Critical Thinking Ability of Higher Secondary School Students

Vol. 12  Issue 1
Year:2016
Issue:Jun-Aug
Title:Critical Thinking Ability of Higher Secondary School Students
Author Name:Devika R. and Soumya P. R.
Synopsis:
Critical thinking ability is one among the life skills enlisted by the World Health Organisation. Citizens who can think critically are the need of the nation. The new era warrants persons who can think and evaluate the information correctly. It is the duty of education to inculcate the skill of critical thinking in the students, the future citizens. The study was conducted using the normative survey method. The sample for the present study consisted of 640 secondary school students from different schools of Palakkad district. A tool, namely Critical Thinking Ability Test for Higher Secondary School Students was constructed and standardized by the investigators for the study. The study investigated the influence, the effect of gender, type of management and the optional subject on the critical thinking ability of higher school students. Statistical measures such as t-test and ANOVA were used to analyze the data. The result of the analysis shows that a significant difference exists in the mean scores of critical thinking ability with respect to gender, type of management and optional subjects of students.

Whether Experience and Training of Teachers Affect their Attitude towards Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE)?

Vol. 12  Issue 1
Year:2016
Issue:Jun-Aug
Title:Whether Experience and Training of Teachers Affect their Attitude towards Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE)?
Author Name:Sahanowas S.K. and Santoshi Halder 
Synopsis:
Teaching experience and training of the teachers are important variables for teaching and evaluating effectively having an immense impact to their inclination, attitude and perfection. West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (W.B.B.S.E), India, has taken the initiative to implement Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation system up to class VIII level. The present study explores the effect of experience and training on the attitude of the teachers towards CCE. 100 teachers under W.B.B.S.E were selected from 20 schools from Kolkata and South 24 Parganas district, West Bengal, India. Attitude scale towards CCE by Sood & Anand (2011) was adopted. t- test result showed that, teaching experience and training have no effect on the attitude of teachers towards CCE. Few orientations were suggested and discussed in the light of the matter.

The Effect of the Use of Smart Board in the Biology Class on the Academic Achievement of Student

Vol. 12  Issue 1
Year:2016
Issue:Jun-Aug
Title:The Effect of the Use of Smart Board in the Biology Class on the Academic Achievement of Student
Author Name:Recep Onder and Halil Aydin
Synopsis:
The objective of this study is to reveal the effect of the use of smart board in the biology class at the tenth grade of the secondary education on the academic achievements of students. The study used the quasi-experimental model with pre-test and posttest control groups and semi-structured interviews were made with the students. The study group of the research consists of the 50 students at the tenth grade in an Anatolian High School in the Buca District of the izmir province. The lessons with the students in the test group included the contents which were prepared by the methods and techniques based on the constructive learning approach and taught by using the smart board. The students in the control group were instructed with the activities that were specified in the current curriculum. As a result of the study, a significant difference was found between the achievements of the test group and control group students. The achievement of the test group students was found to be higher than the control group students. In addition, the interviews with the test group students provided comprehensive opinions on the use of smart board.

Exploring the Use of Tablets for Student Teaching Supervision

Vol. 12  Issue 1
Year:2016
Issue:Jun-Aug
Title:Exploring the Use of Tablets for Student Teaching Supervision
Author Name:Joseph A. Johnson, Whitney M. Wesley and Randy Yerrick
Synopsis:
While research on the use of tablets in the field of education is emerging, existing research on the use of this tool for the purposes of student teaching supervision is very limited. This study aimed to explore the application of iPad tablets for student teacher supervision in a teacher preparation program at a large state university in the Northeastern United States, with the purpose of improving practice in the supervision and effectiveness of implementation of the digital tool. Employing a case study methodology to analyze data from five participating professors who supervise pre-service teachers' teaching practice in actual school settings, this study revealed several strengths of this tool in terms of facilitating communication, collaboration, and organization for supervisors and for encouraging effective reflective practice among student teachers. It also revealed limitations in implementation, including access to necessary infrastructure on-site at K-12 schools and the structure of the implementation program. These findings can inform similar technology integration in other teacher preparation programs.

