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Eurasian Society of Educational Research
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'Educational needs' Search Results

The Pedagogical Role of the Primary-School Headteacher: Insights From Greece

headteacher pedagogical leadership school principal school climate school life

Nikolaos Alexopoulos , Thomas Babalis , Konstantina Tsoli , Stavroula Delioridou


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The pedagogical and didactic guidance of teachers has been linked, in the relevant literature, to the school management’s adoption of the model of pedagogical leadership as well as to the assurance of a series of factors that influence it. This study aims at investigating the pedagogical role of the principal in Greek primary schools. Data were collected through an anonymous questionnaire completed by 133 Greek primary school head teachers. Results show that head teachers consider that their pedagogical role has mainly to do with the pedagogical climate, psychosocial and pedagogical guidance of the school unit. Additionally, the research results show that head teachers carry out their pedagogical role cooperating and communicating mainly with the members of the educational community of the school. Another noteworthy finding of the present study is that the factors that support head teachers in their pedagogical leadership role, are hard to exist in hierarchical educational realities such as Greece. The originality of the paper draws attention to the school's socio-economic environment, which significantly influences school leadership. Conclusions on the implications of the study are made and directions for future research are suggested.

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10.12973/ijem.9.3.535
Pages: 535-549
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Teacher well-being is a stimulating topic frequently appearing in studies over long periods. Teachers are typically exposed to stress that, when addressed, can lead to low morale and positively impact their work. This study examined the relationship between job satisfaction and well-being among preschool teachers in Selangor. We used a quantitative research method and correlational research design to test the hypotheses and answer the research questions. The current study involved 977 government preschool teachers selected using a cluster random sampling method. After data cleaning, a data set of 610 respondents was used for this study. This study used exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using AMOS for data analysis. SEM Analysis showed that job satisfaction positively influences teachers' well-being. However, our results also showed that the subconstruct of job satisfaction with students did not significantly influence preschool teachers' well-being.

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10.12973/ijem.9.4.657
Pages: 657-669
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649
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2712
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2

Scopus
4

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Active learning (AL) techniques invite students to participate actively, either physically or mentally, in the learning process so that they can change their behavior efficiently to achieve great achievement. Still, there is insufficient knowledge concerning the dimensions of AL techniques for business subjects of secondary school students in Malaysia. Thus, the research’s goal is to assist in the determination of the instruments’ reliability to measure the AL techniques measurement scale for business subjects’ students using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) as well as reliability analysis. Moreover, this research conducted a self-administered survey among secondary school students who have taken business subjects as their elective subjects. From secondary schools in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, 123 respondents were randomly chosen for the sample. To measure the AL constructs, the study retained 30 items developed because no items have been omitted since the factor loading turned out higher than the 0.50 cut-off point and was used as a tool for data collection. Essentially, this research empirically validates the dimension which helps lead to AL techniques in business subjects that are improved, and the findings are particularly beneficial to secondary school students in Malaysia.

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10.12973/ijem.9.4.671
Pages: 671-684
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477
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2073
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1

The Challenging Path of Welcoming and Inclusion of Foreign Students in Schools: A Systematic Review

interculturality migration school coexistence school inclusion school integration welcoming

María Rodríguez Riquelme , María Belén Ortega-Senet , Caterine Galaz , Andrew Philominraj


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Interculturality, inclusion, and diversity are generally associated with bilingualism in countries with different socio-cultural identities, but rarely with school coexistence among students hailing from different backgrounds. The present systematic review is framed in a descriptive-qualitative approach since its main objective is to provide an account of the relationship between welcoming, school coexistence, and the integration and inclusion processes in schools in countries receiving foreign migrant families. For this purpose, Web of Science, SCOPUS, EBSCO, and SCiELO databases were searched using a reference chain, and according to search results, 26 empirical studies retrieved from those databases published between 2010 and 2020 were analyzed. The main findings indicate that the inclusion process is developed through the acculturation and disciplining devices of foreign children to the dominant national logic, which marks a hierarchical difference between nationalities. They also highlight the recognition of cultural diversity under the logic of folklorization and a vision that focuses on academic achievement rather than on the particularities that cultural diversity can contribute to social relations and learning within the school.

