General survey and diagnostic attitude scales were developed to measure pupils' attitudes toward teachers. A scale was then applied to 1357 children in grades IV to VIII. Attitudes as measured did ...not correlate with grades, group intelligence test scores, or chronological ages. The instrument has sufficient reliability and validity for use as an aid in teacher training, in administrative evaluation, and in studying relations of various factors to pupil achievement.
This study investigates the relationship, if any, between teacher participation in a targeted professional development program and changes in participants' instructional practice and their pupils' ...attitudes to learning primary science. The program took place over a 2-year period in 15 small rural schools in the West of Ireland. Data sources include teacher and pupil questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and informal classroom observations. The findings reveal that as a result of their involvement in the program, (a) teachers' instructional practice in science lessons became more inquiry-based and they were engaging their pupils in substantially more hands-on activities in science lessons and (b) pupils developed more positive attitudes towards learning science. The findings from this study add to what is known about delivering effective professional development. Author abstract
Private tutoring (PT) is a widespread educational phenomenon that blurs the conceptual boundaries of public and private education and can affect the formal school system and teachers’ work. This ...study examined whether participation in PT and the estimation of private tutors’ contributions are related to pupils’ attitudes towards teachers’ effectiveness. Based on a questionnaire administered to all pupils (n = 855) from Grades 7 to 10 from one secondary school located in an affluent area at the centre of Israel (respondence rate, 83.2%), it was found that overall, there were few differences in students’ attitudes between participants in PT compared to those who did not participate in PT. However, among those who participate in PT, their attitudes towards school teachers are related to the distinction between the academic and social‐affective contribution of private tutors. When PT is related to academic spheres, it enhances positive attitudes towards school teachers and when PT is related to socio‐affective aspects, it increases criticism. The findings highlight the complex interactions of PT with mainstream education and emphasise the challenges school teachers face in view of the trend for more personalised learning approaches.
Today’s dynamic change of the pupils’ technological environment certainly affects their preferences towards technology, which may be important for planning, structuring and organising general ...technology education. This highlights the problem of general student preferences, which are not the product of current trends but the universal rules for structuring teaching. To contribute toward the solution of this problem, research into pupils’ preferences towards the teaching of Technical Culture was carried out with the aim of determining general age and gender differences in pupils’ preferences. Accordingly, the study was conducted on a stratified sample, comprising primary school pupils, aged 11 to 15 (N = 699). By applying the customised PATT questionnaire, pupils’ interests in technology, their attitudes towards the teaching contents of the Technical Culture, as well as the attitudes to the importance and consequences of technology were examined. The analysis of the obtained data was carried out using a two-factor ANOVA and
t
test, as the basis for determining the differences and characteristics of preference with regard to the age and gender of the pupils. The results of the research show that younger pupils are mostly satisfied with the lessons, while older ones expect more modular teaching. More concretely, boys are more inclined to traditional teaching contents, while girls show much less inclination towards such contents. The presented findings indicate the necessity of a modular approach to the teaching of general technology education, especially between the age of 13 and 15, which should allow equally affirmation of boys and girls in this field of education. The development of such teaching requires a series of additional research to facilitate the development of the future curriculum of general technology education.
The findings of the research literature about the necessity and contribution of Interactive Whiteboards (IWB) are not unequivocal and are sometimes contradictory. The study aimed to examine the ...interactive attributes in lessons with an IWB and the students' attitudes. Methodical structured observations of 26 science lessons were conducted in elementary schools in Israel. The results showed that the teachers frequently used the diverse IWB tools, but most of the learning took place in frontal, whole class learning. Most of the interaction was under the teacher's control and the dialogic interaction was limited. The attitudes of 62 pupils showed that despite already studying with an IWB for five years, their enthusiasm did not wane. They even claimed, in contrast to the observation findings, that the IWB contributed to active learning and interaction in the class. The research findings raise fundamental questions regarding the place of the IWB in promoting interaction in the class and on the necessity to promote the teacher's pedagogic concept in order to increase class interaction.
