i-manager's Journal on School Educational Technology (JSCH)


Volume 16 Issue 4 March - May 2021

Article

Robotics Professional Development

Jale Aldemir* , Angelia Reid-Griffin **, Amelia Moody ***, Daisyane Barreto ****, Carmen Sidbury *****
* New Jersey City University, New Jersey, United States.
**-***** University of North Carolina Wilmington, North Carolina, United States.
Aldemir, J., Reid-Griffin, A., Moody, A., Barreto, D., and Sidbury, C. (2021). Robotics Professional Development. i-manager's Journal on School Educational Technology, 16(4), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.26634/jsch.16.4.17785

Abstract

It is critical that educators consider ways to enhance Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education in the classroom to prepare future generations for growing STEM jobs. Occupational fields that benefit from knowledge and practice in STEM education are experiencing instant growth, and consequently employers are seeking ways to fill essential job positions. Some educators are embracing this challenge and working with children using Educational Robotics (ER), which is the use of robotics to teach students to be familiar with and understand robotics and programming while enhancing their academic skills. Various efforts are underway to provide educators with the muchneeded training in an efficient manner. Online instruction is one such method for providing Professional Development (PD) in educational research, so teachers can learn basic knowledge online, and then practice creative lessons in the classroom. This article describes an online robotics PD introducing preservice and in-service teachers to foundations of educational robotics.

Research Paper

Inclusive Education and Inclusive Values in English Language Course Books

Ahmet Erdost Yastibas*
Gazi University, Turkey.
Yastibas, A. E. (2021). Inclusive Education and Inclusive Values in English Language Course Books. i-manager's Journal on School Educational Technology, 16(4), 12-19. https://doi.org/10.26634/jsch.16.4.17810

Abstract

Every student is different, has his own strengths and weaknesses, and learns in his own ways. Some of them have diverse learning needs due to several reasons such as disabilities, gender and race. This makes inclusive education significant because it values all students with their differences and aims to provide them with what they need to succeed. As a branch of education, English language teaching can be used to teach and support inclusive education. One way to do this is by using English language course books. The literature review indicates that English language course books were not evaluated in terms of inclusive education. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the English language course books in terms of inclusive education. It was designed as a qualitative study. The 9th Grade English language course book of Turkey was used to collect data. The data were content analyzed. The findings indicated that three themes of the course books are related to inclusive education through reading passages, listening, speaking and writing activities. The findings have also shown that respecting and caring for other people, supporting and valuing equality and promoting tolerance were the inclusive values included in the course books. The findings were discussed, and suggestions for further studies were made.

Research Paper

Attitudes of Pre-Service Geography Teachers Towards Teaching Environmental Education at the Lowveld University

Daniel Gamira * , Thomas Firomumwe **
* Department of Teacher Development, Great Zimbabwe University, Zimbabwe.
** Geography and Business Studies, Embakwe High School, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Plumtree, Zimbabwe.
Gamira, D., and Firomumwe, T. (2021). Attitudes of Pre-Service Geography Teachers Towards Teaching Environmental Education at the Lowveld University. i-manager's Journal on School Educational Technology, 16(4), 20-32. https://doi.org/10.26634/jsch.16.4.17950

Abstract

This qualitative study explored pre- service Geography teachers' attitudes towards teaching Environmental Education (EE) at the Lowveld University. Pre-service Geography teachers are part of university students with greater potential to understand and assimilate many dimensions of education for sustainable development during and after university work. Twenty year-two pre-service Geography teachers were purposively selected to participate in the study. The study adopted a case study design. Data was generated via questionnaires and focus group interviews. Findings reveal that teaching EE is important as it provides learners with knowledge on environmental education/education for sustainable development about ecosystems, the interdependence of biotic and abiotic factors. Knowledge gained through EE helps people to sustainably manage the environment by taking action to keep our natural world healthy, our economies productive and vibrant. EE affords learners the opportunity to apply their classroom knowledge to identify, observe and solve complex environmental issues confronting our planet. The study further revealed sufficient pedagogical knowledge (PCK) and positive teacher attitude as enabling factors to the teaching of EE. Teachers are constrained to teaching of EE by inadequate training in terms of pedagogical content knowledge in EE and lack of resources. The study recommends that apart from developing the teachers' cognitive domain on ecosystems, the affective domain should be seriously considered. Teachers are more than just subject specialists who are aufait with Content Knowledge (SCK) and Pedagogical Knowledge (PK), they carry with them in their disposition into the classroom.

