Research in Social Sciences and Technology
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The American Effect on Physical Education and Sports in Turkey during the Early Republican Period
Full text linkThe establishment of the new Turkish state was accompanied by a new governmental system, modernization efforts, and reforms in all fields of life. Education, acknowledged as a phenomenon that prepares new generations for the future, became one of the main concerns among the republican reform programs. The lack of specialists to implement new educational programs required inviting professionals of the relevant fields from abroad, and the first to arrive was the American educational scientist John Dewey, only 9 months after the establishment of the republic. Thus, Turkish-American relations, which had begun with commercial and missionary activities during the Ottoman period, entered a new era. Dewey, who emphasized both mental and physical aspects of education as a whole, fostered the emergence of many new services in physical education and sports thanks to his reports. In addition to Dewey’s work, other American reports presented information and suggestions for physical education. The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), which played an essential role in the spread of recreational sports activities, launched many new sports branches and endeavors. This study addresses the effects of those reports and American experts’ suggestions, observations, and approaches for physical education and sports in Turkey
Learning Mathematics through WhatsApp Groups in University Preparatory Program during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Full text linkThis study examined the impact of learning through social media (WhatsApp learning groups) on university students' mathematics achievements in the first-year university preparatory program when they engaged in some form of social media learning interaction compared with students who did the same module with a traditional face-to-face interaction learning approach. The study was undertaken using a quantitative research method. It employed a randomised Post-Test-Only with a Non-equivalent Groups design to investigate the only statistically significant difference between university students who studied through the traditional face-to-face lecturing approach and students who utilised a blended approach to learning mathematics. The study population comprised first-year university students enrolled for the university extended programme offered by all universities in South Africa. The sample consisted of 192 experimental groups and 341 control group students conveniently sampled from a university in South Africa. The main instruments used in this study were two standardised semester exams. These tests were checked and moderated by senior mathematics lecturers to ensure they conformed with the module content and satisfied all assessment policies of the university. The Cronbach alpha coefficient was used to measure the consistencies in these two-semester exams. The study's main finding showed no statistically significant difference in results between students who studied Mathematics through a face-to-face lecturing approach and students who studied mathematics through a blended learning approach. The study concludes that the latter performed slightly better than students in the former, confirming that a WhatsApp learning group can be a viable alternative to the teaching and learning at the university when face-to-face learning is not possible, as for an example in the Covid-19 era. The study recommends that more profound research be conducted to identify and analyse positive indicators when learning is done through social media interaction
Platformisation of Education: An Analysis of South African Universities’ Learning Management Systems
Full text linkSeveral studies have focused attention on the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact on the traditional face-to-face teaching and learning activities across the globe. There is, however, little research regarding the platformisation of education with the aid of the learning management systems (LMSs) in the contexts of South African universities. With a thematic content analysis of the extant literature and a systematic review of universities’ websites, this study explored and unearthed various LMS platforms which public universities in South Africa adopted and utilized before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and during the lockdown period. The findings revealed that the majority (46%) of South Africa’s public universities used the Blackboard LMS while another 34 percent of the 26 universities used the Moodle LMS. The rest of the public universities in South Africa used one of the following LMS platforms: the Vula, Efundi, ClickUp, RUConnected, Sakai, SunLearn, Canvas, and D2LBrightspace. Furthermore, the study found that a few South African universities had moved from one LMS platform to another, especially during the period of lockdown precipitated by the pandemic; beginning from the year 2020. The LMS platforms serve the pedagogical needs of the universities in terms of facilitation of online interaction between instructors and students, dissemination of course materials, announcements, submissions, assessments, and grading of student assignments electronically. It is recommended that future studies should investigate the challenging factors responsible for the switch from one LMS platform to another across the public universities in South Africa
Innovation and Technology: A Panacea to Teaching and Learning Challenges during the Covid-19 Lockdown in South Africa
