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Schools in the rural context of Limpopo Province, South Africa have a plethora of challenges, which have a negative impact on learner achievement. This paper argues that for schools to triumph over the obstacles, effective school leaders are necessary. Such leaders must define and communicate a clear vision and mission and work with stakeholders to achieve them. With these assumptions, this paper explores how members of the school management team (SMT) of a rural school in the Limpopo Province define and communicate their school's vision and mission. Through the qualitative research method underpinned by the interpretive paradigm, a case research design was adopted and a single high school sampled to participate. Data were generated from semi-structured interviews with seven SMT members, a focus-group discussion with six teachers, and an observation of the research site. The findings revealed that most participants could not articulate the school's vision and mission. In addition, stakeholders were not involved in the processes of defining the vision and mission and communication methods in this regard were also ineffective. Lastly, the SMT viewed the vision and mission as fixed and did not review them. Based on these findings, I conclude that SMT members must understand that the vision and mission could serve more than a visual purpose when designed as guiding principles to direct smaller objectives within the organisation.

The German school system employs centrally organized performance assessments (some of which are called "VERA") as a way of promoting lesson development. In recent years, several German federal states introduced a computer-based performance testing system which will replace the paper-pencil testing system in the future. Scores from computer-based testing are required to be equivalent to paper-pencil testing scores so that the new testing medium does not lead to disadvantages for students. Therefore, the current study aimed at investigating the size of the mode effect and the moderating impact of students' gender, academic achievement and mainly spoken language in everyday life. In addition, the variance of the mode effect across tasks was investigated. The study was conducted in four German federal states in 2019 using a field experimental design. The test scores of 5140 eighth-graders from 165 schools in the subject German were analysed. The results of multi-level modelling revealed that students' test scores in the computerized version of the VERA test were significantly lower than in the paper-pencil version. Students with a lower academic achievement were more disadvantaged by the VERA computerized test. The results were inconsistent regarding the interactions between testing mode and students' gender and mainly spoken language in everyday life. The variance of the mode effect across tasks was high. Research into different subjects and in other federal states and countries under different testing conditions might yield further evidence about the generalizability of these results.

The quality of educational work is inextricably linked to many factors at the system, school, teacher, and student levels. This research was carried out within the project 'Education of Teachers as a Factor of Providing High-quality Life-long Learning in the Learning Society/The Society of Fast Socio-economic Changes and Unsure Future', funded by the Slovenian Research Agency. This paper provides a basic overview of the characteristics of open instruction, an umbrella term that combines active and learner-centred didactic strategies. The empirical section focuses on the use of didactic strategies. The survey was carried out with 1,536 primary school pupils in Grades 7 and 9 and 263 of their teachers. Both pupils and teachers cited problem-based learning and research-based learning as the most commonly used didactic strategies, while project-based learning was the least frequently used. Despite the agreement on the most and least frequently used didactic strategies, there are statistically significant differences between pupils' and teachers' perceptions of all selected didactic strategies. Teachers reported that they used these strategies more often than was perceived by their pupils. We also found a statistically significant impact of better learning performance on the perception of certain didactic strategies. The results of the study raise new research questions, especially in the design of more detailed analyses of the use of didactic strategies in pedagogical practice.

This paper uses data from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and employs multiple regression models to investigate the relationship between teacher salary and educational achievement in mathematics and science across 30 countries. After controlling for alternative wage opportunities and two macroeconomic factors (GDP per capita and educational expenditure as percentage of GDP), the results reveal no significant relationship between teacher salary and educational achievement in mathematics and science. These findings imply the need to look beyond a single policy, such as higher salaries, in favor of policy strategies that address working conditions and other challenges facing new teachers.

Ensuring equity in education is a goal for sustainable development. Among the factors that hinder equity, socioeconomic status (SES) has the highest impact on learning Mathematics. This paper addresses the issue of equity at the secondary school level by proposing an approach based on adopting automatic formative assessment (AFA). Carefully designed mathematical activities with interactive feedback were experimented with a sample of 299 students of grade 8 for a school year. A control group of 257 students learned the same topics using traditional methodologies. Part of the sample belonged to low SES. The learning achievement was assessed through pre-and post-tests to understand if the adoption of AFA impacted learning and whether the results depended on the students' SES. The results show a positive effect of the experimentation (effect size: 0.42). Moreover, the effect size of the experimentation restricted to the low-SES group is high (0.77). In the treatment group, the results do not depend on SES, while in the control group, they do, suggesting that AFA is an equitable approach while traditional instruction risks perpetuating inequalities.