This paper regards a study aiming to investigate secondary school pupils’ attitudes regarding mobile phone possible dependence. A 26-item questionnaire was administered to 504 pupils aged 12–18 years ...old, in Greece. Around half of the sample reported perceptions linked to the social motivational aspect of the mobile phones (peer dependence), phone use in order to feel better, as well as some negative consequences (loss of control). Three factors were extracted, “negative consequences”, “withdrawal” and “affect”. Little self-perceived mobile phone dependence seems to exist among adolescents (slight levels of craving, withdrawal and loss of control were revealed). Girls reported higher dependence in comparison to boys, while grade (or age) had no effect on any factor. This questionnaire provides a reliable tool that can be used to study various dimensions of addiction to mobile phones. It is suggested to be used with other adolescent populations of different countries, in order to reveal possible similarities and differences. Implications for educational policy makers, teachers and pupils are discussed.
Failures of meaning in religious education Conroy, James C.; Lundie, David; Baumfield, Vivienne
Journal of beliefs and values,
12/2012, Volume:
33, Issue:
3
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
The educational aims of religious education (RE) in the UK as evinced, for example, by Ofsted have been couched in the language of meaning making. Based on an ESRC funded three-year ethnographic ...study of 24 schools across the UK, this essay represents one attempt to interrogate how such meanings are shaped, or indeed fail to be shaped, in the day-to-day transactions of the school. We do this by locating RE in current discussions of efficacy, as manifest in inspectoral reports and allied scholarship, illustrate how complex the entailments and purposes of RE are, explore some of the ethnographic and related data to understand how meaning is shaped inside and outside the classroom, and, finally, attempt to locate that material in more general observations about the nature of meaning in RE - observations that are informed by contemporary readings of meaning making in the work of, among others, Baudrillard. We observe that RE, so dependent upon meaning for educational justification, is too frequently a site which witnesses failures of meaning.
The research deals with teaching strategies in geometry. A strategic mediating tool to resolve geometric problems was developed.
Underpinning theories are: Piaget's theory (1960), Van Hiele (1959), ...Vygotsky's socio-cultural communication approach and Feuerstein's theory of mediated learning (1998).
The research is based a combination of teaching strategies focused on significant mediation between the material and heterogeneous groups of learners. The innovation is in providing a holistic response to the needs of pupils and geometry teachers.
Mixed methods research will examine the influence of this tool on high school pupils and their attitudes to mathematics in general and geometry in particular
Ready for Inclusive Education? Ethnographic and Survey Perspectives. Endeavours to integrate children of different abilities in mainstream education have been present for more than two decades, but ...the principles of inclusive education have gained legislative support only recently. This paper is an attempt to contribute to an understanding of day-to-day interaction among pupils and their classmates with special educational needs and to examine conditions that might have an impact on an inclusive atmosphere in the class. The paper is based on findings from a representative survey of inclusive attitudes of fifth graders and ethnographic observation in the subsample of classes covered by the survey. The paper begins by outlining its theoretical framework, which suggests the relevance of classic sociological ideas about the role of schools in promoting societal peace and solidarity and presents a theoretical reflection on inclusive education policies. The paper then introduces its methodology and the results of two interconnected research projects – the representative survey of pupils’ inclusive attitudes and the ethnography of daily life in regular school classes with integrated children who have special educational needs. The results of both projects are mutually supporting and show rather lukewarm attitudes towards classmates with SEN, who are often isolated and sometimes openly brushed aside. Finally, the authors try to elucidate why cultivating friendly and inclusive interactions among children has held a marginal place in teachers’ work.Sociológia 2017, Vol. 49 (No. 3: 309-337)
There is an increasing pressure from school leaders in many countries for teaching to be based solely on ICT tools. The present study is interested in what this does to pupils' attitudes towards ICT ...in language classrooms. Is a digital monopoly a good way for pupils to learn languages? Is it what they want? To understand for which tasks students feel that computers are an appropriate tool, a qualitative survey mapping upper secondary school pupils' attitudes towards the ICT use for learning Spanish has been conducted. The study looks at ICT use for grammar practice. A group of pupils have completed lesson diaries, reflecting upon web-based grammar exercises, comparing them to paper-based exercises, and a questionnaire survey on general attitudes towards ICT in language learning. The results indicate that the majority of participating pupils ask for a greater variety of tasks and see a need also for traditional forms of grammar practice, especially written exercises which give time to reflect upon grammar, syntax and vocabulary. They want ICT use to be an option, not a constraint. Many complain on flaws in the design of web-based grammar exercises. This shows a need for more research into the effects of different designs of web-based tools. It also becomes clearer that decision-makers and teachers must focus more on the pedagogical purpose of learning tasks and that the first question to ask is: "How can I teach this in a way that suits my pupils?" rather than: "How can I add more ICT to my teaching?".
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