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10.12973/ijem.10.1.801
Pages: 1-18
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886
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Mathematical modeling offers a promising approach to improving mathematics education. This study aims to determine if the concept of metacognitive awareness in the learning process is associated with mathematical modeling. This study also considers the interaction effect of sex and academic year level on both variables. Focusing the study on preservice elementary teachers might address potential issues and targeted intervention in their preparation program concerning their ability to teach and guide young learners in modeling activities. The research sample includes 140 preservice elementary teachers at Central Luzon State University, Philippines. Data collection used an adapted metacognitive awareness inventory and a validated researcher-made mathematical modeling competency test aligned with the K-12 mathematics curriculum in the Philippines. Results revealed that the preservice elementary teachers had a high metacognitive awareness and mathematical modeling competency, ranging from 22 to 31 out of 36 points. Besides, Factorial ANOVA indicates that academic year level positively affects both variables regardless of sex, and stepwise regression analysis unveiled that information management, declarative knowledge, and planning significantly predict 41.4% of the mathematical modeling competency variance. This suggests that developing metacognitive awareness supports preservice elementary teachers in performing modeling tasks that improve their competency level in mathematics.

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10.12973/ijem.10.1.1079
Pages: 279-292
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728
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This research concentrated on observing academic student teachers’ teamwork, especially its effectiveness and their attitudes to collaboration and transformation, as well as their reflective, written self-assessments in relation to teamwork. Teams have been studied widely, but these kinds of special contexts are rare. The target group was higher education teachers, the context was an introduction of a new pedagogical program, and the teams acted under the guidance of mentors and occasional lecturers. Besides the content analysis, the study method was a deep analysis of the essays. The most effective positive influencers proved to be social exchanges, including mentoring, peer support, input for learning and the experiences of wellbeing. Individual distrust of working methods in teams, and emotional suspicions of their self-efficacy in transformational settings emerged as latent factors, revealing mainly the difficulty of changing traditional mindsets. The analyses offered individual and community-wide opportunities to steer education in the future.

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10.12973/ijem.10.2.307
Pages: 307-323
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Family Perceptions About the Methodology of the “We All Are Campus” Training Program

development method intellectual disability quality of life training program methodology youth development

José Antonio García-Candel , Abraham Bernárdez-Gómez , María Luisa Belmonte-Almagro


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The transition to adulthood involves not only the acquisition of professional skills but also the development of social and emotional competencies that enable individuals to fully integrate into society. The educational program "We all are campus" of the University of Murcia focuses on preparing young people with intellectual disabilities for the ultimate goal of employment. In this study, 30 family members or guardians of people with intellectual disabilities (PcDI) participated and were consulted about their perceptions of this educational program. The research was conducted using a mixed qualitative methodology, adopting a case study approach. The main results indicate that the training received by the students improves aspects such as their interpersonal relationships and development. In addition, it is relevant to highlight that the family members emphasize an increase in maturity and the knowledge of the people with intellectual disabilities who attended the program "We all are campus". It is concluded that there are several aspects that are relevant to the families, among them, the optimism and support that their relatives need in the face of the uncertainty of their future.

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10.12973/ijem.10.3.387
Pages: 387-396
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Teachers’ access to technology in this day and age could have a positive effect on the teaching and learning of English first additional language (EFAL). This qualitative interpretive case study explored how limited access to technology resources affects the teaching practices of Intermediate Phase EFAL teachers in rural schools in Limpopo, South Africa. This study, underpinned by the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), conducted semi-structured interviews to collect data from ten EFAL teachers who were purposively sampled. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The study revealed that three of the ten EFAL teachers sampled integrated technology into their teaching despite challenges such as insufficient projectors, lack of learners’ smartphones and data bundles, and Internet connectivity. However, the other seven sampled participants did not use technology, citing a lack of digital tools and knowledge as a contributing factor. The study concludes that the lack of resources contributed to limited or no use of technology and the motivation to integrate technology into their lessons. Based on these findings, it is recommended that technological resources that can help EFAL teachers with digital teaching be made available so that they can integrate them to assist learners in developing language skills. Furthermore, in-service training and ongoing support should be provided to EFAL teachers to give them knowledge and skill to use available technology resources effectively.