Gamification in education refers to the application of game design elements and game principles in teaching with the goal of increasing students' motivation and engagement, which contributes to more successful achievement of learning outcomes. Gamification can be used in education at different levels, from primary and secondary schools to universities and adult education. An analysis of the literature on the use of gamification in education has shown that it is more common in university education and less common in primary and secondary schools. Nonetheless, experience shows that games and numerous digital tools are successfully used in schools for the purpose of gamification, although this is generally not supported by the relevant research published in the papers. The research presented in this paper represents a systematic review of the literature on relevant research on the use of gamification in primary and secondary schools to explore the field and make recommendations for future research. The conclusion is that research on gamification should continue to suggest appropriate pedagogical and technological frameworks which would facilitate the use of gamification in schools by teachers. [Note: The year (2022) shown on the PDF is incorrect. The correct citation for this article is v9 n1 2023.]

The age of digital media has gradually changed our habits of accessing information and the knowledge we have. The learning habits of students and the way they access information have also changed. Reflecting on this fact, the main purpose of this research is to determine the reflection of this change in history education and students. The main problem question of this study was "What are students' views on the place of digital media in history education?" The study group of the research consisted of 25 ninth-grade students who were determined randomly and on a voluntary basis. The researcher conducted this study in his/her classes. Therefore, he/she knew the students' educational and social backgrounds. However, since students from homogeneous classes with similar success levels and grade point averages were included in the study, according to the information received from other teachers, students' success level was considered equal in practice. Additionally, students are admitted to this high school, where the study was conducted, based on a national test. For this reason, the study was conducted with students with equal success levels. Study data were collected using a semi-structured interview form designed by the researcher. Firstly, what the students who made up the study group understood from digital media was questioned. Then, the place and role of digital media in history education were questioned, and the benefits of using digital media tools, such as software, digital photographs, digital images or videos, websites, social media, digital data, mobile applications, blog articles, and electronic books, newspapers, and magazines, in history education, were tried to be determined. Since instant access to information was considered the main goal, it was determined that students confirmed the accuracy of the information they got by asking their teachers. In this study, it was determined that students mostly used digital media to watch videos about course topics. Ease of access to information was seen as the most important benefit of using digital media tools in lessons. It was concluded in the study that encourages students to use their digital gains for their education rather than using them in an uncontrolled way would be important in terms of directing the utilization of time and energy correctly. [This paper was presented as an Oral Presentation on November 17-21, 2020 at the 11th International Education Management Forum with the title "The Effects of the Digital Media Age on History Education."]

Background: Augmented reality (AR) is receiving increasing interest as a tool to create an interactive and motivating learning environment. Yet, it is unclear how instructional support affects performance in AR. Objectives: This study sought to explore how varying the instructional support in AR can affect performance-related behaviours of students with low cognitive abilities during assembly work. Methods: A total of 90 Belgian secondary school students repeatedly executed four different realistic assembly tasks. Three levels of instructional support (low, medium, and high) in AR as well as a control condition with paper instructions with a high level of detail were systematically varied across tasks and participants. Results and Conclusions: Multilevel regression analyses showed that AR instructions yielded lower assembly times and a lower perceived physical effort than paper instructions. Additionally, participants perceived tasks as less complex when given AR instructions with a high or a medium level of detail than when given a low level of detail. No effects of instructional support were established for other performance-related behaviours, namely necessary assistance, error-making, cognitive load, competence frustration, and stress. Effect sizes were small, at least among the instructional support conditions studied, yielding a limited base for adaptivity. Presumably, tailoring the instructional support in AR is only beneficial for highly complex tasks. The results might be useful for the design and implementation of AR in educational settings.

