{"title":"THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SCHOOL SUPPORT TEAM IN INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN KINDERGARTENS","authors":"Ivana Rochovská, V. Klein, V. Šilonová","doi":"10.33225/pec/24.82.521","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33225/pec/24.82.521","url":null,"abstract":"Inclusive education presents a significant challenge for contemporary society. All children should have the opportunity to develop according to their educational needs within an inclusive environment. The effectiveness of the school support team plays a crucial role in achieving this goal. This research aimed to explore the perspectives of teaching staff in kindergartens, including headmasters, teachers, and teaching assistants, regarding inclusive education, with a specific focus on their views and attitudes towards the roles of school special educators and teaching assistants in preschool education. A mixed-methods research strategy was employed to achieve this aim. Data were collected using a self-constructed questionnaire containing both closed and open items, completed by 394 respondents from 142 kindergartens. The findings indicated that teaching staff perceived the existence of a school support team as having a positive impact on addressing various children's issues and enhancing teachers' work. These results contribute to a broader understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the members of a school support team in kindergartens.\u0000Keywords: inclusive education, kindergarten, preschool education, school special educator, school support team, teaching assistant","PeriodicalId":44900,"journal":{"name":"Problems of Education in the 21st Century","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2024-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141918960","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"NEEDS ANALYSIS FOR DESIGNING AND DEVELOPING AN EFL TEACHING-SPEAKING MODULE FOR THE UNIQUE LINGUISTIC TAPESTRY OF CHINESE BUSINESS ENGLISH UNDERGRADUATES","authors":"Ke Hu, Asmaa AlSaqqaf","doi":"10.33225/pec/24.82.456","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33225/pec/24.82.456","url":null,"abstract":"Developing effective oral business English (OBE) curricula requires clearly understanding student needs. This study evaluated the speaking needs of Chinese English as a Foreign Language (EFL) undergraduates majoring in business English for specific purposes (ESP), aiming to inform the design of a teaching module that bridges the gap between current speaking abilities and the escalating demand for advanced communication skills in business contexts. A needs analysis questionnaire, reflecting the first phase of the ADDIE model (analysis, design, development, implementation, evaluation), was administered to 398 randomly selected participants using a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design. Results revealed that while students struggle with speaking errors and lack communication confidence, they favor interactive activities such as presentations, discussions, and role-plays. Concerns about current OBE pedagogy and materials highlight a need for more collaborative learning and teacher support. Statistical analysis using independent-samples t-test and one-way ANOVA showed no significant differences in speaking needs based on gender, age, years of English study, or English proficiency. However, a significant difference was reported between fourth-year and third-year students. This study offers some insights for developing more effective interventions to address the specific needs of Chinese business English undergraduates in Chinese ESP education.\u0000Keywords: ADDIE model, Chinese EFL learners, module development, needs analysis, oral business English, ESP","PeriodicalId":44900,"journal":{"name":"Problems of Education in the 21st Century","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2024-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141919031","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
T. Kilty, Kevin T. Kilty, Andrea C Burrows Borowczak, Mike Borowczak
{"title":"QUANTITATIVE TECHNIQUES WITH SMALL SAMPLE SIZES: AN EDUCATIONAL SUMMER CAMP EXAMPLE","authors":"T. Kilty, Kevin T. Kilty, Andrea C Burrows Borowczak, Mike Borowczak","doi":"10.33225/pec/24.82.507","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33225/pec/24.82.507","url":null,"abstract":"A computer science camp for pre-collegiate students was operated during the summers of 2022 and 2023. The effect the camp had on attitudes was quantitatively assessed using a survey instrument. However, enrollment at the summer camp was small, which meant the well-known Pearson's Chi-Squared to measure the significance of results was not applied. Thus, a quantitative analysis method using a multinomial probability distribution as a model of a multilevel Likert scale survey was used. Exact calculations of a multinomial probability model with likelihood ratio were performed to quantitatively analyze the results of questionnaires administered to participants in two cohort groups (combined N=17). Probabilities per Likert categories were determined from the data itself using Bayes theorem with a Dirichlet prior. Each cohort functioned as part of a homogenous sample, thus allowing cohorts to be pooled. Post-test revealed significant changes in participants’ attitudes after camp completion. Using this technique has implications for studies with small sample sizes. Using exact calculation of the multinomial probability model with the use of likelihood ratio as a statistical test of evidence has advantages: a) it is an exact value that can be used on any size sample, although it offers a quantitative analysis option for small sample size studies; b) depends only on what was observed during a study; c) does not require advanced calculation; d) modern spreadsheet and statistical package programs can calculate the analysis; and e) likelihood ratio employed in Bayes theorem can update prior beliefs according to evidence. Utilizing small sample size quantitative analysis can strengthen insights into data trends and showcase the importance of this quantitative technique.