Reflecting on Online Course Evaluations: Five Must-Do's For Faculty and Students

Vol. 12  Issue 1
Year:2016
Issue:Jun-Aug
Title:Reflecting on Online Course Evaluations: Five Must-Do's For Faculty and Students
Author Name:Gina Cicco
Synopsis:
This article will review the experiences of a graduate counselor educator in teaching and evaluating her online courses. The author will summarize her most effective instructional and assessment mechanisms, based on student performance through achievement of course objectives as well as students' feedback and comments on specific online counseling courses and methods. The article will then provide five guidelines or must-do's that have demonstrated success for faculty members and students in fully online courses at the graduate education level. These five must-do's emerged from a thorough and comprehensive review of ten online graduate counseling courses taught at a metropolitan university in New York City within the past three years. The data collected is currently being analyzed and synthesized into a research report. The five recommendations proposed by the primary instructor include Presence, Interaction, Clarity, Consistency, and Availability, which create the acronym, “PICCA”, to summarize a proactive and creative approach to teaching and learning in online courses (Cicco, 2013; Cicco, 2015). Underlying the faculty and student roles in a PICCAbased online course is the understanding that each individual has a responsibility to remain attentive and engaged throughout the duration of the course and should hold an authentic commitment to strive for an optimal learning experience. The article will also include suggestions on specific ways to adapt and implement PICCA in the virtual classroom.

Student Collaboration and School Educational Technology: Technology Integration Practices in the Classroom

Vol. 11  Issue 4
Year:2016
Issue:Mar-May 
Title:Student Collaboration and School Educational Technology: Technology Integration Practices in the Classroom
Author Name:Kathleen Scalise
Synopsis:
With the onset of Web 2.0 and 3.0 – the social and semantic webs – a next wave for integration of educational technology into the classroom is occurring. The aim of this paper is to show how some teachers are increasingly bringing collaboration and shared meaning-making through technology environments into learning environments (Evergreen Education Group, 2014). Purpose is to show a case study of how teachers include student-to-student online collaboration in their Technology Integration Practices (TIP), and how some research projects are examining useful methodologies for incorporating evaluation, assessment and reflection of the approaches (Wilson et al., 2012; Wilson, Scalise, & Gochyyev, 2014). Results from the use of TIP collaborative math/science notebooks in the Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills (ATC21S) project are presented. Recommendations are to help teachers answer key questions about how to assess and evaluate collaborative work online, and how to employ such techniques in the classroom

Effect of Blended Learning Strategy on Achievement in Biology and Social and Environmental Attitude of Students at Secondary Level

Vol. 11  Issue 4
Year:2016
Issue:Mar-May 
Title:Effect of Blended Learning Strategy on Achievement in Biology and Social and Environmental Attitude of Students at Secondary Level
Author Name:Tara S. Nair and Bindu R.L
Synopsis:
Blended Learning is mostly understood as the use of resources which combine e-learning with other educational resources. In this study, a blended learning strategy was designed with a variety of factors addressed to create a meaningful learning environment facilitated by a variety of modes, methods and moments through a combination of Objectives (Cognitive, Affective & Psychomotor), Methods (Exploratory, Guided Discovery, Self-paced learning) and Media - Synchronous – (Instructor-led Classrooms, Field visits) and Asynchronous - (Surveys, Web/Computer-Based Learning). The strategy encourages task-based learning which includes specific tasks for the pupil to be completed within a specific time through consequent events which are executed through specific activities. The purpose of the present study was to find out the effect of blended leaning strategy on achievement in Biology and social and environmental attitude of secondary school students of Kerala. Experimental cum survey method was adopted. The basic experimental design adopted was Pre-test, Post-test and Non - equivalent group Design. Survey method was used to find out the social and environmental attitude of secondary school students using attitude scales viz., Social Attitude Scale and Environmental Attitude Scale developed and standardized by the investigator. The findings reveal that Blended Learning strategy is an effective means for enhancing achievement in Biology, for improving Social Attitude and Environmental Attitude of secondary school students.