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10.12973/ijem.10.4.575
Pages: 575-586
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The study investigated the effects of utilising English as the primary teaching language on the academic development of Grade 4 (Gr4) learners, specifically focusing on the Life and Living (L&L) component of Natural Sciences (NS). Gr4 learners commonly transition to English as the Language of Learning and Teaching (LoLT), relegating native languages such as Sesotho to mere study subjects. This shift often results in comprehension and retention challenges, hindering students' academic achievements. By employing a quasi-experimental research design, the study used a purposefully selected sample of 80 Gr4 students from two primary schools. The control group (45 learners) received English instruction from Grade R to Grade 7, while the experimental group (35 learners) switched from Sesotho to English in Gr4. Both groups underwent pre-tests and post-tests, revealing statistically significant differences favouring the experimental group. These findings support the research hypothesis that introducing English as the LoLT as early as Grade R has a significant impact on learners' performance, particularly in NS. It is recommended that English be adopted as a medium of instruction for NS, as this better prepares students for future academic challenges.

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10.12973/ijem.10.4.589
Pages: 589-607
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The concept of sustainability in visual arts education is a relatively new way of looking at content. Therefore, it is important that the contents of sustainability are systematically integrated into the educational process at all levels of education. In this research, special attention was paid to the specifics of understanding the complexity of the term “sustainability" of pre-service teachers who come from a different educational background and who will also carry out visual arts activities with different aged students in their future work. A free association method with online interviews and artwork analysis was used in this study, with 5 female pre-service teachers from four different European countries. The study revealed that pre-service teachers recognize examples of good practice in architecture, the cultural landscape, and various other visual arts messages - they know what good sustainable practice in the environment and the arts is and what is not. However, they show less understanding of the specifics of materials as carriers of material cultural heritage or of the artworks themselves, as well as of contemporary artistic practices that emphasize themes related to sustainable issues or development. It can be concluded that further interdisciplinary approaches should be used in reaching sustainability goals in visual arts education and wider.

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10.12973/ijem.11.1.1
Pages: 1-15
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The process e-portfolio is a type of e-portfolio that helps students construct knowledge and familiarise themselves with their learning process through self-and peer assessment. Lecturers and students experienced difficulties when using the e-portfolio because Mahara 2019 was not updated. This qualitative research study proposes how lecturers should design e-portfolios for learning through formative assessment activities. Interpretivism was the researcher's standpoint, aiming to interpret how the study participants used e-portfolios for teaching and learning through formative assessment activities. This exploratory case study used semi-structured interviews and an e-portfolio checklist for data collection. It explored the use of the e-portfolio for formative assessment through the experiences of ten purposefully sampled lecturers. The findings suggest that an e-portfolio facilitates teaching and learning in open distance e-learning because it enables online delivery of the content and administering of assessments that afford students' learning of the module content through completing formative assessment activities. The e-portfolio facilitates co-teaching and co-learning because students become knowledge creators and active users instead of passive learners. This study recommends the use of process e-portfolios to facilitate assessment and learning in open-distance e-learning institutions.

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10.12973/ijem.11.1.63
Pages: 63-79
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This study examines the impact of digital tools on fraction comprehension among 5th-grade students with learning difficulties in mathematics. It assesses the effectiveness of three teaching methods: educational software, video tutorials, and their combination. The research involved 252 students from 8 state-funded elementary schools, employing a quantitative experimental design with pre- and post-test assessments. Grounded in Constructivist Learning Theory and Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK), this research explored how technology can enhance mathematical understanding. Results indicated that the combined method achieved the highest improvement (58%, p < .001, Cohen’s d = 3.03), significantly outperforming educational software alone (33%, p = .015, Cohen’s d = 2.52) and video tutorials alone (7%, p = .987, Cohen’s d = 0.14). These findings highlight the substantial benefits of integrating diverse digital tools to effectively support mathematics learning among students facing additional educational challenges.

