Journal of Educational Research in Developing Areas
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Regular teachers instructional approaches to teaching children with special needs in selected basic schools in Sunyani municipality, Ghana
Get PDFIntroduction
The regular classroom teacher needs to understand the uniqueness of every child and tailor the instructional process to meet the needs of all children.
Purpose: The purpose was to find out whether regular teachers in basic schools have the requisite knowledge about children with special needs in their classrooms. Again, it focused on the challenges related to available teaching and learning resources given to regular teachers in teaching children with special needs.
Methodology: The study adopted the cross-sectional survey. In all, forty (40) teachers who had children with special needs in their classrooms were conveniently selected from (10) public basic schools for the study. The instrument used was a four point-point Likert-scale questionnaire supported with an observation guide. Cronbach’s Alpha was used to determine the reliability of the instruments with .71 index.
Results: The study revealed that majority of the teachers (M=1.669, SD= 0.414) do not haveadequate knowledge to handle children with special needs in their classrooms. Further, (M=1.531, SD=0.485) of the teachers revealed that they did not use instructional strategies that meet the needs of children with special needs in their classrooms. This was confirmed by majority (M=1.634, SD=0.476) of the teachers when they were observed in their teaching to augment findings of the questionnaire item that sought to find out the instructional strategies regular teachers use in teaching.
Recommendations: It is important to extend the course duration of pre-service teachers by the Colleges of Education, to have sufficient avenues for fieldwork or practical experiences about the learning needs of children with special needs
Developing pre-service mathematics teachers’ mathematical problem solving-posing skills through solve-reflect-pose strategy in Lagos state, Nigeria
Get PDFIntroduction: Problem posing activities in the classroom help in improving students’ achievement, creativity, and expand their mathematical knowledge.
Purpose: The objective of this research is to examine the impacts of solve-reflect-pose strategy on pre-service mathematics teachers’ achievement in problem solving-posing activities. Junior secondary school algebraic word problems was used in the research as a tool in observing the impacts of the intervention on pre-service mathematics teachers’ in problem solving-posing skills.
Methodology: There were 92 pre-service teachers in total and a mixed method design with quantitative was used. Algebraic Problem Posing Skills Achievement Test and Interview Protocol were used to measure the pre-service teachers’ mathematics problem solving-posing skills. The reliability test was measured using test-retest reliability techniques and the value of was calculated as 0.84. Data was evaluated using descriptive statistics, dependent sample t-test, independent sample t-test and Pearson Correlation for the quantitative data.
Findings: The findings showed that after being exposed to solve-reflect-pose strategy, the pre-service teachers displayed greater improvement in their problem solving and posing skills and they were able to pose and create quality solvable real-life problem.
Recommendations: It recommended that, solve-reflect-pose strategy could be a main instructional strategy in prospective teachers’ methodology courses
Challenges of attachment programme on student trainees’ ability to provide rehabilitation services to persons with disabilities in University of Jos, Nigeria
Get PDFIntroduction: The study investigated the challenges of attachment on student trainees’ ability to provide rehabilitation services to persons with disabilities in University of Jos, Nigeria.
Purpose: The study was to find out the challenges student trainees faced during attachment. Five research questions were set to guide the study.
Methodology: The study was descriptive in nature. The population of the study involved all the one hundred and fifty final year rehabilitation sciences students from University of Jos on attachment in schools and rehabilitation centres in Plateau, Bauchi and Kaduna States. Purposive sampling was employed for the study. Questionnaire was used to collect the data. Qualitative method was used to analyze the data collected in form of statements, while simple percentage was employed to analyze the participants’ responses in tabular form.
Results: The findings showed that most of the trainees cannot define, identify and state the services for persons with learning disabilities, visual impairment, hearing impairment, cerebral palsy and autism. Most trainees complained of lack of finance, accommodation and attention during attachment as well as difficulty getting good stations for the attachment.