Perceived Implementation Barriers of a One-To-One Computing Initiative in a Large Urban School District: A Qualitative Approach

Vol. 11  Issue 4
Year:2016
Issue:Mar-May 
Title:Perceived Implementation Barriers of a One-To-One Computing Initiative in a Large Urban School District: A Qualitative Approach
Author Name:Brandon Simmons and Florence Martin
Synopsis:
One-to-One Computing initiatives are K-12 Educational environments where student and teacher have Internetconnected, wireless computing devices in the classroom and optimally at home as well (Penuel, 2006). One-to-one computing has gained popularity in several schools and school districts across the world. However, there is limited research exploring the barriers of implementing one-to-one computing, especially on a large scale. This study utilizes a qualitative approach by interviewing six senior administrators on identifying the barriers to implementing one-to-one computing. Solutions are recommended by the senior district leadership to help secure a successful and sustainable district-wide implementation of a one-to-one computing initiative. Results from this study have implications that could drive the planning of future initiatives in large school districts across the world.

Awareness of Computer Knowledge among XI Standard Students in Coimbatore District

Vol. 11  Issue 4
Year:2016
Issue:Mar-May 
Title:Awareness of Computer Knowledge among XI Standard Students in Coimbatore District
Author Name:Santhoshini K. and A.R. Bhavana
Synopsis:
Education is a lifelong journey for every person. A person experiences most of his education through schools. After the invention of computers, the world has become a global village. Education system in India is facing increasing pressure to use innovative methodologies and integrate new Information and Communication Technologies in the teaching and learning process. Students, have the opportunity to learn lessons through e- portals offering education. The computer has a vital role to play in the field of education. It forms the base for learning other subjects also. Today, computers are used in houses, schools, offices, factories, companies and many other places. Every individual should know atleast the basics of computer. It is essential that, the awareness of computer skills should be promoted among the students, so that they can keep abreast with the time and gain proficiency in using computers for widening their knowledge. So it is essential that, the awareness levels should be assessed in order to give them proper training in using the computer for educational advancement. The main aim of the study was to measure the computer knowledge of higher secondary school students, to find out the level of computer knowledge among XI students and to impart the computer knowledge at lower level. The main objective of the study is to assess the computer knowledge of the higher secondary school students, to measure the level of computer knowledge of higher secondary school students in Coimbatore district, in Tamilnadu, India. So the study was conducted at 7 schools that follows Tamilnadu State Board syllabus (SamacheerKalvi) randomly selected for the study. The research was carried out with a survey method of questionnaire tool constructed based on the curriculum of the XI standard students.

Effects of Multimodal Instruction on Personal Finance Skills for High School Students

Vol. 11  Issue 4
Year:2016
Issue:Mar-May 
Title:Effects of Multimodal Instruction on Personal Finance Skills for High School Students
Author Name:Steffani P. Dyer, Dawn T. Lambeth and Ellice P. Martin
Synopsis:
The purpose of the current research study was to compare the use of interactive instruction to direct instruction on the acquisition of personal finance skills for high school students. Participants were 45 high school seniors who were divided into a Traditional and an Interactive Instruction group. The 9-week research study measured the impact that interactive instruction had on students' achievement in acquiring personal finance skills, students' attitudes toward personal finance instruction, and student's engagement in learning personal finance skills. The data collection instruments included a pre-test and post-test, a Likert-scaled attitude survey, an engagement checklist, and field notes detailing qualitative observations of students' behaviors. Results indicated no significant statistical difference on achievement test scores between the groups, but a medium effect for practical significance. Students' attitudes toward instruction changed as a result of the type of instruction they received and students' engagement was statistically higher for the interactive instruction group.

Effectiveness of an Interactive Multimedia Learning Package in Developing Attitude towards Mathematics

Vol. 11  Issue 3
Year:2016
Issue:Dec-Feb
Title:Effectiveness of an Interactive Multimedia Learning Package in Developing Attitude towards Mathematics
Author Name:P. Muthulakshmi and A. Veliappan
Synopsis:
The present study has been designed to investigate the effectiveness of an interactive multimedia learning package in developing attitude towards Mathematics. After establishing homogeneity with reference to the students' quarterly marks in Mathematics and the scores of intelligence test, they were divided into 21 learners in control group and 21 in Experimental group. The selected topics from the standard IX Mathematics book was taught through traditional method to the sample selected for the control group whereas, experimental group was given treatment through Interactive Multimedia Learning Package developed by the investigator. Attitude towards mathematics inventory developed by the investigator was used to collect the data. Pre-test and post-test were conducted to both groups before and after the treatment. The data obtained were statistically analyzed by calculating arithmetic mean, standard deviation and t-test. The results indicated that, there is a significant difference in the posttest scores between the control and experimental groups with regard to the attitude towards mathematics.

