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Electronic educational platforms are considered as one of the most important educational trends due to the confluence of many factors, prime among them being the all-pervading online mode of education. The aim of the current study is to identify the level of difficulties that English language teachers face in electronically conducting learning activities with basic school pupils from their perspectives. To achieve the objectives of the study, the researcher uses a questionnaire (descriptive method) with a purposive sample of 57 teachers. The results indicate that there are some difficulties that English teachers face when implementing educational activities electronically in teaching English language skills to primary school learners, however, there are no statistically significant differences between arithmetic means of teachers' responses to the questionnaire due to differences in the academic qualification degree variable. Moreover, there are statistical significance differences between the arithmetic means of teachers' responses in difficulties that face in implementing educational activities of teaching English skills electronically due to differences in the years of experience variable for teachers who have long experience. Results of the study would present managerial and pedagogical implications on the use of learning activities in online learning mode.

In the last two decades, India has seen a massive rise in the number of medical schools. As a result, numerous issues, including the availability of qualified teachers, have made medical education in India challenging. Faculty development (FD) has gained significant attention because of its importance in educational capacity building. FD programs help faculty become more aware of their professional responsibilities. Medical education units can play a vital role in FD and thus improve the quality of medical training by training the teachers. The National Teacher Training Centre (NTTC), Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Puducherry, was the first center established by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India in 1975, with the assistance of the World Health Organization, to promote the training of health professionals in educational science and technology, including educational planning and research. This article describes the profile of activities of NTTC, which is functioning under the aegis of the Department of Medical Education (DME), JIPMER, and lists the outcomes that contributed to the success of DME with particular reference to the last decade. The establishment of DME is seen to affect the medical school positively.

Three groups of EFL freshman students were concurrently enrolled in a grammar and a writing course. One group was taught the grammar and writing courses by the same instructor; the other two groups were taught grammar and writing by two different instructors using the same textbook but different instructional and assessment techniques. The study aims to find out which group made higher gains in grammatical knowledge and writing skill development. It also aimed to find out the effects of instructor qualifications, assessment, and pedagogical variables on students' grammatical competence and writing skill development. Comparisons of the grammar and writing post-tests showed significant differences between the three groups in the writing and grammar post-test mean scores. There were strong correlations between the grammar and writing post-test scores. Performance of the Group that received a combination of writing and grammar instruction by the same instructor (Instructor A) was the highest. The relationship between grammar and writing instruction seems to be reciprocal: writing instruction affects grammatical competence and grammatical knowledge affects writing skill development. Better achievements were made when both courses were taught by the same instructor as she can make the right connections between what is taught in both courses, which specific structures and skills should be emphasized. The instructors' qualifications, pedagogical system, educational and professional experience, the integration of online instruction, the type of error correction and instant feedback given to the students and the formative assessment technique used were significantly more effective than writing/grammar instruction that depended on the textbook alone. These variables proved to be important for enhancing the grammatical knowledge and writing quality of unskilled, low ability EFL students and resulted in a significant improvement in their grammar and writing post-test scores.

The main purpose of this study was to investigate on how Mathematics teachers' demographic variables could influence their instructional effectiveness in Senior secondary schools in Cross River State, Nigeria. To achieve the purpose of this study, two research hypotheses were generated to direct the study. Literature review was done according to the variables and hypotheses for the study to facilitate the discussion of findings. Ex-post facto research design was adopted for the study. Purposive sampling technique was used by the researcher, were all the members in the population were selected. The questionnaire was the main instrument used for data collection. The data were collected personally by the researcher and the assistants. To test the hypotheses formulated to direct the study, the independent and dependent variables were identified. Independent t-test and One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were considered most appropriate to test the hypotheses for the study. The 0.05 level of significance was used for the statistical testing of each of the hypothesis for the study. The result of the analysis indicated that educational qualification and teaching experience significantly influence instructional effectiveness of Mathematics teachers. Based on the conclusion of the study it was recommended that Government should organize regular seminars and workshops for all the Mathematics teachers in secondary schools, irrespective of their qualification towards effective utilization of instructional materials and methods of teaching.