Using multiple methodological approaches in a sample of Chinese high school students (N = 1511), this paper reports on the development and initial validation of a 32-item Student Perceptions of School Guidance Support Scale (SPSGSS) initially intended to measure guidance support students perceive they receive from schools in four key areas of student development: academic development, career development, personal/social development, and college preparation. Results of factor analyses show that a bifactor model emerges as a best fit, indicating that students may have both an overall conception of what school guidance support is like and a separate understanding of specific aspects of school guidance support that contribute to the measurement of the overall conception. Examinations of ancillary bifactor indices reveal high reliability of the SPSGSS total score, suggesting that the total score is a reliable measure of the general SPSGSS factor. Moreover, this survey shows clear evidence of measurement invariance across genders and grade levels. Implications of these findings for educational research and practice are discussed.

While rural communities are not monolithic, many have seen recent shifts in demographics from historically homogenous populations to more racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse residents (e.g., Sharp & Lee, 2017; Brenner, 2016). Such shifts can occur very rapidly as new regional economic, social, or political forces emerge and are particularly impactful on educational communities which may have little time to adjust to the distinct needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students (Hansen-Thomas et al., 2016). Without clear systems for addressing such changes, reactionary policies to address the accompanying conflict can establish marginalized communities, deficit-based perspectives, and structural inequities (Lee & Sharp, 2017). As an alternative approach, this paper outlines promising practices for systemic approaches to addressing the ongoing professional development needs for teachers in rural communities who are supporting students from increasingly diverse backgrounds. These practices provide the support and professional development that is needed to meet emerging student needs and strengthen educators' self-efficacy (Flores et al., 2008) in relation to working with diverse populations. Research addressing the specific needs of a growing number of rural districts with low-incidence populations of students who are learning English as an additional language, known as "English learners" or "ELs," is limited. This paper, then, focuses on state-level teacher certification policies and accompanying postsecondary teacher training programs that are designed to ensure that teachers are prepared to meet the needs of students who are learning English as an additional language.

The transition from high school to university can be difficult and stressful for many students who are not sure of how to be successful in their courses and become engaged in extracurricular activities beyond the classroom. This paper describes the design and outcomes of the Preparation for Academic Success in Science (PASS) transition program in the Faculty of Science at the University of Windsor, a mid-sized university in Ontario, Canada. The two-day PASS program, offered in the week before fall classes begin, is designed to introduce incoming students to effective study habits, note taking, and preparation for examinations. Moreover, students are advised on how to get involved in undergraduate research, study abroad, service learning, internships, and student organizations, while balancing their time, health and wellness. Results from PASS cohorts between 2017 and 2019 suggest that students who participated in the PASS program had higher major and overall averages in their first and subsequent years, and significantly greater engagement in extracurricular activities compared to the (control group) students who did not participate in the transition program. PASS is presented as an effective transition program, but it is argued that further study is required to determine how academic performance and engagement are related to the intentionality of the student when they start university, and the importance of the program to building community and a sense of belonging.

This paper proposed an approach to enhance students performance and smoothen their integration in the university academic life. A social media forum is also proposed to ongoing communication to ease the life of the students and provide them with an exceptional opportunity to seek assistance and suppoirt from their peers and teachers. The research results exhibit that the majority of the students support and are eager to see this idea live and willing to play an active role and show full commitment. The cosortuion as a platform prepares the students, fosters and enables them to a smoothen transition to university, as well as improving their communication skills and academic performance by using mentoring, tutoring, and coaching techniques. Facebook was used as a communication and interactive tool among group members. The theme behind this platform is to construct academic group from final year school students, first year university students, school teachers, and university teachers. Each group has a mentor, coach, and tutor. Each member will play a specific role throughout the group, which will be highlighted in this paper. The outcomes were promising and interesting for both students, and their parents, also the teachers involved. It is recommended to dissiminate this experience and publicise it.