A Study of Student-Teachers' Readiness to Use Computers in Teaching: An Empirical Study

Vol. 11  Issue 3
Year:2016
Issue:Dec-Feb
Title:A Study of Student-Teachers' Readiness to Use Computers in Teaching: An Empirical Study
Author Name:M. Padmavathi 
Synopsis:
This study attempts to analyze student-teachers' attitude towards the use of computers for classroom teaching. Four dimensions of computer attitude on a Likert-type five-point scale were used: Affect (liking), Perceived usefulness, Perceived Control and Behaviour Intention to use computers. The effect of student-teachers' subject area, years of computer experience and computer competency on attitude towards the computers are also analyzed. The study has adopted ‘Technology Acceptance Model’ as its conceptual framework. Apart from mean analysis, correlation and Multivibrate Ananlysis of Variance (MANOVA) are carried out to elucidate statistical significance of the study variables. Major findings in this study are: (1) Student-teachers are found to have positive attitude towards the use of computers for classroom teaching; (2) Affect dimension of computer attitude is significant for subject area and computer experience; (3) A strong positive correlation between the computer experience and computer attitude was observed; (4) A significant correlation between the years of computer experience and perceived control, and computer attitude was observed; (5) The findings show a significant difference in computer attitude by subject areas: Languages, Science, Mathematics and Social Studies; and (6) Subject area and computer experience are significantly associated with an overall attitude towards computers. Implications for teacher training and suggestions for further research are provided in this study.

Students' Views towards the Usage of Smart Board in Biology Lessons

Vol. 11  Issue 3
Year:2016
Issue:Dec-Feb
Title:Students' Views towards the Usage of Smart Board in Biology Lessons
Author Name:Recep Onder and Halil Aydin 
Synopsis:
The aim of this study was to determine students' view on the use of smart boards in the tenth grade Secondary Education Biology classes. The research was carried out in a Public High School in Izmir with the participation of ten students. Data of the research were collected through a semi-structured interview and unstructured observation techniques. The data dump were subjected to content analysis in the analysis stage and the results were presented by grouping according to the content properties for study purposes. Students interviewed in research results that facilitate smart board to learn, improve their success, while providing the advantage of changing attitudes towards use; disruptions due to nonavailability and remote emergence of technical problems during the use of smart boards as their disadvantages.

Relationship of Perceptual Learning Styles and Academic Achievement among High School Students

Vol. 11  Issue 3
Year:2016
Issue:Dec-Feb
Title:Relationship of Perceptual Learning Styles and Academic Achievement among High School Students
Author Name:Rani K.V.
Synopsis:
Perceptual Learning styles are different ways in which people process the information in the course of learning, intimately involved in producing more effective response stimuli. The objective of the study was to find out the correlation between the variables of Perceptual learning style in total and with its dimensions to Academic achievement. Population of the study includes all students studying in High Schools of Kanyakumari District. Samples of the study were 328 students who were studying in various High Schools located in Kanyakumari District. The tool adopted here was ‘The Learning Styles Scale’ developed by the Investigator herself. Statistical techniques involved here were ‘t-test’ and ‘Pearson's Product Moment coefficient of correlation’. The findings of the study revealed that, perceptual styles of learning were greater for Female and Tamil medium students than that of their counterparts. Also from correlation, it was revealed that, the perceptual learning styles have a high correlation with the academic achievement of students. So, educators need to recognize different modes of learning and had to adopt different approaches to teaching, that enable students to adopt different learning styles to learn effectively. This means that, teaching needs to be designed to include different learning opportunities and appropriate assessments to ensure that, the learning is accessible to the largest number of students. The teachers must be persons who are capable for applying a mix of teaching approaches to the classroom and in planning the learning opportunities for students which should benefit the maximum numbers of students, thereby develop our Mother India.

