Research in Social Sciences and Technology
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Development of Adaptation Tools for Pupils on the Autism Spectrum in Microsystems
Get PDFThis research investigates the possibilities for the development of adaptation tools for pupils on the autism spectrum (AS), studying in the first and second forms, within their microsystems. Five mothers and five teachers of children on the AS participated in the research, and their insights help reveal the process of moving from one microsystem to another for a child on the AS. Children studying in the first and second forms were chosen because children experience a particularly significant social turning-point during this period. The following question is raised: How do synergy-driven processes taking place in the microsystems of pupils on the AS contribute to the development of the adaptation processes in these children? The research data was collected via semi-structured interviews and underwent qualitative content analysis. The research results reveal that the development of adaptation tools in children on the AS is determined by a mesosystem that covers various combinations of microsystems, and the synergy between the factors of the microsystems creates conditions for a child’s gradual transfer from one microsystem to another, perceiving the mechanisms of its functioning, and adapting within them. A mesosystem, which evolves on the school campus, within a family, and with specialists, not only encourages the development of adaptation tools in a child on the AS but also helps mothers to restore their inner harmony and actively engage in their children’s education process. In the microsystem of their peers, children on the AS acquire fundamental instruments for participation in community activities
Wielding Social Media in the Cyber-Arena: Globalism, Nationalism, and Civic Education
Get PDFInformation technology is a tool, and its effects on global citizenship education (GCED) depend on who uses the technology, how it is employed, and for what purpose. In theory, technology use could provide significant benefits toward achievement of GCED goals. Globalization has demanded an educational response — to prepare the young for productive engagement with the emerging global community. Technology could play a positive role in effective GCED. But globalization has come at a cost; it has produced winners and losers. Among the losers are those economically displaced as manufacturing jobs move elsewhere; they are resentful of foreigner and fearful of an uncertain future. For them, global citizenship is anathema. They are susceptible to manipulation by malign forces eager to exploit any perceived rifts in the post-war world order. For them, technology is a weapon, as easily aimed at the aspirations of GCED as another apparent enemy.
Identifying how technology can be employed positively in GCED is important, but not enough. Young people must also understand the conflict between globalization and alt-right nationalist populism, much of it carried out in the cyber-arena of the Internet and social media. New technologies have armed adversaries with tools to manipulate opinion and foment disorder.
how technology is employed to undermine global citizenship education, as well as the democracies of the West. This they can witness in the gladiatorial combat between globalization and nationalist populism —between democracy and authoritarianism — in the cyber-arena.
This article explores how technology is a double-edged sword – a tool for good and a tool for mischief. It draws from current research and news reporting on methods and effects of online manipulation. The article concludes by describing international efforts to defend against social media assaults on democracy and by identifying the new knowledge and skills citizens must acquire for positive civic engagement in the global cyber-arena.
 
A Window, Mirror, and Wall: How Educators Use Twitter for Professional Learning
Get PDFTeachers and other professionals increasingly utilize Twitter as a medium for professional expression and professional learning. These types of Twitter exchanges often take place in formal chats which are moderated by professional organizations or other knowledge brokers in the field. As moderated public online forums become more common, educators may wish to understand the benefits and limitations of this type of professional learning. This paper reports on a study of educators’ discourse in two hosted Twitter chats focused on global education and analyzes the ways in which these types of chats align with research on high-quality professional learning. Results indicate that Twitter chats provide multiple components of high-quality professional learning, namely a focus on content, collaboration, and teacher agency; to a lesser extent, they may provide peer coaching and allow for conversations across a sustained duration. However, other components of meaningful professional learning are not possible in this context, as it is not job-embedded and does not provide active learning or supported opportunities to practice
Analysis of U.S., Kenyan, and Finnish Discourse Patterns in a Cross-Cultural Digital Makerspace Learning Community Through the IBE-UNESCO Global Competences Framework
Get PDFIn 2017, the International Bureau of Education (IBE) at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) put forth seven global competences to address accelerating technological progress and increasing levels of complexity and uncertainty affecting many facets of society (Marope, 2017). These competences were used in examining participant discourse in a global, collaborative digital makerspace environment, where students ages 12 to 17 from six countries develop and share STEM-focused media artifacts. The participants communicate synchronously through video conference calls, referred to as online global meet-ups. The meet-ups allow students to present media artifacts they have created, share ideas, exchange information, and provide feedback. In this analysis, epistemic network analysis (ENA), a technique in quantitative ethnography, is used to examine the connections made among the IBE-UNESCO global competences in a meet-up involving participants from Finland, Kenya, and the U.S. ENA network models were created initially for the three sites, then further disaggregated by time segment to analyze how participant discourse patterns may have evolved in each context. Through this approach, the paper explores more broadly the interactive role of media making, cross-cultural engagement, and collaborative learning in the development of global competences in students