The study sought the perceptions of university academics on the use of IT tools for the formative assessment (FA) of students' learning outcomes. This study adopted a quantitative research approach and descriptive survey research design using a sample of 180 university academics. Academics' perception questionnaire was used for data collection. The instrument with two clusters was properly validated, and its internal consistency reliability indies found to be 0.79 and 0.85 for clusters A and B using the Cronbach alpha method. The obtained data were analysed using mean and t-test of independent samples. The results revealed that university academics perceived the use of information technology tools as veritable tools for effective implementation of FA. Further analysis revealed that the perceptions of the academics differed significantly by gender and qualification. IT tools are indispensable in the effective implementation of formative assessment practices in institutions of higher learning. This finding implies that quality assessment can be achieved using IT tools, but there is a need for professional development of the lecturers. It was therefore recommended that efforts should be made by the Nigerian Education stakeholders in making adequate provisions for the effective implementation of quality assessment using IT tools.

In the years 2019-2021 a significant step was made in terms of distance learning, which would have otherwise, in normal circumstances, taken several years. While the solutions applied were the best in the given situation, the question arises of what these solutions imply in terms of long-term, systematic changes. The presented research touches upon three key areas that characterize today's schools: motivation, atmosphere, and competences of teachers and teacher-training students. The starting point of this research is the premise that the pre-crisis digital competences are simply not good enough for today's situation, or for the near future. Research results show that such fast-tracked changes and the transition to distance education have led to a significant decrease in the motivation of both, teachers and students, that the general atmosphere has worsened, and that there is a significant decrease in competences to be perceived, especially with regard to social and communication competences. The research shows also that neither teachers nor students are sufficiently qualified to work in the society of the future, in society 5.0. What is needed are actual, real changes in the field of digital literacy and digital competences, also indicated in this research.

Background: This report is part of a study commissioned to provide evidence to inform quality improvements, and the rolling out of the public reception class programme (RCP) to all public primary schools in Botswana by 2020. The study adopted the Discrepancy Evaluation Model (DEM) as a theoretical framework. Aim: One of the specific objectives of the study was to determine the effectiveness of the programme in terms of the RCP curriculum coverage and the teachers' effectiveness in delivering the curriculum. The aim of the study reported in this article was therefore to determine the reception class teachers' pedagogical approaches in delivering the RCP curriculum. Setting: The study was conducted in Botswana where early childhood care and education was provided by private providers until 2014 when the government of Botswana introduced the RCP in public primary schools. Methods: The study utilised a multi-method design. Stratified random sampling was used to select 10% of the 539 public primary schools that had implemented the programme since 2014 when it was introduced. An analysis tool based on the revised Bloom's Taxonomy was used to analyse the content, as well as the level of coverage of important skills within the RCP curriculum. Questionnaires were used to gather information from teachers. Interviews were used to gather information from principal education officers (PEOs) who are part of the inspectorate. Feedback received from these participants was considered as indicating performance, according to the DEM. This performance was then compared with standards (with the RCP curriculum) to determine if any discrepancies existed. Results: Findings indicated that the RCP curriculum was adequate in coverage of skills at various levels of knowledge, understanding and appreciation. However, in some learning areas, certain competencies and performance targets were pitched at higher-order thinking. This resulted in most teachers focusing on achieving performance targets instead of following performance indicators to develop particular skills. As a result, learners demonstrated achievement of performance targets yet their developmental process skills were not fully accomplished. Conclusion: The RCP generally had a sound teaching cadre which would generate a considerable impact on the programme, should their pedagogical approaches not be derailed by the desire to fulfil performance targets at the expense of developmental process skills.