Few high schools offer Information Technology (IT)) as a subject in South Africa. This paper used Bourdieu's conception of cultural capital to investigate the reasons why many public schools are shunning away from including IT in their curriculum. Data were collected using a questionnaire and analysed using ANOVA, to determine whether cultural capital influences choosing IT as one of the subjects in the school curriculum. The results showed that public high school principals view IT as a subject that should be done in schools where there is medium-to-high cultural capital status. It is a challenge for schools with low cultural capital to offer IT among their subjects as it is not practiced by the community or society in which the schools exist. The paper concludes by recommending that there is room for the so-called 'low cultural capital' schools to offer IT among their subjects despite the challenges they are facing. Cultural capital does not hinder students' performance. Students from low cultural capital communities can achieve good grades even though they learn under difficult circumstances of inadequate educational resources.

The "TOEFL Junior"® Standard test is a tool for measuring the English language skills of students ages 11+ who learn English as an additional language. It is a paper-based multiple-choice test and measures proficiency in three sections: listening, form and meaning, and reading. To date, empirical evidence provides some support for the construct validity of the TOEFL Junior Standard test as a measure of progress. Although this evidence is based on test scores from multiple countries with diverse instructional environments, it does not account for students' instructional experiences. The present paper aims to provide additional evidence by examining the TOEFL Junior Standard test as a progress measure within the same instructional setting. The study took place in an after-school English program in Armenia, a non-English-speaking country. A total of 154 adolescents took the TOEFL Junior Standard test three times with different test forms at the intervals of 10 and then 20 instructional weeks (a total of 30 weeks). The difference in differences (DID) analysis shows that TOEFL Junior is sensitive to learning gains within 20 instructional hours per 10 weeks among A1-A2 level learners, according to the Common European Frame of Reference (CEFR) scale. However, the data did not provide support for this sensitivity among B1-B2 level learners even though their instructional time was twice as long. Although this methodology offers an improved control over the students' instructional experiences, it also delimits the results to a specific after-school program and comes with a set of other limitations.

While augmented reality (AR) technology has shown the potential to facilitate students' hands-on activities, few studies have explored its effectiveness in acoustic topics. This paper introduces an AR-based application for learning about the Doppler effect and investigates its educational effectiveness on students' learning achievement, interest, and attitude compared to a two-dimensional (2D) learning tool. Eighty-five junior high school students participated in our study, and they were randomly assigned to two groups (AR: n = 44, 2D: n = 41). The results revealed that students in the AR group outperformed those in the 2D group in terms of their learning achievement and interest. Both groups showed positive attitude toward the Doppler class and physics learning. Moreover, students presented a high level of cognitive perception toward the AR learning tool. This study provides a case for the application of AR in acoustics learning.

Background or Context: Dual language education aims to foster the development of bilingualism, biliteracy, sociocultural competence, and academic skills in all school subjects. Early correlational research suggests that participation in dual language education is associated with higher achievement. Recent studies leveraged more comprehensive sets of baseline characteristics and found that dual language students improved their achievement status more than other students. A major limitation to these studies is their lack of ability to model within-student growth. Thus, we lack evidence on the relationship between dual language education and growth trajectories within and across grades. Purpose: This paper reports academic achievement and growth in grades 2 through 8 for Hispanic participants and nonparticipants of a Spanish--English dual language program. It extends the literature by providing novel evidence on seasonal patterns of learning for multilingual students across the elementary and middle grades. Research Design: Applying a piecewise multilevel model to rich assessment data on a large sample of Hispanic students in a district in the Midwest, I compare the math and English reading growth rates of participants to nonparticipants of a dual language (DL) program. By separately specifying growth terms for each school year and summer, I test whether any differences in growth rates between DL and non-DL students expand, stay the same, or diminish across grade levels. Conclusion: Dual language participants started second grade with lower achievement than nonparticipants. In math, dual language participants grew more than nonparticipants during each year in grades 2 to 5 but lost more learning during summers. In English reading, dual language participants grew more during some school years. These findings suggest summer learning opportunities are crucial for addressing achievement disparities.

