Barriers to Distance Learning: Perceptions Of Secondary School Teachers and Students in Serbia

One of the most current issues facing modern pedagogical theory and practice is distance learning. Since the Covid-19 virus pandemic outbreak, this specific teaching context has become the only hope for education systems globally. Given the role and importance that distance learning has today, our paper is focused on studying its barriers in immediate secondary school practice. This research is part of a broader study that involves a more thorough study of distance learning, which was conducted on a sample of 422 students and 120 secondary school teachers in Southeast Serbia. The aim of this paper is to identify the most common barriers to distance learning and answer the question of whether there are differences in the attitudes of teachers and students about the barriers they encountered during the first months of its implementation. In terms of frequency, the results of the conducted research show that evaluation-related barriers are the most common, while the learning material and technical barriers to distance learning are the least common ones. The research has shown that teachers statistically more often highlight evaluation-related, organizational/administrative and social/emotional barriers, while in practice, students more often experience learning content-related barriers. The results also confirm positive correlation in the participants’ attitudes about the analyzed barriers and directly point to the conclusion about their objective perception and critical reflection on this problem by emphasizing the importance of didactic elements such as: quality of the teaching process, level of knowledge acquired, objectivity of assessment, etc. in relation to the learning material and technical side of teaching. These conclusions point to a number of pedagogical implications by which the new, specific teaching context can be significantly improved.

Teaching Generation Y: Which Instructional Tools Do Students Prefer in a Traditional Classroom Setting?

The paper evaluates different teaching aids used in an introductory in-class course that focuses on planning theories. We examine the perceptions of students regarding specific teaching tools and how helpful they were in making the course more approachable and providing a better learning experience. The analysis covers 133 student responses over a period of four consecutive years. Findings show that certain instructional tools are regarded as more helpful in making the course material more intelligible. This suggests educators in planning theory courses should review and continuously monitor the didactic tools they use in class.

Research on Project-based Teaching of Building Decoration Construction Technology

Building decoration construction technology is the professional core course of construction engineering technology major in higher vocational colleges. The focus of this course is to cultivate students' ability to prepare construction scheme, organize on-site construction, project quality inspection and on-site operation management and control. Starting from the characteristics of architectural decoration construction technology course, this paper carries out Project-based teaching design, establishes the Project-based teaching mode of "combination of work and study", and determines the specific teaching contents and assessment methods, to effectively promote the teaching reform of the course.

FORMATIVE STRATEGIES FOR EVALUATING LANGUAGE COMPETENCES IN HIGHER EDUCATION BUSINESS PROGRAMMES

Evaluation does not represent an objective per se, but the strategies adopted in this process may take the teaching/learning process in different directions, according to the students’ language needs and to the competences that should be developed. The phenomenon is a complex one, sometimes comprising errors, which, nevertheless, contribute to progress, it gives precise clues and helps in identifying the positives and negatives in foreign language learning. The higher education system in Romania is adjusted to the quantitative and qualitative exigency of the European administration, with evaluation always accompanying the learning process, having both diagnostic and prognostic characteristics. The evaluation strategy predicts the most appropriate methodical path which ensures efficiency in approaching specific teaching and learning situations

Teachers’ Abstracted Conceptualizations of Their Way in Experiencing the Leadership in the Classroom: Transferring Knowledge, Expanding Learning Capacity, and Creating Knowledge

Despite the abundance of decades of research into teacher leadership, uncertainty remains due to confusion around the notions of teacher leadership and the unity or at least the authenticity of definitions, and there is a need for a deeper understanding of this leadership process as the teacher works with students in the classroom. The existing definitions and descriptions of teacher leadership do not determine the connection between teacher leadership and student learning, and the subject remains empirically unsubstantiated. The aim of this study was to develop a set of categories of description derived from the teachers’ conceptions of their leadership in the classroom through learning interactions with students. The study was based on the phenomenographic research methodology. Data were collected by conducting semistructured interviews with 37 teachers. A phenomenographic analysis sought a description, analysis, and understanding of experiences with the focus on variation in the conceptions of the phenomenon, as experienced by teachers. Findings revealed that teachers discern their leadership through working with students at school in three stages represented by three categories of description—transferring knowledge, expanding learning capacity, and creating knowledge. All these stages are linked by teacher-student interaction which facilitates successful and meaningful learning for students within the classroom. The connections between the three stages demonstrate the need for teacher–student collaboration, teaching personalization, the professional expertise of the teacher, and learning cocreation. The findings of this study contribute to the expansion of the concept of teacher leadership not only as expert influence through the application of specific teaching methods, but as a coherent process from knowledge transfer to its creation through reciprocal teacher–student learning in the classroom.

A Study of STEAM Model Development and Assessment Method for Deep Learning: Through the Voice of Mimesis and Brontë

This research aimed to explore a humanities-based STEAM (H-STEAM) model for EFL undergraduates (n = 72) to improve deeper thoughts and language proficiency in a multidisciplinary setting. The H-STEAM focused on the integration of a literature text, Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, and the philosophical analysis framework of mimesis as a humanities resource. For a specific teaching and learning method, various group activities based on project-based learning (PBL) were fabricated to enhance collaborative and conceptual learning both inside and outside of the classroom. Analyzing the relationship of Wuthering Heights and mimesis, learners shared and adopted peers’ opinions with openness. They could improve problem-solving ability, caring, communication skills, and self-reviewing practice when accumulating content knowledge and generating creative ideas. This study organized student-based assessment; self-assessment (SA) and peer-assessment (PA). SPSS 25 was conducted for the correlation and reliability analysis of SA and PA, and the evaluation of linguistic improvement. The results indicate that the H-STEAM facilitating PBL can be more workable through openness and community caring. The integration of collaborative and conceptual learning through PBL can empower learners’ autonomy and produce deeper thoughts, which can contribute to deep learning. Consequently, this study may suggest a path to develop H-STEAM for higher education.