Conclusion/Recommendation: Based on these findings, the researcher concluded that majority of the trainees did not gain much from the programme. It was recommended that pragmatic steps be taken to improve it. Trainees should be given financial assistance and accommodation during attachment programme. The schools and centres of attachment should be equipped to give trainees knowledge and practical skills to work with persons with disabilities effectively
Impact of teachers’ classroom behaviours on students’ learning at secondary school level in Quetta district, Baluchistan, Pakistan
Get PDFoai:ojs2.jeredajournal.com:article/1Introduction: In the field of learning, the relationship between a teacher and student is of notable importance. Classroom is a learning place where students spend a significant amount of time with their teachers.
Purpose: This study was initiated to check how negatively or positively teachers can affect the learning process of their students in classroom with their behaviours. Similar type of studies were conducted before as well, but this study was necessary in Quetta, Pakistan, because of increasing amount of drop-outs of children from secondary schools in the city. Hence, due to new wave of terrorism in the city, the study was kept limited.
Methodology: A total of 200 respondents from ten high schools of Quetta city took part in this study. Survey method was used and the data had been compiled on a Likert scale with closed ended statements. After the data was collected, it was analyzed in SPSS software. Cross-tabulation was applied on the data and also Mean of the responses was derived from each statement. Basically, two major factors followed by sub-statements were taken into consideration for the study to find out their impact.
Results: The end results showed mixed results. In some cases teacher’s strict behaviours puts positive impact too.
Recommendations: It is essential for teachers to gain thorough understanding and implications of the behaviours to attain high level of efficiency in the classroom. Hence, democracy is essential and teachers should align their behaviours
Developing entrepreneurship skills in senior secondary school students: Veritable tools for community development in Kano metropolis, Nigeria
Get PDFPurpose: The study examined the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education in developing entrepreneurial skills in Senior Secondary School students for community development in Kano Metropolis, Nigeria.
Methodology: The study adopted a descriptive survey design. The population was made up of teachers in all the public secondary schools in Kano Metropolis Area of Kano State. The samples consisted of 346 teachers randomly selected from public senior secondary schools in Kano metropolis. A twenty items structured questionnaire titled “Developing Entrepreneurship Skills in Secondary School Students for Community Development Questionnaire (DESSSSCDQ)” was used for data collection. Its validity and reliability were established using Cronbach’s alpha method and the value obtained was 0.82. The data collected were analyzed using Mean (), standard deviation (SD) and t-test statistical tools. Results: The results indicated that most teachers strongly opined that Entrepreneurship Education was effective in developing entrepreneurial skills in Senior Secondary School students for community development. Dearth of qualified entrepreneurship teachers, instructional facilities, inadequate funding were some of the challenges facing the effective teaching of entrepreneurship education in senior secondary schools. The result also showed no significant difference in the mean opinions of male and female Senior Secondary School Teachers on the role of Entrepreneurship Education for community development (t(344)= 0.612, P = 0.584 > 0.05).
Recommendations/Classroom Implications: It was recommended among others that facilities needed to teach Entrepreneurship Education should be made available in schools so as to ensure that needed skills will be acquired for sustainable community development.
Primary education and literacy levels among women with low educational attainment in Zambia: Analysis of secondary data
Get PDFIntroduction: Primary education in Zambia remains the key determiner of literacy. However, there is little research on the relationship between primary education and literacy levels, independent from higher levels of formal education. This association is imperative, as primary education completion is the primary estimator of literacy in many developing countries.
Purpose: The paper assessed the relationship between primary education and literacy levels among women of low educational attainment in Zambia.
Methods: The study was interested in the women participants who responded to literacy questions during 2018 Zambia Demographic and Health Survey. This paper assessed the relationship between primary education and literacy, using the 2018 Zambia Demographic and Health Survey dataset. Given the study focus, the researcher restricted the analysis to a total sample of 6171 women respondents who had received at most a primary school level of education out of the total samples of 9959 women. Pearson’s X^2 test and logistic regression analysis were the techniques for analysis.
Findings: There was a significant association between education level and whether or not women were literate X^2 (1) = 544.69, p < .000. Based on the odds ratio for the un-adjusted model, primary education level was indeed associated with literacy with an increase in odds of being literate (31.49 (20.37 - 48.69) times higher than for women with no formal education).