Inquiry-based science teaching is an innovative pedagogy that is more effective than traditional instruction in promoting scientific literacy. However, teachers must develop strong favourable beliefs about inquiry teaching before they can successfully employ it to improve students' learning outcomes. Despite its importance few studies have been done to examine teachers' beliefs about inquiry teaching in places, like Africa, where there are serious inquiry curricula implementation challenges. This study investigated whether teachers' beliefs are positive or negative indicators of inquiry-based science teaching. Convergent parallel mixed methods was used for the study. Purposive and stratified random sampling were used to select 308 and subsample of 18 integrated science teachers from public and private junior high schools (JHSs) from urban and rural areas. Administration of questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used for the quantitative and qualitative data collection. The questionnaire has content and construct validities and is reliable. The interview schedule is credible and dependable. One finding suggests that most teachers in the research setting hold weak beliefs about inquiry teaching but strong beliefs about traditional instruction, that are negative indicators of inquiry-based science teaching. Other findings indicate that there are significant school type and academic qualification differences in teachers' beliefs about inquiry-based science teaching. One implication of the findings is that currently most teachers in the study context do not hold strong positive beliefs necessary for the implementation of inquiry-based science curricula. It is recommended that regular inquiry-based in-service trainings be designed to improve teachers' beliefs. It is also recommended that inquiry-based in-service trainings should be designed based on teachers' school type and academic qualifications.

This study evaluated teachers' implementation of basic science curriculum content areas in junior secondary schools in Nsukka Education Zone of Enugu State, Nigeria. Four research questions were posed and three null hypotheses were formulated to guide the conduct of the study. The study employed evaluation research design (survey method). The population of this study consists of 32 Basic Science teachers drawn from 31 state owned Junior Secondary Schools in Nsukka Zone of Enugu State, Nigeria. The sample for the study consisted of 32 Basic Science teachers constituting 100% of the total population size. The instrument for data collection was 37-item questionnaire for teachers titled "Teachers' Implementation of Basic Science Curriculum Questionnaire (TIBSCQ)" developed by the researcher based on Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) curriculum. 32 questionnaires were administered and returned. The reliability of the instrument was tested using Cronbach's Alpha which yielded the internal consistency of the reliability coefficient of 0.927. The data collected from the study were analyzed using means and standard deviations to answer the research questions and t-test was used to test hypothesis one and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test hypotheses two and three at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that gender has no influence in teachers' implementation of Basic Science curriculum content areas. While Basic Science teachers' education qualifications and teaching experiences significantly influenced the implementation of Basic Science curriculum content areas in junior secondary school. It was recommended among others that to improve the academic performance of junior secondary school students Basic Science, government should employ professional, qualified and experienced teachers.

The study of the competency of lecturers in Indonesia cannot be separated from the study of state intervention in education. State hegemony occurs in the form of formalization of regulations governing the improvement of capabilities and competences of lecturers. Research shows that the presence of Law No. 14 of 2005 and Government Regulation No. 37 of 2009 has been used as an implementation juridical foothold to encourage the increase of qualifications and competences of lecturers at State Islamic Religious Colleges (PTKIN) in Indonesia in general, and in UIN Ar-Raniry and UIN Bandung specifically. A qualitative-quantitative combination research design was applied in this research with data set approaches through documentation studies, observations, in-depth interviews, and questionnaires. This research establishes that the development of lecturer competence in PTKIN is in line with and not contradictory to the national education system and strengthens the content of Law No. 14 of 2005 and Government Regulation No. 37 of 2009. The qualifications and competences of lecturers at PTKIN have improved, but there is still a treat of implementation of regulations that have not been maximally felt by the lecturers. Upgrading the qualifications and competences of lecturers well and maximally, substantially affects PTKIN lecturers in improving the performance, professionalism and quality of academic benefits for students. These logical consequences have a positive impact on the transformation of education in the PTKIN environment after COVID-19, where learning processes and academic services can run online based on information technology.