Career Planning With Careerforward: Exploring Student Perceptions And Experiences In An Online Career Preparation Course

Vol. 11  Issue 3
Year:2016
Issue:Dec-Feb
Title:Career Planning With Careerforward: Exploring Student Perceptions And Experiences In An Online Career Preparation Course
Author Name:Michael Barbour, Minakshi Lahiri, Sacip Toker and Kelly Unger Harrison 
Synopsis:
In April 2006, the Michigan State Board of Education and Michigan Legislatures adopted a rigorous package of high school graduation requirements, one of which made Michigan the first state that incorporated an online learning graduation requirement into the K-12 curriculum. All Michigan's students entering high school during 2008-2009 school year were required to complete online learning during their course of high school studies in order to graduate. Michigan Virtual School helped the schools in Michigan to fulfill this requirement by developing a 20-hour online learning course called “Career Forward”. In December 2008, the Michigan Virtual University provided the National Repository of Online Courses access to the CareerForward course content, allowing students from anywhere in the United States, the ability to access CareerForward free of charge. This evaluation study was conducted to provide Michigan Virtual School with information to improve the design and delivery of the Career Forward course, in order to improve the learning experiences of the future students and to improve the overall efficiency of the course. Analysis of data from this research indicated that, CareerForward in its current format had very little impact on student attitude towards career planning. Recommendations for changes in design and delivery options of the course for future offerings are suggested in order to make the course more effective and to meet its objectives.

Inclusion in a Multicultural Nation: Realities through Case Studies

Vol. 11  Issue 2
Year:2015
Issue:Sep-Nov 
Title:Inclusion in a Multicultural Nation: Realities through Case Studies
Author Name:Vishalache Balakrishnan
Synopsis:
According to Inclusion Press International, inclusion is not just a 'disability issue' but about living full lives, about learning to live together and treasuring diversity and building community. When Malaysia obtained her independence from Britain in 1957, one of the main ruling was all three ethnicities (Malay, Chinese, and Indian) should live together as one multicultural nation. No individual should be excluded from any aspects of Education, Economic and Social means. After almost six decades of independence, many individuals in Malaysia are still unhappy with the social injustice due to exclusion based on several factors such as ethnicity and historical roots. In this paper the researcher would like to argue that, the minority ethnic group have been side lined due to constitutional rights and current policies. Using multiple case studies and collecting date through technology such as Facebook, Whats App and e-mail, the researcher used textual analysis to analyse the data collected. Findings show that, the participants have to fend for themselves and the social injustice caused many to leave their country of birth to move to other countries where they are treated equally for what they are and not who they are. The researcher suggests that, there is a critical need for Malaysia to overlook its Political, Economic and Education policies to ensure a new world which is just and fair.

ESET: [Eagles Student Evaluation Of Teaching] - An Online Andragogical Student Ratings Of Instruction Tool That Is An In–Depth Systemic Statistical Mechanism Designed To Inform, Enhance, And Empower Higher Education

Vol. 11  Issue 2
Year:2015
Issue:Sep-Nov 
Title:ESET: [Eagles Student Evaluation Of Teaching] - An Online Andragogical Student Ratings Of Instruction Tool That Is An In–Depth Systemic Statistical Mechanism Designed To Inform, Enhance, And Empower Higher Education
Author Name:James Edward Osler II and Mahmud A. Mansaray
Synopsis:
This paper seeks to provide an epistemological rationale for the establishment of ESET (an acronym for: “Eagles Student Evaluation of Teaching”) as a novel universal SRI [Student Ratings of Instruction] tool. Colleges and Universities in the United States use Student Ratings of Instruction [SRI] for course evaluation purposes (Osler and Mansaray, 2013a). This research investigation is the third part of a post hoc study that psychometrically examines the reliability and validity of the items used in an Historic Black College and University (HBCU) SRI instrument. The ESET sample under analysis consisted of the responses to 56,451 total items extracted from 7,919 distributed Student Ratings Instruments that were delivered electronically (at HBCU) to students who completed the ESET tool. The ESET methodology provides a statistically valid SRI/SET survey instrument along with a variety of post hoc statistical measures to determine the efficacy of collegiate instruction. This research is also the continuation of research conducted on innovative statistical metrics introduced in the i-managre’s Journal on Mathematics.