\u0000Keywords: multinomial probability model, likelihood ratio, small sample study, survey research, quantitative analysis, summer camp","PeriodicalId":44900,"journal":{"name":"Problems of Education in the 21st Century","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2024-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141919134","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SCHOOL SUPPORT TEAM IN INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN KINDERGARTENS","authors":"Ivana Rochovská, V. Klein, V. Šilonová","doi":"10.33225/pec/24.82.521","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33225/pec/24.82.521","url":null,"abstract":"Inclusive education presents a significant challenge for contemporary society. All children should have the opportunity to develop according to their educational needs within an inclusive environment. The effectiveness of the school support team plays a crucial role in achieving this goal. This research aimed to explore the perspectives of teaching staff in kindergartens, including headmasters, teachers, and teaching assistants, regarding inclusive education, with a specific focus on their views and attitudes towards the roles of school special educators and teaching assistants in preschool education. A mixed-methods research strategy was employed to achieve this aim. Data were collected using a self-constructed questionnaire containing both closed and open items, completed by 394 respondents from 142 kindergartens. The findings indicated that teaching staff perceived the existence of a school support team as having a positive impact on addressing various children's issues and enhancing teachers' work. These results contribute to a broader understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the members of a school support team in kindergartens.\u0000Keywords: inclusive education, kindergarten, preschool education, school special educator, school support team, teaching assistant","PeriodicalId":44900,"journal":{"name":"Problems of Education in the 21st Century","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2024-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141919504","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
T. Kilty, Kevin T. Kilty, Andrea C Burrows Borowczak, Mike Borowczak
{"title":"QUANTITATIVE TECHNIQUES WITH SMALL SAMPLE SIZES: AN EDUCATIONAL SUMMER CAMP EXAMPLE","authors":"T. Kilty, Kevin T. Kilty, Andrea C Burrows Borowczak, Mike Borowczak","doi":"10.33225/pec/24.82.507","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33225/pec/24.82.507","url":null,"abstract":"A computer science camp for pre-collegiate students was operated during the summers of 2022 and 2023. The effect the camp had on attitudes was quantitatively assessed using a survey instrument. However, enrollment at the summer camp was small, which meant the well-known Pearson's Chi-Squared to measure the significance of results was not applied. Thus, a quantitative analysis method using a multinomial probability distribution as a model of a multilevel Likert scale survey was used. Exact calculations of a multinomial probability model with likelihood ratio were performed to quantitatively analyze the results of questionnaires administered to participants in two cohort groups (combined N=17). Probabilities per Likert categories were determined from the data itself using Bayes theorem with a Dirichlet prior. Each cohort functioned as part of a homogenous sample, thus allowing cohorts to be pooled. Post-test revealed significant changes in participants’ attitudes after camp completion. Using this technique has implications for studies with small sample sizes. Using exact calculation of the multinomial probability model with the use of likelihood ratio as a statistical test of evidence has advantages: a) it is an exact value that can be used on any size sample, although it offers a quantitative analysis option for small sample size studies; b) depends only on what was observed during a study; c) does not require advanced calculation; d) modern spreadsheet and statistical package programs can calculate the analysis; and e) likelihood ratio employed in Bayes theorem can update prior beliefs according to evidence. Utilizing small sample size quantitative analysis can strengthen insights into data trends and showcase the importance of this quantitative technique.