A Tale of Two Institutions: Analyzing the Impact of Gamified Student Response Systems on Student Anxiety in Two Different Introductory Biology Courses

Students in two large-enrollment introductory biology classes were surveyed about their perceptions of how a gamified student response system, Kahoot!, affected their anxiety. Kahoot! was less anxiety inducing than most other classroom techniques, and this difference was more pronounced for lower-achieving students.

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT AS A TOOL TO ENHANCE THE DEVELOPMENT OF INQUIRY SKILLS IN SCIENCE EDUCATION

Formative assessment (FA) is considered a powerful tool to enhance learning. However, there have been few studies addressing how the implementation of FA influences the development of inquiry skills so far. This research intends to determine the efficacy of teaching using FA in the development of students’ inquiry skills. A test of inquiry skills was used as the main research instrument to identify the level of the selected inquiry skills before and after a period of teaching with or without FA in the experimental and control group respectively. In the experimental group (n=73), FA was implemented across five subjects: biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, and informatics, while the control group (n=48) was taught without any external intervention. In both groups, mostly teacher-centred methods of teaching were applied. The research findings confirmed a low initial level of inquiry skills. Teaching using FA showed higher efficacy than teaching without FA, even without a special focus on the inquiry methods. The experimental group achieved significantly better results compared to the control group. In addition, the results confirmed higher efficacy of FA in lower performing students. Gender did not prove as a determining factor in the effective implementation of FA. Keywords: formative assessment classroom techniques, inquiry skills, inquiry skills test, students’ performance, science teaching, upper secondary school

STRATEGI KEPALA SEKOLAH DALAM PEMBERDAYAAN KINERJA GURU PADA SMA NEGERI DI TRUMON RAYA

The head master is top manager as the strategies roles in empowering the teacher performances. The purpose of this research is to know: arranging programs, the implementing programs, evaluation and obstruction challenging of the head master in empowering the teacher performances at SMA Negeri Trumon Raya. This research using qualitative research method descriptive. The techniques using to collected data those are: interview, observation, and documentation study. The subject of this research are head master and teachers. The results of this research show those are: menunjukkan (1) the arranging program conducted by the head master in empowering the teacher performances to analysis initial needed, from the result of analysis that defined what will discussed to developing the teacher performances. (2) The implementing strategy program in empowering the teacher performances in holding the MGMP training activities. For instances workshop, assigning each teachers to conduct the lesson plan, harnessing the peer teachers in circumstances, and the teacher facilities needed. The strategy conducting by the head master is the ways to organizing the function as the tool in communication, share knowledge, thinking, and experiences in increasing the teacher performances. (3) The evaluation program conducting with the way is academics supervision with the visiting classroom techniques. And (4) the obstruction faced by the head master those are lack of indiscipline’s of teacher, tendency of teacher in copy paste the lesson plan, and less of competence of teachers in mastering the learning technology, lack of facilities in supporting the learning process. Abstrak Kepala sekolah sebagai top manager memiliki peran yang sangat strategis dalam memberdayakan kinerja guru. Tujuan penelitian ini untuk mengetahui: penyusunan program, strategi pelaksanaan program, evaluasi dan hambatan yang dihadapi kepala sekolah dalam perberdayan kinerja guru pada SMA Negeri di Trumon Raya. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan metode deskriptif. Teknik pengumpulan data yang digunakan adalah: wawancara, observasi dan studi dokumentasi. Subjek penelitian adalah kepala sekolah dan guru. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa: (1) penyusunan program yang dilakukan kepala sekolah dalam pemberdayaan kinerja guru dengan menganalisis kebutuhan awal, dari hasil analisis tersebut baru ditentukan apa yang harus dilakukan untuk mengembangkan kinerja guru; (2) Strategi pelaksanaan program pemberdayaan kinerja guru dengan menyelenggarakan kegiatan pelatihan MGMP, pelatihan berupa workshop, menugaskan setiap guru mata pelajaran untuk membuat perangkat pembelajaran, memanfaatkan tutor sebaya sesama guru dilingkungan sekolah, dan memfasilitasi guru terhadap keperluannya. Strategi yang dilaksanakan kepala sekolah merupakan wadah asosiasi yang berfungsi sebagai sarana untuk saling berkomunikasi, bertukar ilmu, fikiran dan pengalaman dalam rangka meningkatkan kinerja guru; (3) evaluasi program dilakukan dengan cara melakukan supervisi akademik dengan teknik kunjungan kelas, dan (4) kendala yang dihadapi adalah kurangnya kedisiplinan guru, kecendering guru melakukan copy paste dalam mencari bahan ajar, keterbatasan kemampuan guru dalam menguasai teknologi pembelajaran, kurangnya fasilitas penunjang proses pembelajaran.