Does Higher-Order Thinking Impinge on Learner-Centric Digital Approach?

Vol. 11  Issue 2
Year:2015
Issue:Sep-Nov 
Title:Does Higher-Order Thinking Impinge on Learner-Centric Digital Approach?
Author Name:Bincy Mathew and B. William Dharma Raja 
Synopsis:
Humans are social beings and the social cognition focuses on how one form impressions of other people, interpret the meaning of other people's behaviour and how people’s behaviour is affected by our attitudes. The school provides complex social situations and in order to thrive, students must possess social cognition, the process of thinking about how other people are likely to think, act, and react. Impact of technology on learning has not been answered clearly many years after the introduction of ICT into classrooms. Today there are optimist and pessimist views regarding the use of ICT in Education. The main objective of Digital classroom is to enhance interactive learning through teaching pedagogies that provide opportunities for authentic, contextualised assessment that supports learning in a digital context. Digital classroom incorporates contemporary teaching and learning strategies. It provides the basis for engaging students in actively constructing and applying rich learning in purposeful and meaningful ways. The integration of ICT in social cognitive development is a complex and multidimensional process, including many dynamics such as ICT tools, teachers, students, school administration, educational programmes and school culture. While using digital media devices, students of today need active participation and involvement rather than playing a passive role. This means integrating the use of smart phones, tablets, and laptops in on-ground classrooms. They are also looking for the emotional satisfaction of using and interacting with these products. The main purpose of this paper is to make an inquiry on how social cognition impinges on learner-centered digital classroom in an Educational view. It also provides an understanding of how the mind is influenced by social interactions and how to implement technology to enhance social cognitive learning.

E-Governance in Education: Pursuit of Education Excellence

Vol. 11  Issue 2
Year:2015
Issue:Sep-Nov 
Title:E-Governance in Education: Pursuit of Education Excellence
Author Name:Sundarapandiyan Natarajan
Synopsis:
This article aims to explore today's educational challenges, being technologically supreme, the primary focus on education is to bring out the outcome and value based education to the community. Electronic Governance (e- Governance) focuses not only the technological infrastructure and getting the learning environment sync is the major challenge. E-Governance is an application of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) used at various levels both the government and private sectors for improving national service enhancement as well as it’s development. Egovernance in education is preferred to have a smooth functioning of educational institutions including Universities, colleges and relevant administrative layers in the field. The solutions from Information and Communication Technology eases and gets away with conventional methods of educational administration including assessments, record keeping, students and teaching monitoring systems. However, the education development, student – teacher enhancement towards educational excellence is still a serious concern in developing countries especially in India. Technology savvy may bring advancements but only value driven education along with learner determined education focus could bring human excellence. This needs an awareness and swift for the young conventional thinkers and educationists on driving outcomes through value based education approach and commitment by capitalizing e-infrastructure for social and community building through blended flexible learning strategies.

Efficacy in Teaching through “Multiple Intelligence” Instructional Strategies

Vol. 11  Issue 2
Year:2015
Issue:Sep-Nov 
Title:Efficacy in Teaching through “Multiple Intelligence” Instructional Strategies
Author Name:B. Tamilselvi and D. Geetha
Synopsis:
Multiple intelligence is the theory that ‘people are smart in more ways than one has immense implication for educators’. Howard Gardner proposed a new view of intelligence that is rapidly being incorporated in school curricula. In his theory of Multiple Intelligences, Gardner expanded the concept of intelligence with such areas as music, spatial relations, and interpersonal knowledge in addition to mathematical and linguistic ability. This article discusses on the intelligences, the theories based on intelligences, origin of Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences and the incorporation of the theory of Multiple Intelligences into the classroom. To incorporate Multiple intelligence theory in the classroom, there is a need to specialize the process of lesson planning. This paper illustrates the need for special lesson planning, benefits of it to the teachers and learners, integrating various instructional strategies in lesson planning and its effect in the progress of the learners. This article also shows the importance of integrating MI activities in the lesson plans which aid students' learning, providing them with the optimum learning environment through their preferred learning medium and help them to achieve their fullest potential in their respective talented areas.