Women and people of colour are underrepresented in physics in many parts of the world, to the detriment of the field. How do academics' beliefs about the role of 'brilliance' in career success contribute to these representation gaps, and what can be done to address them?

Purpose: Private supplementary tutoring, widely known as shadow education, has long been visible in East Asia, and now has spread to other parts of the world including Europe. This article maps the phenomenon, showing variations within Europe and analyzing its growth, underlying forces, and policy implications. Design/Approach/Methods: The article assembles a regional picture from available national sources. It focuses on the 28 members of the European Union. Findings: Within Europe, four subregions may be identified. Most prominent for the longest duration has been Southern Europe, pushed by political forces and cultural factors. In Eastern Europe, shadow education became prominent following the collapse of the Soviet Union and accompanying economic and social structures during which teachers and others had to earn extra incomes. In Western Europe, the advent of marketization alongside government schooling has fueled the growth of shadow education. Only in Northern Europe does shadow education remain modest in scale, but it is growing there too. Originality/Value: The article identifies forces underlying the growth of shadow education in Europe and highlights policy implications. By contributing this regional perspective to the wider literature on shadow education, the article permits juxtaposition with patterns in East Asia and elsewhere.

This paper discusses the qualifications of operators of Malaysian childcare centers, namely TASKA and TADIKA, and the challenges faced by practitioners in the industry of early childhood education (PAKK). This research used both qualitative and quantitative methods involving interviews and a survey. The sample study comprised 727 respondents consisting of 282 operators of TASKA and 343 operators of TADIKA. The research used a set of questionnaires and interview guidelines. The findings of the quantitative method showed the operators of TASKA and TADIKA had a diverse range of professional and academic qualifications, while the findings of the qualitative method highlighted a wide spectrum of challenges faced by operators of centers involved in the early childhood education industry. Collectively, such findings suggest that running a childcare center is fraught with a myriad of challenges encompassing economic, logistical, social, educational, and financial factors, which have to be addressed effectively. Certainly, prospective operators must seek assistance from those who are involved in the running, monitoring, and managing of such centers, notably experienced practitioners and relevant government officers. Also, to become successful entrepreneurs in this industry, they need to develop the passion and zeal to operate such centers with great success.

Metacognition is the knowledge and regulation of one's cognition and has been associated with academic performance across all levels of education, including higher education (HE). Previously, a gap has been reported between extensive metacognition research and elaboration of theory versus minimal inclusion of metacognition in teaching practice in primary and secondary education. The present study investigated whether this theory-practice gap extends to HE. Furthermore, we took a novel approach to evaluating academics' broad and implicit inclusion of metacognitive supportive practices (MSPs) in their teaching practice. A questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were used to evaluate awareness of metacognition and inclusion of 16 MSPs in undergraduate teaching among 72 academics in scientific disciplines at a UK research-intensive university. We found that a minority of academics (27/72, 37.5%) were familiar with metacognition and, of those who were, they typically emphasised knowledge of cognition, rather than regulation of cognition. Nonetheless, all respondents incorporated at least two MSPs in their teaching, although typically in a limited fashion, emphasising knowledge and understanding of discipline content rather than cognitive regulation. Compared to academics without a teaching qualification, respondents holding or working towards a teaching qualification used significantly more MSPs, earlier in their career, and used significantly more MSPs aligned with regulation of cognition. This study demonstrates that the metacognition theory-practice gap extends to HE and highlights the scope for staff development programmes to better support students' metacognitive development relevant for their studies and post-graduation careers.

It is well known that teachers are central to education reforms and to providing high-quality instruction. The National Curriculum Framework 2005 identifies the need for professionally qualified teachers and the need to enhance the professional identity of schoolteachers. Low-fee private schools are often presented as a solution to the supposedly poor quality of education provided by government schools. Based on ethnographic fieldwork, this article examines the micro-managed context of teachers' work in low-fee private schools in semi-urban Delhi. It illustrates ways in which curriculum and pedagogy were used to control teachers' work and analyses these observations in the light of New Public Management discourses. This article argues that teachers strongly constructed their work as provisional and used silence and exit as a way to cope within the highly regulated work environments of the school.

