learning theories could develop within the post-pandemic educational structure. At the discretion of the authors, these three theories were selected, since they are the ones currently being developed within the different pedagogical settings. For this, a bibliographic review of different specialized sources was carried out, to know the conceptual foundations on which the theories are developed. Subsequently, schemes were made that allowed the prioritization of the axes. Among the main characteristics is that behaviorism objectively studies the behavior that people develop, for its part, cognitivism conceives that learning and knowledge originate from the experience that each one develops with the environment, while constructivism tries to explain the nature of human knowledge. Finally, it is about examining connectivism as an emerging theory, however, it is noted that it lacks the appropriate foundations to be considered as a new educational paradigm. It is concluded that neo-education must have moldable components that allow changes in the teaching-learning process at the same speed as technology or society does.

A “Participatory School” in Iran: A Bottom-Up Learning Approach in a Top-Down Education System

This article discusses how a bottom-up approach to learning can be positioned within a top-down educational structure. For the first time, Iran’s educational system has witnessed a shift from a one-dimensional teacher-centered approach to the triangular student-facilitator-parent approach. While the majority of children’s participative activities in Iran have pedagogical functions, the participatory type of school was established to prioritize the voice of students. Through an analysis of interviews in a study of participatory schooling in Iran, this research identified several similarities and contradictions in terms of children’s inclusion between the theoretical framework and philosophy of democratic and child-centered school with the conventional Iranian one. The contribution of this article is to highlight how the socio-political features of the context can influence the structure and approach to education and effectiveness of inclusion. This approach to learning can be significant in societies where child integration has not yet found its meaningful position in schools.

SCHOOL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ROLE TOWARD DEVELOPING TALENTED CHILDREN

Potential characteristic of a gifted and talented personality is influenced by social supports, environment, mentoring methods and educational structure. Children with exceptional talents need platforms and conducive vicinities to grow and develop these gifts. Proper education and professional counselling services could help talented children contribute to their respective communities. The absence of proper educational programs and professional counselling services may lead to loss of academic development, creative potential, appreciable performance, enthusiastic learning success, and substantial social contributions. The variety of services needed to meet the needs of talented children form an important basis of the current study. While there are numerous studies on talented children, no study combines the help of regular classrooms and community toward developing extraordinary talented children. The arguments that many talented children are assisted by school and community are reasonable but defeasible. The study attempts to weigh the contribution of both school and environment towards the development of talented children since a certain number of successful children use their skills, work ethics, and home training to perform excellently in various fields.