Recommendations: The study recommended further research using mixed methods to confirm various associations that have been observed in the study.
Narrative story-telling in developing signed and written texts for students with hearing loss in Bassa, Plateau state, Nigeria
Get PDFIntroduction: Many students with hearing loss start schooling with less or no prior experiences with written or signed narratives. In the school, these students often face serious challenges using narrative-retelling to develop written text.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the students’ narrative written and signed texts development.
Methodology: Qualitative design was used to understand the students’ experiences and to answer the research questions that were presented. The narrative stories were both from the students’ experiences and the teachers’ modelled stories. The students’ texts were analysed for common narrative structures such as characters, settings and events. The students were encouraged through the provision of experience stories, where they were asked to tell a story from their personal experiences. The intervention was carried out for 6 weeks. This involved teaching and learning about narrative genre. Two students with hearing loss who were in their third year in junior secondary school were purposefully selected for the study. Two students with hearing loss who were in their third year in junior secondary school were used for the study. Results:The result indicated that most of the students were able to organise information in their written texts well. This suggests that they understood what they were writing about as seen in their written texts. They were able to classify information into main and supporting ideas. They also made connections between previous and new knowledge.
Recommendations: Based on findings of the study, it was recommended that teachers of students with hearing loss should be encouraged to use narrative-retelling for training students with hearing loss on written text development
Investigating contributing factors to stress among mathematics lecturers in higher institutions of learning in Oyo state, Nigeria
Get PDFIntroduction: This study investigated some contributing factors to stress among mathematics lecturers in higher institutions of learning in Oyo state, Nigeria.
Purpose: The study was to find out the contributions of cognitive, intrinsic and systemic factors in causing stress among mathematics lecturers in higher institutions.
Methodology: The study adopted a survey research design. The population of the study covered mathematics lecturers in ten (10) selected higher Institutions of learning in Oyo State, Nigeria. Simple random sampling technique was used in the selection of one hundred (100) mathematics lecturers, ten (10) lecturers per institution participated in the study. A self-designed structured questionnaire was used to collect data from the participants in the study. Croabach alpha was used to attain Correlation Coefficient (r = 0.88) which made the instrument reliable for the study. Three hypotheses were tested using the Chi square statistic at 0.05 level of significant.
Results: Findings revealed that cognitive factors did affect individual Mathematics lecturer with x2-tab (21.0) < x2-cal (183.31). Also, intrinsic factors do affect the level of stress among Mathematics lecturers with x2-tab (21.0) < x2-cal (86.84), while systemic factors within the school setting did affect stress among Mathematics with x2-tab (21.0) < x2-cal (91..62).
Recommendations: Based on findings of the study, it was recommended among others that management of higher institutions of learning should encourage mathematics lecturers to go for break and relaxation every day during break period on the academic time table
Perception and practices of action research by prospective teachers in teacher education institutions in Pakistan
Get PDFIntroduction: Action research plays a key role in teacher education; the simple aim of this research was to discover the perception of action research by prospective teachers, which was also part of the training programme. Prospective teachers self-analyze the problems of their students and provide a solution while working in their schools.
Purporse: The purpose of this study was to analyze the perception and practices of prospective teachers during the course of action research in teacher education institutions, B.Ed Hons Programme.
Methodology: This research was a cross-sectional survey. The researchers adopted the deductive method of research. Quantitative approach was used for data collection, and sampling techniques were purposive and convenience sampling techniques in collecting data from two districts (Hyderabad and Karachi), one college was selected from each school. The researchers selected samples of 55 prospective teachers who passed B.ED Hons. Results: The findings revealed that there were little or no mean difference between the prospective students’ perceptions on planning and process, importance, likeness, and abilities, assessment and supervision, and time/placement of both teacher education institution of Hyderabad and Karachi towards quality action research. The finding also revealed that prospective teachers faced problems of supervising teachers because they had no skills and methods of teaching in those institutions.
Recommendations: It is recommended that teacher educators and research coordinators should play a key role in this field, working as mentors to develop interest, create a learning environment and make use technology to impact action research on prospective teacher