Full text linkInnovation and technology brought by the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) have become an urgent reality to all teachers because of the need for a virtual classroom. In South Africa, over 13 million students in almost 25,000 schools have been affected by the COVID-19 lockdown. Most school teachers were not trained for online teaching, which was the only safe method of teaching during the lockdown period. This study, therefore, investigated how innovation and technology were utilised to mitigate the virtual classroom problems during the COVID-19 lockdown. This study employed a qualitative research approach using interviews to collect data based on the phenomenological research design. The sample for this study consisted of 12 lecturers purposively drawn from one university in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Thematic content analysis was performed on the data. The findings revealed that a majority of the participants have poor pedagogical skills especially those related to using technologies such as Blackboard, Microsoft Teams, and V-Drive on computers for online teaching engagements during the COVID-19 lockdown; strategies utilised by the participants for their teaching activities during the lockdown included Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp voice notes, email attachments for sending bulky teaching materials to students, and other Computer-instructional resources. Thus, this study recommends an urgent need for capacity development workshops to equip lecturers with computer and ICT skills, knowledge, and strategies for online teaching delivery and increased provision of adequate learning and teaching facilities in all public educational institutions, including those in the rural areas
Time Divested or Time Invested? Freshmen’s Perspectives and Reflective Experiences on Interactive School Learning
Full text linkThis study sought to research first-year South African university students’ attitudes towards interactive school learning and then to determine their perspectives and reflective experiences regarding interactive learning. Data was gathered during the first week of their first university lectures. The sample was 129 freshmen. The study adopted a mixed-method approach that utilized a sequential explanatory research design. Data was gathered through questionnaires and interviews. Quantitative data was coded and analysed through descriptive statistics using SPSS version 23, while qualitative data was thematically analysed through content analysis. Permission to conduct the study was granted by the lecturers and the participants. It emerged from the study that, though participants were positive about the provision of interactive school learning, their school experiences told different stories about such activities. Participants valued interactive school learning as it improves learners’ socialization experiences, communication skills, and thinking skills. Interactive school learning also promotes teamwork and personal engagement, which are necessary to improve the quality of education. The study concluded that, while interactive school learning added value to education, most schools did not offer such opportunities to enhance learning experiences. The study recommends that schools offer school-based opportunities and teaching practices that accommodate learners’ varied learning styles across all subjects
The Effects of Emotional Intelligence on Teachers’ Classroom Performance: A Case of Primary Schools in Southeast Region of Botswana
Full text linkThe purpose of the study was to examine the effects of emotional intelligence (EI) on teachers’ performance in Southeast Region primary schools in Botswana. The research methodology applied was mixed methods. The target group consisted of 300 teachers from 16 primary schools in Botswana's Southeast Region. The participants were chosen using a simple random sampling procedure. Seventy (70) out of 300 teachers comprising both males and females with years of work experience ranging from less than 2 to more than 10 were used as the sample in the study. The 9-layered model of the EI pyramid was used as the theoretical framework for the study. The pragmatism paradigm was used to blend qualitative and quantitative research approaches to arrive at trustworthy conclusions about the effects of EI on teacher performance in primary schools in Botswana's Southeast Region. The findings of the study revealed that primary school teachers in the Southeast Region of Botswana require EI skills to enhance their performance, improve their attitudes towards their instructional practices, and apply appropriate ways of assisting and encouraging struggling learners and colleagues. The findings also indicated a link between teachers' EI and academic performance. 
Exploring Perceived Human Resources Factors Influencing the Performance of Grade 12 Accounting Learners in North West Secondary Schools in South Africa
Full text linkThis study explored the perceived human resources factors influencing the performance of accounting learners in North West secondary schools in South Africa. Despite the significant role that secondary school accounting education is perceived to play in shaping the development of accounting professionals, few studies have focused on investigating the effect of human resources on accounting learners’ performance in secondary school. The study sought to understand the human resource factors influencing the performance of accounting learners in North West secondary schools in South Africa. The study’s findings may assist the school management to improve human resource utilisation towards the achievement of a better accounting learners’ performance. To address the gap in the literature, a mixed method sequential explanatory study was conducted in North West districts with 183 School Management Teams and 61 educators. The sequential explanatory study aimed to explore the perceived human resources factors influencing the performance of Grade 12 Accounting learners in secondary schools in the North West Province, South Africa. The findings from the quantitative phase showed that human resource factors such as pedagogical subject content knowledge and skills held by the educator are perceived to influence learner performance. In the second phase, the qualitative approach validated and explained the various human resource factors that influence accounting learners’ performance in North West secondary schools in South Africa. School management should ensure that they employ adequate accounting learners to teach accounting in schools. This is so because accounting requires a pedagogical content knowledge and skills in teaching and learning. In conclusion, it is recommended that schools interested in improving learner performance should identify and address context-specific perceived human resources factors that influence learner performance within their