Measuring Rural P-12 Teachers’ Attitudes, Perceptions, and Utilizations of Social Media
Get PDFSocial media continues to evolve and change the way people interact, learn, and communicate. As social media continues to grow in importance within societies, it is critical to better understand how teachers view social media as an educational resource. This quantitative study examines the general attitudes, perceptions, and utilizations of social media among P-12 teachers in a rural school district. Findings indicate that most teachers view social media as a high risk proposition for student use in the classroom, but do see social media as potentially useful and relevant to learning in the P-12 classroom
International Student Migration and Polymedia: The Use of Communication Media by Bangladeshi Students in Germany
Get PDFTertiary-level students from Bangladesh usually migrate to Germany for the purpose of higher studies. These international student migrants use communication media to maintain connections with family members and friends in Bangladesh and social networks with friends, classmates, and Bangladeshi community members in Germany. Drawing on the experiences of Bangladeshi student migrants in Germany and using polymedia theory, this paper investigates how the migrant students use the polymedia environment to maintain the transnational social networks and connections. This paper is based on qualitative data derived from 18 in-depth interviews with Bangladeshi migrant students in Germany. Findings suggest that using the polymedia environment, Bachelor migrant students receive emotional support from their family members back home, while Masters and PhD students are responsible for providing emotional and practical support to their left-behind families, relatives, and friends. Migrant students’ media usage with families and friends living in Bangladesh is influenced by their marital status and gender as well as their familial and social structure in Bangladesh. Their use of communication media with the members of the Bangladeshi community and foreign classmates living in Germany is comparatively less frequent and more education-oriented
Comparing Pre-service Civic Education Teachers’ TPACK Confidence Across Course Modes
Get PDFIntegrating technology into learning and instruction processes is inevitable in this modern world, so it is of pivotal importance that all teachers should master TPACK confidently. Unfortunately, the approaches toward teacher education programs in many countries, specifically in Indonesia, do not yet integrate TPACK in the curriculum. This study aimed at comparing pre-service civic education teachers’ TPACK confidence across three course modes—Regular A, B, and C—of a pre-service teacher education program in Indonesia. Involving 90 pre-service civic education teachers, a self-report measure survey is used as the research method. The result revealed that Regular A and C pre-service civic education teachers report an almost equal level of TPACK confidence while the Regular B pre-service civic education teachers report a lower level of TPACK confidence. Academic and practical implications of these findings are discussed, and insights for future teacher education programs are provided
Multidimensional Analysis of the Teaching Process of the Critical Thinking Skills
Get PDFThis study aims to evaluate critical thinking skills in a multidimensional way. Based on this objective, the level of teachers’ critical thinking skills, how they conceptualize critical thinking, their practices of critical thinking in the classroom, and if the critical thinking is referred enough in the curriculum are analyzed in this research. In terms of the research objective, this study is mixed-method: The relational model was used for the quantitative part of the research, and the case study method was used for the qualitative part. The research data was collected in the academic year 2013-2014. The study group from which quantitative data was collected consists of 323 males and 377 females, totaling 700 teachers, and the other study group from which the qualitative data was collected involves 16 teachers working at two primary and two elementary schools
The relationship between family involvement and academic variables
Get PDFFamily involvement refers to the different activities and actions that families can do to provide support to their offspring in education. In recent years, studies that evaluate the influence of family involvement on education have increased. Therefore, a review of the literature was carried out to examine the scientific evidence on this subject. Specifically, the review focused on adolescence because this is a possibly conflictive time in schooling, in which family-adolescent relationships usually go through large changes. The study results suggest that family participation is a variable that protects against academic failure. This relationship is stronger in vulnerable populations and ethnic minorities
Problematizing Immigration Restrictions during COVID-19 in the Social Studies Classroom
Get PDFIn the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected almost every corner of the globe, nations largely closed their borders and restricted or completely halted immigration. This stance, while understandable, raises questions about how ideas of inclusivity and immigrant rights can be maintained in the midst of chaos and insecurity. This article based in the framework of critical border and migration studies provides an overview of the evolution of immigration policies during the crisis and examines how social studies teachers can problematize assumptions of restrictive immigration policies during times of uncertainty and connect the current situation with past times of crisis. Though this is relevant to teachers from all countries, there is a particular focus on the United States context. Central to the argument is that the ideals of a more open and inclusive immigration system must be maintained even during times of fear and panic. This work builds upon pedagogical scholarship on immigration in the social studies classroom while applying these ideas to the problematic and unique circumstances of immigration during a pandemic