1,720,965 research outputs found
Data-Driven Insights into Non-Purchasing Behaviours through Latent Dirichlet Allocation: Analysing Study Material Acquisition Among University Students
Full text linkThe advent of technology has shifted higher education students’ educational resource acquisition from traditional printed textbooks to digital formats. This shift is underscored by recent scholarship. The current study extended the discourse on student educational resource acquisition, beyond digital preference. It offers a nuanced view of strategies encompassing digital resources and traditional methods such as library and peer borrowing. The aim of this study was to investigate non-purchasing behaviours of university students in acquiring study material. An online survey link was sent through email to all registered students in the university, out of which a total of 1500 participated – this sample included all students from the four schools. The survey sought to answer the following questions: How do you access books? Besides buying, what other strategies have you employed to access books? Data were analysed using Dirichlet allocation for topic modelling to extract the topics from participants' qualitative responses. The study’s findings reveal a complex interplay of socio-economic factors that influence student behaviour. Digital downloads emerged as a prominent strategy, indicating a reliance on online resources. However, borrowing from libraries and peers was significant, which highlights the role of social learning communities. This study contributes to the understanding of how the cost of textbooks impacts academic choices and success, emphasising the social justice implications of textbook affordability. The rise of alternative media suggests a need to reimagine educational resources. It potentially reflects a generational shift in media consumption. This study’s insights advocate for educational institutions and policymakers to reassess resource provisioning to align with the evolving landscape of higher education students’ academic resource acquisition. This will ensure equitable access to educational material
Data-Driven Insights: A Decade of Sol Plaatje University's Research Journey and Development
Full text linkThis paper analyses Sol Plaatje University's (SPU) progress on increased research activities. The paper employs bibliometric analysis review method to demonstrate the university's transition from being a predominantly teaching-focused to a more research-oriented institution. A novel, data-driven methodology is also adopted in this paper, to identify and examine SPU’s research niche through publications. This paper’s data were collected from the Scopus and Web of Science databases. The paper’s findings reveal that there was an overall significant increase in research outputs, observable on yearly basis for a decade (2014 to 2023). The yearly increase in research output is recorded from diverse research fields, including machine learning, cryptography, environmental research, and public health. Findings further reveal that SPU has built its international research collaborations within the African and European continents. This paper’s findings contribute to literature on higher education development by offering insights into how newly established universities can transition from a teaching-centric focus to becoming research-active. This paper revealed the importance of strategic planning, interdisciplinary research, and international collaboration in the development of a vibrant research environment.  
Equipping pre-service mathematics teachers for diverse classrooms: Best practices and innovations
Full text linkThis chapter explores innovative approaches and best practices in preparing mathematics teachers for diverse classrooms by employing four key theoretical frameworks: Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, Culturally Responsive Teaching, Differentiated Instruction, and Universal Design for Learning. These frameworks serve as guiding principles for equipping pre-service educators to effectively address the diverse cultural, academic, and learning needs in today’s classrooms. The study employed a comprehensive review of literature, focusing on empirical studies and practical implementations of these inclusive pedagogies in mathematics education. The analysis examined how teacher preparation programmes integrate these frameworks into their curricula to foster equity, inclusivity, and academic excellence. The chapter also discusses challenges encountered in the implementation of inclusive pedagogies, such as resistance to pedagogical shifts and limitations in teacher training programmes. To address these challenges, recommendations are provided for enhancing teacher preparation, including the incorporation of cultural competence training, differentiated instructional strategies, and universally designed learning environments. The findings suggest that these pedagogical frameworks, when implemented effectively, lead to improved student engagement, achievement, and a greater sense of belonging among learners from diverse backgrounds. By aligning teacher preparation programmes with CRP, CRT, DI, and UDL, this chapter emphasises the need for mathematics educators to adopt flexible, responsive teaching practices that cater to the needs of all students, ultimately fostering a more equitable learning environment in diverse classrooms
Mapping the terrain: A comprehensive review and bibliometric analysis of data literacy in mathematics education (2009-2024)
Full text linkDespite receiving increased attention from researchers in mathematics education, there is still no comprehensive understanding of the current level of data literacy in the teaching and learning of mathematics. To address this gap, this study presents a review of 247 papers selected from the Scopus database between 2009 and 2024. The research aims to explore the following: (i) The overall volume, geographic distribution, and development trajectory in the literature on data literacy in mathematics. (ii) The researchers and research collaborations that have had the greatest influence on the literature on data literacy in mathematics. (iii) The sources that have had the greatest influence on the literature on data literacy in mathematics. (iv) The most important topics in the literature on data literacy in mathematics. It was discovered that the number of publications involving data literacy in mathematics increased from 2016 to 2023. Authors from the Netherlands are the most active in the literature on data literacy in mathematics. The Teacher College Record had the highest number of citations. Lastly, the most important topics addressed in the literature on data literacy in mathematics were data use, data literacy, and data-based decision-making. This study has implications not only for mathematics education researchers but also for other stakeholders in the education sector, including school principals, policymakers, and mathematics teachers