Case for Building Informal Ontology of a Subject Matter at School Level Science Education with Community Collaboration

Vol. 11  Issue 1
Year: 2015
Issue:Jun-Aug
Title:Case for Building Informal Ontology of a Subject Matter at School Level Science Education with Community Collaboration
Author Name:Sachin Datt 
Synopsis:

School science textbooks are an amalgamation of concepts collected from different fields of Science like Physics, Chemistry and Biology. The actual number of concepts in the different domains of science are enormous. Educationists have to make a decision of choosing some concept that they think are necessary for students to know at a certain age. Moreover, these concepts have to be arranged in a certain order of arrangement from first chapter to the last in a textbook. The aim of this paper is to question the ontological basis of filtering concepts from the larger world of science to placing them in a school science textbook. Through two informal studies presented in this paper, the author has tried to demonstrate that different groups of people can form concept maps of a topic that are very different in structure compared to what is given in NCERT textbook. If there are multiple ways of arranging the same set of concepts, then how do educationist validate one set of arrangement of topics against the other? The result of study puts light on the fact that currently there are no criteria available for judging the ontological validity of concepts that are present in existing textbooks in school science curriculum. The selection of topics is dependent upon limited individual knowledge base of the expert who is writing the chapter.

The article briefly provides a framework by which ontology of a subject can be developed collaboratively by a community of teachers and subject matter experts. This ontology can be used as a valid guide for choosing and arranging topics in a school level science textbook.

Uniquely Precise: Importance of Conceptual Knowledge and Mathematical Language

Vol. 11  Issue 1
Year: 2015
Issue:Jun-Aug
Title:Uniquely Precise: Importance of Conceptual Knowledge and Mathematical Language
Author Name:Tod Shockey and Sekhar Pindiprolu 
Synopsis:
The importance of mathematical concept development and language is recognized early in children's schooling as they mature through shape and counting experiences. The reader may recall instances of a youngster referring to a “corner” of a shape before the reader has the language of vertex. This language precision needs to continue to grow as the learner moves through arithmetic into algebra, geometry, and further mathematics. This precision is essential and is reinforced in the common core standards for mathematics (2010). If the primary goal is to facilitate proficiency in math for all students (including students with disabilities), there needs to be an emphasis on the deeper conceptual development and the uniquely precise nature of mathematics language both at the pre-service and in-service levels. This is essential as literature suggests that there is a significant relationship between teachers' mathematical knowledge and student achievement. The lack of teachers' mathematical knowledge prevents explicit instruction in the area of math concepts and/or a lack of focus on the mathematical language. This in turn causes barriers for k-12 students as they advance in the math curriculum. In this paper, the authors will discuss (a) the importance of mathematical concept development and language; (b) provide an example of a lack of precise conceptual understanding of prime number among pre-service teacher math educators; and (c) list explicit strategies that can be used to facilitate both the conceptual and language development at the pre-service level.

Effectiveness of Mathematics Teaching and Learning Experiences through Wireless Technology as Recent Style to Enhance B.Ed. Trainees

Vol. 11  Issue 1
Year: 2015
Issue:Jun-Aug
Title:Effectiveness of Mathematics Teaching and Learning Experiences through Wireless Technology as Recent Style to Enhance B.Ed. Trainees
Author Name:D.R. Robert Joan
Synopsis:
The objective of the study was to find out the effect of learning through Wireless technologies and the traditional method in teaching and learning Mathematics. The investigator adopted experimental research to find the effectiveness of implementing Wireless technologies in the population of B.Ed. trainees. The investigator selected 32 B.Ed. Mathematics Trainees from a College of Education in Tamil Nadu. Tools used were Mathematics learning package developed by the investigator and Achievement test in Mathematics developed by the investigator. In the experimental group, B.Ed. trainees were learning the Mathematics by Wireless technologies in their convenient place and time. The control group B.Ed. trainees were taught using traditional method. Findings of the study showed that there was significant difference between pre-test and post-test scores for the experimental group in learning Mathematics. That is experimental group B.Ed. trainees have achieved high in post- test than the Pre-test. And also there was significant difference in the Post-test Scores of the experimental and control group. That is experimental group B.Ed. trainees have achieved high in post- test than the control group B.Ed. trainees. The investigator concludes that the experimental group is more effective than the control group. Thus the Trainees using Wireless technology for their learning is more successful than the traditional method.