Talk It Out: Promoting Verbal Communication Through Virtual Reality Games

<p>Verbal communication skills have been shown to be important for both social and professional settings. However, a need for greater communication skills has been identified for graduated students entering the workplace, specifically task-based verbal communication (Daniels, 2001). In light of these findings new communication teaching techniques need to be explored to better prepare our students for effectively communicating information in their future work environment. This thesis researched the potential for virtual reality video games to promote verbal communication skills in students. The motivation behind using virtual reality video games to teach these skills is based on the theory (Richard Van Eck, 2006) that video games have the potential to enhance the learning outcome of students. Initial research also shows that virtual reality experiences further immerse the player in the educational setting improving their engagement with the game's content (Thornhill-Miller & Dupont, 2016). The thesis researched how virtual reality games can teach verbal communication skills firstly by analysing past works, completing an in- depth literature review and multiple case studies. Secondly, by using research through design methods in the creation of a prototype game that incorporates both communication and game teaching mechanics researched in the first stage. Finally, user tests were conducted on the prototype game to analyse how effective it was at promoting verbal communication skills in students. The paper’s outcome was that virtual reality games can be effective at promoting verbal communication skills and have tested specific teaching techniques and video game mechanics that can be used to effectively promote these skills.</p>

Talk It Out: Promoting Verbal Communication Through Virtual Reality Games

<p>Verbal communication skills have been shown to be important for both social and professional settings. However, a need for greater communication skills has been identified for graduated students entering the workplace, specifically task-based verbal communication (Daniels, 2001). In light of these findings new communication teaching techniques need to be explored to better prepare our students for effectively communicating information in their future work environment. This thesis researched the potential for virtual reality video games to promote verbal communication skills in students. The motivation behind using virtual reality video games to teach these skills is based on the theory (Richard Van Eck, 2006) that video games have the potential to enhance the learning outcome of students. Initial research also shows that virtual reality experiences further immerse the player in the educational setting improving their engagement with the game's content (Thornhill-Miller & Dupont, 2016). The thesis researched how virtual reality games can teach verbal communication skills firstly by analysing past works, completing an in- depth literature review and multiple case studies. Secondly, by using research through design methods in the creation of a prototype game that incorporates both communication and game teaching mechanics researched in the first stage. Finally, user tests were conducted on the prototype game to analyse how effective it was at promoting verbal communication skills in students. The paper’s outcome was that virtual reality games can be effective at promoting verbal communication skills and have tested specific teaching techniques and video game mechanics that can be used to effectively promote these skills.</p>

Perceptions of Motivational Teaching Strategies in an EFL Classroom: The Case of a Class in a Private University in Indonesia

<p>Students’ motivation in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom is affected by their perceptions of the teaching strategies used. These perceptions are influenced by the context in which they learn. This study aims to explore both tertiary students’ and their lecturers’ perceptions of teaching strategies that both groups consider impact on students’ motivation in learning EFL in an eastern region of Indonesia. This study used a qualitative research methodology. The case was composed of one cohort of student-teachers and their EFL lecturers in one Teacher Training and Education Faculty of one private university in the area of Sulawesi Island of Indonesia. The data were collected from semi-structured individual interviews with EFL (English as a Foreign Language) lecturers and focus groups with student- teachers. Both the lecturers and the student-teachers agreed that creating and maintaining relationships was a highly effective strategy to motivate students in an EFL classroom. However, the findings also showed that the two groups of participants put different values on the teaching strategies employed by EFL lecturers in this context. The study also found that some EFL lecturers were not aware of how some of the strategies that they used in teaching English impacted on their learners’ motivation. Lecturers’ time commitments outside this university proved to be a significant challenge in maximizing the use of some motivational teaching strategies in teaching English. These findings raise implications for lecturers’ practice. By being more aware of how students view specific teaching strategies in the EFL classroom, teachers can enhance students’ motivation, by generating, maintaining and building on initial motivation.</p>

Perceptions of Motivational Teaching Strategies in an EFL Classroom: The Case of a Class in a Private University in Indonesia

<p>Students’ motivation in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom is affected by their perceptions of the teaching strategies used. These perceptions are influenced by the context in which they learn. This study aims to explore both tertiary students’ and their lecturers’ perceptions of teaching strategies that both groups consider impact on students’ motivation in learning EFL in an eastern region of Indonesia. This study used a qualitative research methodology. The case was composed of one cohort of student-teachers and their EFL lecturers in one Teacher Training and Education Faculty of one private university in the area of Sulawesi Island of Indonesia. The data were collected from semi-structured individual interviews with EFL (English as a Foreign Language) lecturers and focus groups with student- teachers. Both the lecturers and the student-teachers agreed that creating and maintaining relationships was a highly effective strategy to motivate students in an EFL classroom. However, the findings also showed that the two groups of participants put different values on the teaching strategies employed by EFL lecturers in this context. The study also found that some EFL lecturers were not aware of how some of the strategies that they used in teaching English impacted on their learners’ motivation. Lecturers’ time commitments outside this university proved to be a significant challenge in maximizing the use of some motivational teaching strategies in teaching English. These findings raise implications for lecturers’ practice. By being more aware of how students view specific teaching strategies in the EFL classroom, teachers can enhance students’ motivation, by generating, maintaining and building on initial motivation.</p>