Exploring Factors that Serve as Predictors for Mathematics and Sciences Pre-Service Teachers to Use ICT in Teaching
Full text linkWhile the importance of incorporating technology in teaching and learning is acknowledged by several scholars, there are still serious challenges in using technology to enhance the teaching and learning of science and mathematics. In this quantitative study, the technological, pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) framework was used to analyse factors that serve as predictors for pre-service mathematics and science teachers to use technology effectively in their teaching. The sample for this study consisted of 416 final year Bachelor of Education students from two South African universities. The sample included 243 (54%) females and 175 (42%) males. Questionnaires were used to collect data. The results of the study show that the content knowledge (CK), pedagogical knowledge (PK), pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), technological content knowledge (TCK) and technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK) were the significant predictors for pre-service teachers to incorporate technology in their mathematics and science classrooms
Fostering students’ interest in trigonometry using game-based learning strategy: a case of repeated measures
Get PDFThis study investigated the effectiveness of game-based learning in enhancing students’ interest in trigonometry among secondary school students in Enugu State, Nigeria. The study addressed the need for increased engagement and interest in trigonometry by leveraging successful implementations of game-based learning from other educational contexts. A true experimental design with a repeated measures approach was employed, involving senior secondary two (SS 2) students randomly assigned to either the experimental or the control group. The experimental group received trigonometry instruction through game-based learning, while the control group followed traditional teaching methods. The data collection instrument was the trigonometry interest inventory (TII) used to assess students’ interest levels at three points: pre-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up. The repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was utilized to analyze changes in interest levels over time and between groups. The findings revealed two key findings: i) game-based learning significantly increased students’ interest in trigonometry and ii) gender, age, and location did not significantly affect the effectiveness of the game-based learning approach in fostering students’ interest in trigonometry. The study concludes that game-based learning effectively enhances students’ interest in trigonometry, offering implications for educators to improve mathematics teaching practices through interactive and engaging strategies
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Evaluación de la Alfabetización de Datos Percibida entre Estudiantes Universitarios de Primer Año en Sudáfrica
Full text linkData drives today's world; hence, acquiring data literacy is essential for academic and professional success. However, students entering the university possess uncertain levels of data literacy skills. Therefore, this study assesses the perceived data literacy possessed by first-year university students in South Africa. The study adopted the cross-sectional survey research design, with a sample of 872 students across South African universities. A validated questionnaire with a reliability index of 0.96 was used for data collection. Descriptive statistics were used to answer the research question, while Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 significance level. The results show that the students had basic data literacy skills on graphs and types of data. However, they lack familiarity with the concept of visualization, communicating findings from data analysis, the concept of variables and observations. Overall, the students had a medium level of data literacy. Age and access to data significantly influence students' data literacy ratings. However, no significant differences were found among the different sexes. It was recommended that educational institutions integrate comprehensive data literacy programs for students, ensure equitable internet access, and provide continuous professional development programs for teachers.En un mundo impulsado por los datos, la alfabetización en datos es esencial para el éxito académico y profesional. No obstante, los estudiantes que ingresan a la universidad presentan niveles inciertos en estas habilidades. Este estudio evaluó la alfabetización en datos percibida por estudiantes de primer año en universidades sudafricanas, utilizando un diseño de encuesta transversal con una muestra de 872 participantes. Se aplicó un cuestionario validado (índice de confiabilidad = 0.96) y se analizaron los datos mediante estadísticas descriptivas y Análisis de Varianza (ANOVA) con un nivel de significancia de 0.05. Los resultados revelan que los estudiantes poseen habilidades básicas en gráficos y tipos de datos, pero muestran desconocimiento en visualización de datos, comunicación de resultados, variables y observaciones. En general, su nivel de alfabetización en datos fue medio. Además, se halló que la edad y el acceso a datos influyen significativamente en las percepciones de alfabetización en datos, mientras que no hubo diferencias significativas por género. Se recomienda que las instituciones educativas implementen programas integrales de alfabetización en datos, aseguren un acceso equitativo a Internet y ofrezcan formación continua a los docentes para mejorar la preparación estudiantil en este ámbito clave
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
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