Analisis Peningkatkan Kemampuan Pemecahan Masalah Dan Kemandirian Belajar Dampak Flipped Classroom Berbantuan Video Pembelajaran

A good education will create a good generation so that the lives of nations and countries will have a good effect. The purpose of this research is to analyze the influence of flipped classroom learning models assisted by Video Learning to improve problem solving skills and learning independence. The research method used is quantitative with quasy experimental design type. The sampling techniques in this study used randomized classroom techniques as experiment classes with flipped classroom learning models, control classes that used expository models. The data analysis technique used in this study is the Manova test with the conclusion that there is an influence on the use of flipped classroom learning models assisted by learning videos to improve solving skills. There is an influence on the use of flipped classroom learning models assisted by learning videos to improve learning independence. There is an influence on the use of flipped classroom learning models assisted by learning videos to improve mathematical problem solving skills and learning independence

Of the Trivial and the Radical: Is There a Coherent Constructivist Pedagogy?

Where a pedagogy is to be understood not simply in its weak sense as a range of classroom techniques but rather in its strong sense as embodying some conception of the ends of education such techniques subserve, coherence derives from the theoretical basis to which that pedagogy appeals. Where, however, such a theoretical basis is indistinguishable from that it purports to supplant or where it is inherently self-contradictory, the resulting pedagogy is incoherent. It is maintained here that “trivial constructivism” fails in the first respect and “radical constructivism” in the second and that any pedagogies based upon them are therefore incoherent.

Effective Classroom Techniques for Engaging Students in Role-Playing

Role-playing is a teaching technique that provides students with an opportunity to engage with the material in a unique way within the classroom setting. A classroom role-play can involve students reading pre-designed scripts, students play acting characters described on role cards, or students acting out characters of their own creation. Regardless of the specific approach, role-play activities can serve to increase student retention, understanding, and engagement with the course material. In this session, educators explore the benefits and challenges associated with using role-play activities in the classroom. Participants get a chance to experience a role-play activity and consider how to facilitate a role-play that creates a memorable experience and contributes to course learning outcomes. The ultimate goal is to provide participants with the tools to use role-playing in their own teaching practices.

INFLUENCE OF FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT CLASSROOM TECHNIQUES (FACTs) ON STUDENT’S OUTCOMES IN CHEMISTRY AT SECONDARY SCHOOL

Assessment in many Central- and Eastern-European countries is dominated by summative assessment (SA). Simultaneously, researchers and educators from western Europe and the US proclaim the formative assessment (FA) as an important element of the educational process and advise including it into curricula and everyday teachers’ practice. The research presented herein reports an introduction of formative assessment classroom techniques (FACTs) during chemistry lessons at K7 level in Slovakia. In total 202 students participated in the research. They were divided randomly into a control (n=97) and an experimental (n=105) group, and the intervention covered 10 successive lessons. After the intervention, the student’s outcomes were compared using the test checking student’s knowledge and skills according to various domains of Bloom’s revised taxonomy. The results suggested a statistically significant increase in the score of the experimental group, and a detailed analysis revealed that the increase was significant in both lower- and higher-order cognitive skills area. Finally, the students’ reaction on the introduction of formative assessment was studied and showed their positive attitude towards the introduced method. Keywords: chemical education, formative assessment classroom techniques, higher-order cognitive skills, secondary school.