The need to assess and understand students' strengths in choosing their future careers is essential. Aptitude exams like the National Career Assessment Examination (NCAE) and Academic performance via Grades are important data used as the basis for determining student career strength. This study employed descriptive-correlational research, where secondary data were used. The analysis of NCAE results and the academic performance of Grade 10 students were performed in this study. An Independent Sample T-test was also used to determine the significant difference in the two aptitudes/tracks; Technical-Vocational (T.V.) and Academic Track (AT). The study revealed that the majority of the students performed above average and average levels across all domains. Natural Science, Spiritual Vocation, and Science were the students' most preferred careers/occupations. The results also showed a weak positive association between Mathematical Ability and Math performance. However, an insignificant relationship was observed on the two sets of variables; the Science Grade and Scientific Ability scores, and the English Grade and Reading Comprehension and Verbal Ability scores. The study revealed that students have higher AT scores than T.V.; thus, identified as the students' career strength. Evaluation and monitoring program with provisions to motivate students to perform better in the National Standardized Exams is recommended in the study. [This paper was presented in the 4th International Conference of Science Educators and Teachers (ISET), Khon Kaen, Thailand: Science Education Association (Thailand) (SEAT). ]

This paper explains sustained effects and what worked for students in the Advancing Learning Outcomes and Transformational (ALOT Change III) program. Data comes from qualitative narratives from the baseline survey of the program collected by the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) between December 4, 2019, and January 31, 2020, using focus group discussions (FGDs) and dialogues. The analysis followed the Miles and Huberman (1994) framework to make comparisons and contrasts. Results showed that students transferred skills such as self-confidence from primary to secondary schools, enabling the adolescents to speak up and engage. This showed an effective implementation uptake. The implication of the study points to the efficacy of community-based programs in impacting behavior of adolescents beyond primary school.

The aim of the present study was to examine the factor affecting reading performance of the students in a broad sense. The sample was comprised of a total of 752076 students who participated in PISA studies from OECD member countries during the years of 2000 (n = 159095), 2009 (n = 298454) and 2018 (n = 294527) in which reading literacy was the major domain of interest. The causal relationships were examined by using a series of multiple linear regressions by using IDB Analyzer software which creates syntaxes that replicate the analysis 80 times for each plausible value and calculate the average values by taking into account the student weights as suggested in the PISA manuals. The results revealed that enjoyment of reading (at 91%, 100%, and 56% of countries in 2000, 2009, and 2018, respectively), and index of economic, social, and cultural status (at 81%, 91%, and 91% of countries in 2000, 2009, and 2018, respectively) were ranked among the most significant variables that predict reading literacy in all three PISA cycles. While metacognition was not included in 2000, it was among the most important variables (at 100% of countries) in 2009 and 2018. [This study was presented as an oral presentation at The International Pegem Conference on Education held on 15-18 April 2020.]

A healthy family climate, including parents' attitudes towards their children and the quality of sibling relationships, is essential for child resilience. One of the domains where parental attitudes are determinative is the children's academic life. In an unhealthy family climate, for instance, parental pressure for academic success may cause dysfunctional sibling relationships and low-level psychological resilience in children. The aim is to investigate the mediating role of sibling relationships in the association between parental academic achievement pressure and support and children's resilience levels. Five hundred and one children (10-14 years old) participated in the study. Children completed the Parent Academic Achievement Pressure and Support Scale (PAAPSS), Sibling Relationship Questionnaire (SRQ), Child and Youth Resilience Measure (CYRM-12), and Demographic Information Form. Findings from the two different mediation models of Hayes Process Macro revealed that sibling relationship characteristics of warmth, intimacy, and status, or power, mediated the relationship between parental academic support and resilience levels. Rivalry and conflict were not significant mediators. All parental (i.e., support) and sibling relationship variables explained the 41% variance in child resilience (Model 1). Sibling relationship characteristics of warmth or intimacy, status or power, rivalry, and conflict mediated the relationship between parental academic pressure and resilience. All parental (i.e., pressure) and sibling relationship variables explained the 35% variance in child resilience (Model 2). To improve children's resilience, we propose healthier parental attitudes toward academic issues and more functional sibling relationships. [This study was presented at 2022 International Educational Congress (EDU Congress; November 17-19 2022) held in Antalya/Türkiye.]

