Complying and Resisting: A Qualitative Metasynthesis of the Race and Gender Discourses found in the Play of Young Children

For many in the field of early childhood education, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is considered to be the source for information on high-quality approaches. Currently, NAEYC (2005) states that high-quality programs are programs that include diversity within the physical environment of the room and considers the cultural backgrounds of the students in the class.This acknowledgment of there being bias in our society sheds light on the responsibility early childhood educators have regarding teaching children about biases in order to prevent the continued growth of systematic inequalities. The purpose of this qualitative metasynthesis is to synthesize the findings of various high-quality studies dealing with issues of race and gender and the play of young children as a way to understand better what messages young children are exposed to, are accepting and rejecting. The two research questions that guided the study are (a) How is intertextuality used in the discourse of young children in extant studies involving issues of hegemony in early childhood classrooms? (b) What societal discourses are present in the speech and actions of young children in extant studies involving hegemony in early childhood classrooms? Findings show that young children in extant research confirmed hegemonic messages more than any of the other intertextual responses.

On the Innovativeness of Textbook Teaching for Excellence in Student Scholarship and Reducing Workload Demands

Preparing Philosophy modules and teaching materials from scratch can be a daunting task, even for the most seasoned Lecturers. But armed with the right tools, the task can be completed with ease. This paper shows how a well-designed textbook together with its ingenious use provide the right tools for job.

Lessons learned from a project examining the learning outcomes and experiences in 360o videos

Advances in technologies associated with virtual reality provide interesting tools for e-learning. One such is 360° videos. Although their educational potential is supported by a number of researchers, there is limited empirical evidence backing such a claim, given that they have recently become popular. The study at hand presents the results of a project in which 360° videos were used by primary school students. Eighty-four students, aged ten to eleven, participated in the experiment. The results demonstrated that 360° videos helped them to acquire more knowledge compared to printed material. Then again, no statistically significant differences were noted when comparing 360° and regular videos. 360° videos provided a more immersive, motivational, and enjoyable learning experience. However, the low-cost HMDs used for viewing 360° videos and the applications in which they were embedded, were considered the least easy to use. Moreover, participants expressed the view that all tools fostered their learning. Overall, while the results give support to the hypothesis that 360o videos provide positive educational experiences, their actual impact on learning has to be further explored.

Transformative Learning Theory – Is It Tıme to Add A Fourth Core Element?

The aim of this paper is to present a research-based analysis on the Mezirow’s theory of transformative learning, by first outlining the foundations of the theory and its status and trends, and then highlighting the role played on adult education by the core elements of transformative learning: critical reflection, dialogue, and individual experience. The concept of this essay is to present the current knowledge including substantive findings as well as theoretical and methodological contributions on Mezirow’s theory of transformative learning. This essay reviews the collective evidence of the theory of transformative learning, looking for similarities and differences on competing theories. The analysis shows that none of the core elements of transformative learning stand-alone, but each supports and enhances the rest, suggesting a more holistic approach to future research. While these elements must be present for transformative learning to occur, a new and lesser researched element - the context – is suggested. By developing awareness and appreciation of personal and sociocultural context, educators can better facilitate transformative learning situations within existing contextual constraints. The need to help learners actively participate and engage with the concepts presented in the context is the key message to be taken from Mezirow’s theory of transformative learning.