\u0000Keywords: multinomial probability model, likelihood ratio, small sample study, survey research, quantitative analysis, summer camp","PeriodicalId":44900,"journal":{"name":"Problems of Education in the 21st Century","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2024-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141919759","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"EXPLORING THE PERSPECTIVES OF PRESERVICE FILIPINO MATHEMATICS TEACHERS: BASIS FOR A PROPOSED EDUCATIONAL BELIEF MODEL","authors":"Avelino G. Ignacio Jr.","doi":"10.33225/pec/24.82.487","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33225/pec/24.82.487","url":null,"abstract":"This research explores the educational beliefs of select fourth-year preservice Filipino mathematics teachers enrolled in the Bachelor of Education major in Mathematics program in the second semester of the 2022–2023 academic year in a state university in Bulacan, Philippines, via qualitative-exploratory research. Three qualitative tools were used: a metaphor construction task, unstructured questions, and a drawing task. Thematic analysis and intercoder reliability checking were implemented. Based on the findings, the first theme, the teacher as a knowledge dispenser belief, features the imperative conduct of the dispensation of knowledge; the second theme, the teacher as a reliable improver belief, highlights the formation of space for student participation after dispensing knowledge; the third theme, teacher as an equity promoter belief, highlights the significance of addressing the needs of the students while dispensing knowledge; and the last theme, teacher as a strategic scaffolder belief, highlights combining, extending, and maximizing all knowledge, experiences, and learning opportunities to align with and attain learning objectives. The teacher-as-knowledge dispenser belief is more teacher-centered, the teacher-as-reliable improver and teacher-as-equity promoter beliefs are mixed teacher-centered and student-centered, and the teacher-as-strategic scaffolder belief is more student-centered. \u0000Keywords: educational belief model, mathematics teaching, preservice teachers, student-centered, teacher beliefs, teacher-centered","PeriodicalId":44900,"journal":{"name":"Problems of Education in the 21st Century","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2024-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141919223","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"IMPROVING TEACHERS' ATTITUDES TOWARDS REFUGEE STUDENTS","authors":"Selin Türkoğlu Özdemir, Habib Özkan","doi":"10.33225/pec/24.82.539","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33225/pec/24.82.539","url":null,"abstract":"In a classroom environment where refugee students are present, teachers' attitudes towards these students are considered to be one of the important key factors affecting the students' adaptation process to the education system and the society in which they live. Based on this important factor, the aim of the study was to improve teacher attitudes with the \"Attitude Improvement Module towards Refugee Students\" designed by the researchers and to contribute to professional development studies on the subject by taking teachers' views about the module. In the research process, an attitude scale was used to measure teachers' attitudes towards these students, covering the dimensions of communication, harmony and proficiency, it was applied to the teachers in the experimental and control groups before and after the module and the attitudes of the teachers before and after the module were analyzed. After the analyses, teachers' views were sought regarding the results. As a result of the quantitative analyses conducted in this mixed-method research, a decrease was observed in the arithmetic average of the communication and adaptation dimensions, while an increase was observed in the arithmetic average of proficiency in the dimension. According to the qualitative analysis, it was revealed that teachers had feelings such as \"prejudices, inability to accept refugees, language problems\" towards refugee students, but after the module was implemented, their feelings, such as \"gaining awareness and empathic approach in refugee education\", improved. Based on the findings, it is recommended to develop policies aimed at nurturing the emotional aspects of teachers as well as their proficiency in improving their attitudes towards refugee students. \u0000Keywords: refugee student education, improvement of teacher attitudes, mixed methods, exploratory sequential designs","PeriodicalId":44900,"journal":{"name":"Problems of Education in the 21st Century","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2024-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141919227","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ülkü Ulukaya Öteleş, Fatıma Betül Demir Evcimen, E. Koçoğlu, Kübra Melis Avcu
{"title":"EVALUATION OF PRACTICES IN THE EDUCATION PROCESS IN THE CONTEXT OF AGENDA SETTING THEORY","authors":"Ülkü Ulukaya Öteleş, Fatıma Betül Demir Evcimen, E. Koçoğlu, Kübra Melis Avcu","doi":"10.33225/pec/24.82.561","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33225/pec/24.82.561","url":null,"abstract":"In today's world, where the internet-based digitalization process has gained momentum, increasing the quality of learning in the educational process can be achieved by associating the transferred achievements with current topics and news in written and visual media by the teacher of the course, thus increasing the attention level of the learners in the learning environment. This situation, which shows the impact of the agenda on the educational process, increases the awareness level of the learners regarding the time period in which they live, the environment and the events that occur. In this direction, this study aimed to identify and evaluate the practices in the education process in the context of agenda setting, in line with teachers' opinions. This study, which was carried out with the phenomenology pattern, one of the qualitative research methods, was conducted with 30 teachers working in public schools. The data of the research were collected with a semi-structured interview form. The data obtained was analyzed with content analysis. As a result of the study, it was determined that the practical reflections of the activities prepared by the teachers based on the agenda setting theory were not sufficient in the context of learning.