The 2022 Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Review in England has proposed changes to the way in which SENCos are trained before working in English schools. Although the DfE collects data relating to the demographics of all teachers, the 2022 SEND Review Green Paper does not draw on this to support or inform the changes being proposed. A Freedom of Information request was made to the DfE, from which actual data could be acquired, with breakdowns by age, gender, qualifications and leadership status. The data describe a teacher who is still more likely to be female and approaching the middle of their career. Most SENCos are still on the class teacher pay scale rather than the leadership scale, with a minority holding a Master's-level qualification. The DfE does not have an accurate overview of how many teachers hold the current SENCo qualification. The article provides a number of recommendations to policymakers based on the data provided.

With growing English learner (EL) populations enrolling in districts throughout the United States, educators must be trained to meet the needs of this culturally and linguistically diverse population. However, the approaches used to meet this growing teacher training need vary widely, with little available research on how different approaches impact student success. The current paper uses geospatial mapping to examine how states' EL teacher certification requirements are related to the academic success of English learners in those states. The results of this study suggest that state EL teacher certification requirements are related to student outcomes and that geographic location moderates those results. The geospatial mapping technique utilized in this study improves the accessibility of available data to the general population and policy makers.

Schools in various parts of the world adopt plans or projects to improve the quality of school processes and students' learning. Therefore, it is important to understand the processes of strategic planning such as teachers' participation on decision making related to school plans. Apparently a limited number of studies have hitherto been conducted on teachers' participation in strategic planning. The purpose of this paper is to examine teachers' participation in decision making and strategic action planning in Portuguese schools. A survey employing self-administered scales was taken. Teachers' participation, other stakeholders' participation, planning, and decision making, professional development, plans' importance and validation, and ownership were the dimensions considered. Data were collected from 804 Portuguese teachers. Participants reported moderate to high levels of participation in strategic action plans, but they also reported moderate to low levels of participation in overall school decisions, plans' importance and validation, sense of ownership and recognition of relevant opportunities for professional development. These results indicate that participation and collaboration are essential determinants of plan and action success in educational contexts. The participative nature of decision making and strategic planning seems to underscore the relevance, value and adequacy of schools' plans from the perspective of teachers. However, differences in these dimensions related to teachers' experience and professional roles also point to lower levels of participation from some teachers, which may hinder their involvement in school actions and improvement. This study suggests the need to explore the dominant types of participation and collaboration in Portuguese schools and to analyse the importance of other variables.

This mixed-methods study aimed to explore the expected qualifications of English teachers in the South of Thailand. The Delphi technique and exploratory sequential design were employed with three phrases of study: a qualitative and two quantitative phases. For the qualitative phase, 49 experts who were from professional organization, educators and school teachers responded to an open-ended questionnaire and semi-structured interview asking their opinions toward the expected qualifications of English teachers in the South of Thailand in the next five to ten years. The data from the open-ended questionnaire and interview were analyzed by using content analysis. 216 qualifications emerged from the qualitative data were developed into a rating scale questionnaire that was sent back to the same experts to confirm each qualification. The finding revealed that 197 qualifications were kept and 7 were deleted. The 12 qualifications that needed reassessment were sent back to the same experts. The result indicated that 6 of them were kept. The final 203 qualifications were proposed.