Effects of Activity Based Blended Learning Strategy on Prospective Teachers' Achievement and Motivation

Vol. 11  Issue 1
Year: 2015
Issue:Jun-Aug
Title:Effects of Activity Based Blended Learning Strategy on Prospective Teachers' Achievement and Motivation
Author Name:Ahmed Yousif Abdelraheem and Abdelrahman Mohammed Ahmed
Synopsis:
The study investigates the effect of Activity based Blended Learning strategy and Conventional Blended Learning strategy on students' achievement and motivation. Two groups namely, experimental and control group from Sultan Qaboos University were selected randomly for the study. To assess students' achievement in the different groups, pre- and post. achievement tests were used. Three ways 2x2x3 ANCOVA and 2x2x3 ANOVA were used to test for significance. The results of the study (N = 52) show that there was a statistically significant difference between the two methods in terms of students' achievement and motivation favoring the activity based blended learning method (n =26). No significant difference was found due to gender or GPA for both achievement and motivation. In addition the results show no interaction effects for the independent variables. The study concluded with some recommendations.

Examining the Efficacy of Project-Based Learning on Cultivating the 21st Century Skills among High School Students in a Global Context

Vol. 11  Issue 1
Year: 2015
Issue:Jun-Aug
Title:Examining the Efficacy of Project-Based Learning on Cultivating the 21st Century Skills among High School Students in a Global Context
Author Name:Chi-syan Lin, Jung-tsan Ma, Karen Yi-chwen Kuo and Chien-tzu Candace Chou
Synopsis:
The goal of the study is to explore the opportunities and challenges associated with Project Based Learning strategy in a global context on the aspects of both fostering learning community of practices and nurturing the 21st century skills. For collecting empirical data, the study implements and administers an online international project-based learning program for high school students. Since it is claimed that interpersonal interaction is key to the success of online project based learning programs, the study first focuses on investigating patterns of community of practice, which is a combination of online learning behaviors and interpersonal interaction, among students against a claimed theoretical framework. For unveiling the impacts on fertilizing the 21st century skills, the study examines the perceptions of students and teachers participating in the online international project-based learning program. Results of the study confirm the asserted theoretical framework regarding the community of practices and reveal that students of various countries perform differently in terms of community of practices in virtual learning space. As to building the 21st century skills on students, the study credits the project-based learning strategy deploying in a global context for providing intuitive and essential aspects of learning ingredients to students for pursuing skills related to Communication, Collaboration, Complex Problem-solving, Critical Thinking, and Creativity.

Awareness of Facebook Education among Student Teachers in Present Scenario

Vol. 10  Issue 4
Year:2015
Issue:Mar-May 
Title:Awareness of Facebook Education among Student Teachers in Present Scenario
Author Name:Robert Joan
Synopsis:
Facebook is one of the most popular social networks in the world. Day by day, it is becoming an indispensable part of people lives affecting the daily routine of people. Developments in Computer Technology lead to developments in Communication Technologies and styles as well. Facebook is one of the significant examples of these developments. In addition, mobile phone companies encourage people to use wireless devices in order to connect to Social Network. The aim of the present study is to investigate the awareness of Facebook Education among student teachers in current scenario. The objective of the study was to find the difference between/among student teachers in their awareness of facebook education with respect to gender, locality, religion and family income, and also to find the correlation between Facebook awareness and Academic achievement among student teachers in Kanyakumari district. The investigator used the survey method to determine the facebook awareness of the students in the college of education. The present study consists of 140 samples from the population of Colleges of Education. The investigator has used two tools for the present study. They are ‘Facebook awareness scale’ and ‘Personal data sheet’. The hypothesis of this study was that there is no significant difference/among student teachers in their facebook awareness with respect to gender, locality, religion and family income. Also there is no significant correlation between facebook awareness and academic achievement among student teachers in Kanyakumari district. The finding shows that there is no significant difference between/among student teachers in their facebook awareness with respect to gender, locality, religion and family income. But there was positively very high correlation between Facebook Awareness and Academic achievement. Therefore it was concluded, that facebook awareness in education is important to all the student teachers in different areas irrespective of the, gender, religion and income of the family.