schools.This study explored the perceived human resources factors influencing the performance of accounting learners in North West secondary schools in South Africa. Despite the significant role that secondary school accounting education is perceived to play in shaping the development of accounting professionals, few studies have focused on investigating the effect of human resources on accounting learners’ performance in secondary school. The study sought to understand the human resource factors influencing the performance of accounting learners in North West secondary schools in South Africa. The study’s findings may assist the school management to improve human resource utilisation towards the achievement of a better accounting learners’ performance. To address the gap in the literature, a mixed method sequential explanatory study was conducted in North West districts with 183 School Management Teams and 61 educators. The sequential explanatory study aimed to explore the perceived human resources factors influencing the performance of Grade 12 Accounting learners in secondary schools in the North West Province, South Africa. The findings from the quantitative phase showed that human resource factors such as pedagogical subject content knowledge and skills held by the educator are perceived to influence learner performance. In the second phase, the qualitative approach validated and explained the various human resource factors that influence accounting learners’ performance in North West secondary schools in South Africa. School management should ensure that they employ adequate accounting learners to teach accounting in schools. This is so because accounting requires a pedagogical content knowledge and skills in teaching and learning. In conclusion, it is recommended that schools interested in improving learner performance should identify and address context-specific perceived human resources factors that influence learner performance within their schools
Exploring Teachers’ Lived Experiences on the Integration of Values Education in South African High Schools
Full text linkValues education has become a necessary tool in response to the rise in moral deterioration in an average South African society today. The school is viewed as one of the key players in nurturing children into adulthood. The teaching of values that can give the growing generation, necessary moral development is one of the responsibilities of the schools. Hence, this study aims at exploring teachers’ experiences on how they integrate values education into South African learners in various high schools. This qualitative study engaged five schools in its case study, where five teachers from each of the schools were purposively selected for semi-structured focus group interviews, to share their experiences on the integration of moral values in schools. Moral development theory was used to underpin the study. Findings from the inductive thematic analysis from the participants from both rural and urban schools indicated a misunderstanding of the concept of values education by some teachers, which affects its effective integration. The study established that role modelling of learners by teachers and parents are inevitable to save the society from moral decadence, while some participants indicted overpopulation, single parenthood, social media as some of the challenges to the integration of value education in schools. The study, therefore, recommends capacitation of teachers through various professional development programmes, to integrate values education and adequate parental support as some of the strategies to promote effective integration of values education in schools
Academic Resilience Among Deaf Learners During E-Learning in the COVID-19 Era
Full text linkThis study aimed to assess the contributory roles of parental involvement (PI), parental acceptance/rejection (PAR), academic self-efficacy (ASE), computer user self-efficacy (CUSE) vis-à-vis gender and the onset of deafness on the academic resilience (AR) of deaf learners who participated in e-learning during the pandemic. The Bioecological Systems Theory provided a framework for the study. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire from 292 (Male: n = 164; Female: n = 128; Mage = 16.5) deaf learners from 3 provinces in South Africa. Data generated was analysed with IBM SPSS 22 and IBM AMOS 26.0 packages. All the fit measures of the SEM fell within the acceptable range (χ2 = 69.15, df = 28, χ2/df = 2.46, IFI = 0.91, CFI = 0.94, GFI = 0.93, NFI = 0.96, and RMSEA = 0.062). According to the findings, PAR, ASE and CUSE had a directly significant relationship on the AR of deaf learners who participated in e-learning during the lockdowns. An indirect significant relationship was observed between the latent variables and academic resilience when observed through the onset of deafness. Based on the findings, appropriate recommendations were made
The Health Students’ Perception of Online Education amid the Pandemic
No full textThe recent Covid-19 pandemic has changed the lifestyles throughout the World. This study aims to investigate the health students’ perception of online education. The field of health requires practical education. Indeed, online education has a different concept. Thus, the health students’ perceptions draw attention especially during the hard time of pandemic. This quantitative study was conducted with 581 students studying a field of health in Turkey. The data from an online survey was analyzed with Kruskal Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests. The results show that health students’ perception on online education was found to be medium. Even though some are favor of online education with some points, some see this type of learning platform not suitable for their fields. There was no significant difference between the perception of female and male students. The students’ perception differences were found statistically significant by departments, classes, watching lessons live, having technology difficulties and using different device to access to online education. These findings confirmed that the sudden shift to online education made a different experience for health students. The research concludes with suggestions to design online education for any unexpected pandemic