International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education (IJERE)
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2012 research outputs found
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Life and career skills assessment for high school students
Get PDFThis study assessed life and career skills among high school students in Thailand using survey research. The sample consisted of 1,050 high school students from six regions of Thailand was selected through multi-stage random sampling. The research instrument was a life and career skills assessment test for high school students and satisfaction with the life and career skills assessment for high school students. Five experts validated the instrument, which yielded a content validity index (CVI) of 0.82 and a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.89. The research results indicated that overall high school students’ life and career skills were high (M=4.50, SD=0.62). Students had a very high level of satisfaction with the overall assessment of life and career skills (M=4.59, SD=0.81). In conclusion, this life and career skills assessment can solve the problem of measuring and evaluating life and career skills for high school students. The data obtained can help school directors plan for developing the quality of students. Most importantly, the life and career skills assessment allow high school students to know the results of their own skill assessments so that they can use them to improve and develop their own skills
Development of factors contributing to barriers to paragraph writing for EFL learners
Get PDFParagraph writing is an important aspect in the performance of English as a foreign language (EFL) learner, but most of them face significant barriers that hinder their writing performance. Though the importance of this skill is beyond doubt, there is an inadequate understanding of the factors leading to such challenges. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the barriers to paragraph writing for EFL learners. The validated 27-item questionnaire was administered to 619 EFL Thai students. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) approach was employed to identify latent factors contributing to the barriers to paragraph writing. The results showed six key barriers to paragraph writing, explaining 60.224% of the total variance: structure and clarity challenges (SAC), focus and organizational barriers (FOB), writing process issues (WPI), timing and assessment worries (TAW), logical ideas challenges (LIC), and motivation and expression difficulties (MED). The findings suggest that there is a need to for greater emphasis on the learning environment, through proper planning and appropriate development of writing skills, to address the issues. Such factors are crucial for the improvement and success of EFL learners’ expectations in writing, which can go a long way towards building their confidence in paragraph writing
Blending traditional and digital methods: enhancing EFL speaking skills beyond LMS platforms
Get PDFThe broad use of learning management system (LMS) in English as a foreign language (EFL) teaching indicates an increasingly urgent need for better methods to improve speaking skills. The research looks at the effectiveness of blended learning (BL) regarding fluency, pronunciation, and conversational improvement compared to the entire LMS approach within the learning process of EFL. It combines traditional face-to-face methods with digital tools to answer a significant need in language learning strategies. Therefore, the study compares the speaking proficiency of the two groups and investigates the impact of BL on motivation and engagement. The quasi-experimental design involved 100 intermediate EFL learners selected using purposive sampling from a Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) A1–B2 English program. Following 12 weeks, the BL outperformed the LMS-only group in the post-test, showing development in fluency from 3.5 to 4.8 and pronunciation from 3.0 to 4.5. The LMS-only group revealed moderate gains but less pronounced: fluency increased from 3.4 to 4.0, and pronunciation from 3.1 to 3.8. Moreover, motivation and engagement increased in BL. This means combining traditional approaches with digital ones creates a more dynamic and robust environment for learning, which raises participation and proficiency in speaking. Further research is needed to optimize these strategies across various educational settings
Practice of lateral dominance: an early evaluation strategy in children from the rural area of Puno
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to investigate the practice of lateral dominance as an early evaluation strategy in children from the rural area of Puno, Peru. Early assessment of lateral dominance is crucial for understanding a child’s cognitive and motor development. This study focused on children attending a school for children with learning disabilities in the rural Initial Educational Institution Camacani within the Local Educational Management Unit of Puno, located in the southern region of the Province of Puno, under the jurisdiction of the Platería District. A total of 100 children (50 boys and 50 girls), aged 5 years, were selected for the study. The research was descriptive-quantitative in nature, aimed at evaluating the dominance of four dimensions—hands, feet, ears, and eyes—using the Harris test. The findings revealed that lateral dominance in both boys and girls was characterized by poorly affirmed laterality in 60% of the cases and crossed laterality in 40%. This suggests that at the age of 5 years, the children were still in the developmental stage of lateralization, with no clear dominance of the left or right hemisphere. Based on the results, it was concluded that lateral dominance in these children was not yet fully established. Furthermore, the study emphasized the importance of incorporating psychomotor activities during early childhood development to promote the continuous improvement of laterality, motor skills, and spatial orientation
Leadership and management in early childhood: navigating contradictions and pedagogical practices to foster inclusivity
Get PDFEarly years’ education is an important foundation for a child’s life-long learning, and leaders and managers in early childhood work settings have an important role in creating a nurturing environment that supports and enables children to learn regardless of their needs. This study investigates the challenges and contradictions leaders and managers face in early childhood education (ECE) settings. It examines how pedagogical praxis can be leveraged to foster inclusivity focusing on the tension between the intrinsic value of play and the pressure of child performativity meeting performance benchmarks. This qualitative study offers a constructive discussion on leadership practices in ECE and inclusion in Malaysia. The thematic analysis of nine interviews analyzed by N-VIVO software and showed the important considerations for enhancing leadership and management approaches, creating more inclusive spaces, and supporting the holistic development of early childhood curricula. The result offers a rich description of how leading practices are increasingly influenced by dominant trends in educational policies and society, including neoliberal agendas and narrowly conceived accountability systems that focus on measurable outcomes. It underlines the centrality of supporting the ongoing professional development of educators