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has highlighted a 'vicious cycle of decline' in rural, regional and remote (RRR) regions, with significant inequalities in educational outcomes between rural and urban areas. However, interventions have not resulted in transformative or lasting improvements to education in rural contexts. This paper presents a cross-comparative country analysis of current global policy on RRR education. We used a policy analysis framework to interrogate national policy texts concerning teacher education for RRR contexts in three countries - Australia, South Africa and Mexico. A rigorous selection process of the literature yielded 17 key policy texts, which were examined for the influences, practices, language and outcomes relating to teacher education preparation for RRR locales. Findings highlighted a legacy of historical influences and a metrocentric bias in policy texts, with limited examples of assets-based education. We argue that these factors may be perpetuating the significant and persistent disadvantage in RRR education. We recommend an alternative policy discourse that recognises the productivities and potentialities of an assets-based approach within the local context, where school leaders and teachers are positioned as central change agents in RRR education.

This study aimed at establishing the impact of extra lessons on the political field in Zimbabwean urban day high-density secondary schools. It was guided by the interpretivist perspective based on the interpretation of interactions and social meaning that teachers, learners, parents, and school inspectors assigned to the role of extra lessons on the political environment. The study was qualitative and thus aimed at reporting detailed views of informants. The multiple case study method was used as the focus was on three high-density high schools in Chegutu town. The researcher adopted the multi-technique approach to generate data, thus interviews and focus group discussions were used. Data saturation was arrived at after the involvement of 23 participants. These consisted of 8 teachers, 6 learners, 6 parents and 3 school inspectors. Findings from the study show that political expedience was one reason why extra lessons had been carried out with the blessing of some political players. From the academic outlook, politicians in favour of the extra lessons capitalised on them to gain continued existence in the political arena. While the political elite benefitted in the short term, through political expedience, in the long run, they stood to lose political support as this could also lead to civil disorder when many youths passed examinations but found no formal employment. Extra lessons made teachers generate extra income and created informal employment in many private colleges. This translated into low political tensions which were usually sparked by poor teacher incentives and high unemployment. Extra lessons paved the way for some meeting point among and between the different stakeholders and politicians still were guaranteed their votes regardless of whether they were for or against the extra lessons. Since there is evidence that most stakeholders were in favour of the extra lessons, it is prudent these lessons should continue to be carried out. Extra lessons also created informal employment in private colleges, and this has translated into low political tensions as teachers get some extra incentives, at the same time lowering the high unemployment of qualified teachers.

The shift to an earlier start in foreign language teaching in Finland took place nationwide in 2020. Both class teachers and subject teachers faced a new situation. They would be teaching children younger than before, or they would be teaching a completely new subject for them. This article examines teachers' conceptions of the skills and competencies, including required language skills, that are important for a teacher in early foreign language teaching. The data for this study were gathered through essays that teachers (n=44, subject teachers, class teachers, and double qualified teachers) turned in as tasks during an in-service teacher training for early teaching of foreign languages. The essays were analyzed with content analysis. The findings show that teachers found it the most essential that early foreign language teachers have enthusiasm for the job and are able to inspire learners. They also considered it important that teachers focus on learners and the learning environment, as well as have skills for early years pedagogy. The teachers did not consider foreign language education or language skills as important as the other skills but yet wished for teachers to be able to communicate in the target language in the class.

This descriptive study aimed to find out whether instructors practiced self-development activities, whether some factors hindered the practice of self-development activities, and to what extent the instructors implemented self-development activities in their classes to solve a problem. Additionally, it aimed to find out whether the instructors differed in the use of self-development activities in terms of age, gender, experience, education level, and teaching hours. This study was conducted with 348 EFL instructors and four teacher trainers. Three research instruments including a questionnaire, interviews with teacher trainers, and four EFL instructors were used to investigate the self-development activities which were journal writing, self-appraisal, peer-observation, reading, writing a research paper, and action research. The analysis of data revealed that EFL instructors practiced self-development activities on a limited scale except for peer observation, which was carried out as a school policy. The results also showed that the workload was the most important hindrance in practicing self-development activities. Additionally, EFL instructors did not transfer the information gathered from self-development activities in their EFL classes to solve problems and they differed in the use of self-development activities to some extent in terms of age, gender, teaching experience, ELT qualifications like BA, MA, or Ph.D. and teaching hours.