\u0000Keywords: Agenda setting, educational practice, phenomenological design","PeriodicalId":44900,"journal":{"name":"Problems of Education in the 21st Century","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2024-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141919499","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"NEEDS ANALYSIS FOR DESIGNING AND DEVELOPING AN EFL TEACHING-SPEAKING MODULE FOR THE UNIQUE LINGUISTIC TAPESTRY OF CHINESE BUSINESS ENGLISH UNDERGRADUATES","authors":"Ke Hu, Asmaa AlSaqqaf","doi":"10.33225/pec/24.82.456","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33225/pec/24.82.456","url":null,"abstract":"Developing effective oral business English (OBE) curricula requires clearly understanding student needs. This study evaluated the speaking needs of Chinese English as a Foreign Language (EFL) undergraduates majoring in business English for specific purposes (ESP), aiming to inform the design of a teaching module that bridges the gap between current speaking abilities and the escalating demand for advanced communication skills in business contexts. A needs analysis questionnaire, reflecting the first phase of the ADDIE model (analysis, design, development, implementation, evaluation), was administered to 398 randomly selected participants using a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design. Results revealed that while students struggle with speaking errors and lack communication confidence, they favor interactive activities such as presentations, discussions, and role-plays. Concerns about current OBE pedagogy and materials highlight a need for more collaborative learning and teacher support. Statistical analysis using independent-samples t-test and one-way ANOVA showed no significant differences in speaking needs based on gender, age, years of English study, or English proficiency. However, a significant difference was reported between fourth-year and third-year students. This study offers some insights for developing more effective interventions to address the specific needs of Chinese business English undergraduates in Chinese ESP education.\u0000Keywords: ADDIE model, Chinese EFL learners, module development, needs analysis, oral business English, ESP","PeriodicalId":44900,"journal":{"name":"Problems of Education in the 21st Century","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2024-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141919555","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"PROBLEMS IN TEACHING ENGLISH ACADEMIC WRITING AMONG ESL LECTURERS AT PUBLIC AND PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES IN MALAYSIA","authors":"Khairunnisa Azmar, Abu Bakar Razali","doi":"10.33225/pec/24.82.434","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33225/pec/24.82.434","url":null,"abstract":"English academic writing is fundamental at tertiary level as it is the main medium of communication in the academe. Over the years, ESL lecturers have not only struggled to search for the most suitable teaching approach(es) to teach academic writing but have encountered several other problems in their teaching, such as class size, students’ English proficiency levels, heavy workload, and others. Given these circumstances, a review of the literature has indicated there are scant studies that explore the problems faced by ESL lecturers where comparisons are made between public and private universities. Grounded in multiple case studies, four ESL lecturers from two public and two private Malaysian universities were purposively selected for the study. Data were collected from semi-structured in-depth interviews, lesson observations, and document analysis. A total of 12 interview transcripts were transcribed verbatim by the researchers, and data were analysed thematically using thematic analysis and cross-case analysis, where emerging themes were used to present the findings. Findings reveal that ESL lecturers at higher education institutions encountered problems, such as constraints in time, marking issues, students’ lack of interests and motivations, lecturers’ lack of interest in writing, lecturers’ lack of content and pedagogical content knowledge, and lack of institutional support. Hence, professional support should be given to ESL lecturers to overcome their teaching problems, and future research should explore the strategies employed by ESL lecturers to alleviate their teaching problems. \u0000Keywords: ESL/EFL lecturers, English academic writing, qualitative case study","PeriodicalId":44900,"journal":{"name":"Problems of Education in the 21st Century","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2024-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141919672","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}