This paper aims to analyse the applications for raising students' and schools' academic performance in the context of equal opportunities in education in such countries as Canada, Finland and Singapore with high achievement in PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) in 2018 and thus to make recommendations to our country- Türkiye. A qualitative study method was used in this current study. Document analysis technique, a method of qualitative study, was used in collecting the data. The data collected were then described under certain headings through descriptive analysis. The applications for raising academic performance in the context of equal opportunities in education in certain countries with high achievement in PISA (2018) were analysed under the headings of "applications of academic support for students in the context of equal opportunities in education in the countries" and "applications of academic support for schools in the context of equal opportunities in education in the countries". It was found in consequence that mostly local or school-based applications were available for students and schools in the countries. It is evident that applications are performed within a system. Interventions are made according to feedback. All the stakeholders take on active roles in the process. More systematic and local configuration involving all the stakeholders is needed in our country.

Nearly one in five pupils in OECD nations do not possess the fundamental knowledge and abilities necessary to get by in today's communities (OECD, 2019), which is a sign of exclusion. There is an unfairness in that students from low socioeconomic origins are twice as likely to be low performers, suggesting that social or personal factors prevent them from fulfilling their educational potential. This study intends to investigate the achievement of the 21st Century Biology Skills Test (21CBST) and to compare it to students' level of socio-economic status. The result (TIMSS) (2015) revealed that Indonesian students failed to achieve minimum standards in Science and Mathematics, with 33.3% achievement in science and 35% in mathematics for content domain and 33,3% in the cognitive domain. Comprising 37 multiple choice items, the 21st Century Biology Skills Test (21C-BST) includes representatives from five domains which are; i) Digital Age Literacy, ii) Inventive Thinking, iii) Effective Communication, iv) High Productivity, and v) Religion, Health and Civic. The respondents comprised 210 form students who took biology subject in school. The study revealed that students from high socio-economic status scored higher than their counterparts from low socioeconomic status. This paper concludes with some practical suggestions for improving students' 21st-century skills, particularly within the context of biology teaching and learning.

This paper examines the perspectives of Health Sciences and Technology Academy (HSTA) participants as they navigate through their West Virginia (WV) high school learning environments (i.e., in-person, blended/hybrid, complete virtual) during the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-19 (COVID-19) pandemic. In March of 2020, the participants in this out-of-school-time (OST) academic enrichment program for exceptionally driven, yet underprivileged, at-risk students, with over 70% living in rural areas, started receiving remote learning instruction through learning management systems or via paper packets. In August of 2020, school systems provided parents and caregivers alternative learning environments for their student(s). In order to understand the learning experiences of HSTA students during these unprecedented times, HSTA released the 2020 Learning Outcomes Survey to participants in December of 2020. We performed chi-square test of independence to test the relationship between participants' learning environments, their satisfaction with the education they were receiving, their ability to keep up with their school-work, teacher availability to help when needed and teacher feedback supporting them in their learning environment. The results show significant differences between the learning environments and keeping up with school-work as well as teacher feedback supporting them in their learning; however, Phi and Cramer's V tests for effect size show weak correlations. This study provides a small glimpse into HSTA students' learning experiences as they attempted to continue to learn in their regular school environment during the COVID-19 pandemic while in HSTA. [Note: The issue number (1) shown on the PDF is incorrect. The correct issue number for this article is 2.]

Reducing the socio-economic achievement gap is a key goal of education policy internationally. Since 2017, the stated intention in Ireland is to use the Pobal HP Deprivation Index to identify schools serving high proportions of disadvantaged students. In spite of this, little published research has compared the performance of the HP index to richer survey measures from large-scale educational assessments or examined its association with educational achievement at primary or second level. This paper aims to assess the validity and fitness for purpose of the HP index for use in identifying schools serving high concentrations of socio-economically disadvantaged students. Analyses draw on Ireland's Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018 dataset matched with administrative data. Findings show a strong correlation between school-average HP and other socio-economic measures examined. However, about one-in-five schools are identified as potential 'false positives' or 'false negatives' when school-average HP is used for identification purposes. Also, school-average HP explains less variance in reading achievement than other variables considered. Conclusions recognize the benefits of the HP index but emphasize the need for ongoing examination of the most appropriate methods of identification.