Research Paper

School Participation and Academic Success of Boys and Girls at Elementary School Stage

Syed Murtaza Fazl Ali*
Department of Higher Education, Government Degree College for Women, Baramulla, University of Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Ali, S. M. F. (2021). School Participation and Academic Success of Boys and Girls at Elementary School Stage. i-manager's Journal on School Educational Technology, 16(4), 33-38. https://doi.org/10.26634/jsch.16.4.17977

Abstract

Elementary education is the most important stage in the learning process. Elementary education constitutes the base for
supporting the whole edifice of education. It is absolutely essential that a strong foundation for education is given at this
stage. Due to a number of problems and disturbed conditions prevailing in the Jammu and Kashmir State, the progress of
elementary education is not satisfactory which requires priority for attention. Some of these problems are low enrolment
and participation of girls, education of disadvantaged groups and lack of physical infrastructure. The people in faraway
places like Ladakh still engage their daughters in domestic affairs instead of sending them to school. The state which is
lagging behind in the field of education as compared to many other states of the same nature needs to be uplifted for the
future prosperity of the country. The task of providing compulsory education does not end with enrolment; it is essential that
every child participates in the educative process to the required extent and acquires minimum level of learning. The intent
of the present research paper is to highlight the school participation and academic success rate of boys and girls at the
elementary school level.

Research Paper

Classroom Management Interactivity among High School Teachers

S. Anbalagan* , A. Vences Cyril **
* Thiagarajar College of Preceptors, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India.
** K. Nanjappa Gounder College of Education, Seelapadi (Post), Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, India.
Anbalagan, S., and Cyril, A. V. (2021). Classroom Management Interactivity among High School Teachers. i-manager's Journal on School Educational Technology, 16(4), 39-45. https://doi.org/10.26634/jsch.16.4.17776

Abstract

The study aims to find out the classroom management interactivity among high school students. Teachers are responsible for orchestrating the attention towards learning, of the various students in a limited space. Therefore, regardless of how well a teacher understands the students' needs, the teacher should create a positive, emotional and academic climate. Implementing instructional approach that assists optimum acquisition by responding to the academic needs of individual students and the course of study as a group is the need of the hour. Teachers need to use organizational and group management methods that maximize on-task student behaviour. Teachers get an opportunity to be with the students for a longer period of time and can actually influence students. Teachers seeking to establish a learning community amidst the troublesome classrooms will still need the familiar classroom management strategies of articulating clear expectations, adopting preventive and corrective discipline procedures, modeling and providing instruction in the desired practices. The research was a survey type which consists of simple random sampling of 800 High school teachers in Dindigul and Madurai districts. The investigator developed the classroom management scale and used the following statistical techniques for analyzing and interpreting the data.

Research Paper

Online Teaching During the Covid Pandemic: Attitude of Teachers Towards e-Learning in Bhutanese Classroom

Kuenzang Dorji*
Countryside Schools, Central Bhutan.
Dorji, K. (2021). Online Teaching During the Covid Pandemic: Attitude of Teachers Towards e-Learning in Bhutanese Classroom. i-manager's Journal on School Educational Technology, 16(4), 46-61.
World Health Organization : COVID-19 - Global literature on coronavirus disease
https://pesquisa.bvsalud.org/global-literature-on-novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov/resource/en/covidwho-1503866
ProQuest Central | ID: covidwho-1503866

Abstract

With the development of modern technologies, teaching and learning through e-learning has gained much attention across the world in recent years. However, never in the history of humanity have we ever embraced an intensive use of elearning across the globe until the outbreak of COVID-19. Like in the rest of the countries, the pandemic (COVID-19) has enforced Bhutan to close all the educational institutions and embrace e-learning widely. Subsequently, to foresee the adoption of e-learning beyond pandemic lockdown; this survey research study was carried out to investigate teachers' attitude towards e-learning and, their preference over classroom teaching and online teaching in Bhutanese primary and high schools. The study involved 127 teachers from 18 schools (3 high schools and 15 primary schools) under Wangdue district. The samples were selected by implementing simple random sampling technique. Questionnaire and open-ended questions were used in data collection. SPSS and Grounded theory coding system were used to analyze the data. The analysis of quantitative data revealed that more than 50% of the teachers preferred e-learning having shown favorable attitude towards it. It was uncovered that not only did usefulness and ease of use of e-learning technology pose significant contribution on teachers' positive attitude towards e-learning but teachers' exposure to computer also incurred a significant positive impact on it. Conversely, reluctance to adopt e-learning could be accredited to lack of ICT facilities and online teaching skill, improper ICT training, notion of e-learning shall not be better in improving the quality of their instructional delivery and environmental factors. While result from qualitative data revealed that teachers preferred classroom teaching over online teaching based on the motives like; classroom teaching being more authentic, comfortable and affordable. To better understand and embrace e-learning system in school positively, it is recommended that teachers must be facilitated with training on e-learning technology. Moreover, aspects that shall boost teachers' favorable attitude towards e-learning must be reinforced. The findings from this study can be handy for the curriculum developers, school administrators and teachers while taking decision on adoption of e-learning.