Factors influencing enrollment intention in private schools
Get PDFThe growth in private school student enrollment in Malaysia has prompted institutions to upgrade to stay competitive in the market. However, despite the increasing number of private schools, regrettably, only a few studies have focused on the factors that influence private school enrollment. This study examines the relationship between social influences (SI), school environment (SE), characteristics, parent-administration-teacher relationship (PAT), and private school enrolment intention in Malaysia. It uses a quantitative method and G*Power to determine the minimum sample size. Data was gathered from 135 respondents who have enrolled at least one child in private schools using questionnaire surveys. The statistical package for social science (SPSS) was used to analyze the data. The results showed that SI and school characteristics (SC) significantly and positively correlated with enrolment intention. The PAT was not significantly associated with enrolment intention. This study clearly shows that SI factors and SCs are crucial for enrolment intention in private schools. The management should develop and implement marketing strategies that effectively tackle current market challenges by focusing on SI and improving the SC. They can tailor the marketing strategy with electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) for SI and apply learning analytics for SC
Design and psychometric validation of the research competency scale for university students in Peru
Get PDFResearch competence is essential for the academic and professional development of university students. However, in the context of Lima, Peru, no specific, valid, and reliable instruments have been found to assess this competency comprehensively. This deficiency reveals a significant knowledge gap in the accurate assessment of research competencies in university students. Therefore, in the present research, a scale was constructed and validated to effectively assess research competence in university students. As methodology, the quantitative approach was used, following three processes: item construction, item functionality, and psychometric analysis. A sample of 216 students was used for the exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and 206 for the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The final version of the research competency scale for university students comprises 37 items distributed across five dimensions identified through EFA: epistemic knowledge (10 items), interpretation skills (5 items), methodological knowledge (9 items), scientific communication (6 items), and information management (7 items). CFA supported the adequacy of the model (root mean square error of approximation/RMSEA=0.064; comparative fit index/CFI=0.918; Tucker-Lewis Index/TLI=0.911), and the scale demonstrated high internal consistency. The validated scale reliably measures research competence and can improve teaching, assessment, and curriculum design
Teachers’ perceptions towards principals’ instructional supervisory role in selected secondary schools
Get PDFEffective instructional supervision plays a crucial role in enhancing teaching quality and student learning. However, teachers’ perceptions towards supervision vary, some view it as supportive while others see it as fault-finding. This study examines teachers’ perceptions towards principals’ instructional supervisory practices to identify areas of improvement. The Administrative theory of supervision and a concurrent triangulation mixed approach guided the study. Purposive and simple random sampling were utilized to sample 127 teachers and 10 principals. A survey and an interview guide were employed to gather data which was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. An independent sample t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were utilized to test the mean differences in teachers’ perceptions. Findings indicate that while most teachers recognize supervision as beneficial for professional development, a significant number perceive supervision as authoritarian. The results unveiled that teachers’ gender, age and education qualification did not significantly influence their perceptions [t(98)=1.468, p>0.05, F(4, 95)=0.556, and F(4, 95)=0.174, p>0.05]. The study concludes that fostering a positive supervisory environment can enhance teachers’ confidence, improve instructional strategies, and ultimately lead to better student outcomes
Impact of technology integration on students’ sense of belonging and well-being: a systematic review
Get PDFAs an important tool, technology supports and enhances students’ educational experiences by fostering inclusive learning communities, bridging cultural gaps, and accommodating diverse learning styles. However, limited studies have demonstrated the impact of technology integration on students’ sense of belonging and well-being in the context of South African higher education. This study aimed to address this gap through a systematic literature review. Published scholarly peer-reviewed articles were used to examine the impact of technology on students’ sense of belonging and well-being. The technology acceptance model (TAM) and self-determination theory (SDT) were used to theorize the findings. The findings reveal that while technology provides self-directed learning, it also exacerbates inequalities and digital stress. In addition, factors affecting students’ sense of belonging and well-being include the digital divide, isolation-related stress, and psychological needs due to a lack of technology preparedness, compounded by socio-economic disparities and insufficient digital skills and technical support. It is recommended that global financial, technical, and intellectual stakeholders collaborate to ensure equal access to digital resources in education. These strategies should focus on supporting user-friendly initiatives that bridge the digital gap. The study limitations include reliance on existing literature and lack of direct student feedback
Integrating acting techniques in informal learning for prospective primary teachers
Get PDFThe topic of informal education is particularly pertinent within the pedagogical science and practice of universities in Kazakhstan. Contemporary professional education emphasizes the importance of not only pedagogical skills but also the acting abilities of teachers. However, the development of acting skills among prospective primary teachers is generally underemphasized. This neglect is evident in the absence of relevant courses within the educational programs of Kazakhstani universities, as well as in the disproportionate emphasis on independent work over classroom and extracurricular activities related to acting and pedagogical techniques. This study aims to examine the benefits and applications of incorporating acting techniques into the training of prospective primary teachers to improve their professional preparation, support their ongoing professional development, and foster successful educational practice. The research findings revealed that specialized vocational preparation techniques are essential for the training of modern educators. This study found the impact of acting techniques on the educational process for preparing teacher candidates improved their professional preparation, while also supporting their ongoing professional development and fostering successful educational practice