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10.12973/ijem.11.2.127
Pages: 127-141
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Diversity of Students and Their Needs: What do Teachers Face in Their Professional Development?

educational needs diversity equity inclusive education teacher professional development

Ana Torres-Soto Abraham , Bernárdez-Gómez , Mª Luisa García Hernández , Martína Ares-Ferreirós


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In recent decades, the work of teachers has been carried out in classrooms characterised by a high degree of diversity, necessitating the provision of pedagogical responses that promote the inclusion of students. This article is derived from the research, development and innovation (R+D+I) project 'Intergenerational Professional Development in Education Implications for the Professional Initiation of Teachers (DePrInED) and aims to analyse how teachers at compulsory education recognise, characterise and conceptualise the diversity and needs of students. A mixed methodological approach was employed, with information collected through focus groups and interviews with a total sample of 147 teachers from different educational levels (young, senior and retired). Thematic analysis, combined with a comparative analysis, was employed to analyse the data using ATLAS.ti software. The main categories analysed dealt with students' needs and their own diversity. The study's primary findings suggest that, in comparison to their retired counterparts, both young and veteran teachers make greater reference to the diversity and needs of students, and emphasise the scarcity of resources and support to effectively address the diversity of students in the classroom. Experienced teachers are found to make more frequent references to diversity and students' needs, while retired teachers make these references less often. This finding assumes particular significance in light of the paucity of studies that adopt a generational perspective to analyse how teachers perceive diversity.

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10.12973/ijem.11.2.159
Pages: 159-172
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Differentiated Instruction in Multigrade Classrooms: Bridging Theory and Practice

differentiated instruction multigrade teaching performance appraisal tool

Jaime B. Bunga , Maria Luisa R. Olano , Manuel R. Morga


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This qualitative study explored the implementation of Differentiated Instruction (DI) in Philippine multigrade classrooms with the aim of understanding teachers’ experiences, strategies, and challenges, as well as developing a performance appraisal tool. Guided by its specific objectives, the research examined how teachers plan, deliver, and manage differentiated lessons while addressing the diverse learning needs of students across multiple grade levels. Findings revealed that effective DI is rooted in intentional instructional planning, including learner profiling, curriculum mapping, and flexible pacing. Instructional delivery was enriched through the use of thematic and multimodal strategies, ability-based groupings, and contextually relevant teaching aids, although technological access and training remained persistent barriers. Classroom management practices emphasized inclusive routines, peer collaboration, and adaptive learning spaces. Teachers also highlighted the importance of assessment tools and reflective teaching practices in continuously improving instruction. In response to these findings, the study developed the Multigrade Differentiated Instruction Performance Appraisal Tool (MDI-PAT), which synthesizes theoretical frameworks with authentic classroom practices. The MDI-PAT serves as both a self-assessment and professional development guide for multigrade educators, promoting ongoing improvement in DI competencies. The study concludes that enhancing teacher capacities in planning, delivery, assessment, classroom management, and reflective practice is essential for fostering inclusive and effective learning environments in multigrade contexts. The insights and tools presented provide a practical framework for educational stakeholders seeking to enhance multigrade instruction in resource-constrained settings.

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10.12973/ijem.11.3.377
Pages: 377-390
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417
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The personalization of learning and teaching processes represents an advanced approach to education that adapts content, pace, and teaching methods to the individual needs and preferences of students. This approach relies on analyzing diverse student characteristics, such as their knowledge level, progress, learning style, and interests. Achieving these goals is significantly supported by the use of information and communication technology, which facilitates and enhances the implementation of personalization in technology-enhanced learning (TEL). The primary objective of personalization is to increase student engagement, motivation, and support in achieving learning outcomes through individualized learning paths, real-time progress tracking, and feedback. This systematic literature review examines existing personalization approaches in secondary and higher education, supported by technology. The study investigates their effectiveness and provides recommendations for future research. Results reveal that personalized teaching methods—primarily through recommender systems, adaptive learning platforms, and algorithm-driven models—are effective in tailoring educational experiences by leveraging diverse student data, such as demographics, prior achievements, learning styles, and digital engagement. The review shows a predominant focus on higher education, particularly in subjects related to computer science and digital technologies. Quantitative evaluations complemented by qualitative insights, consistently indicate that personalization enhances content mastery, motivation, and overall satisfaction, with no significant negative effects identified.

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10.12973/ijem.11.3.359
Pages: 359-375
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242
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Teachers’ self-efficacy in classroom management is essential to their professional identity and teaching quality. While contextual factors shape these beliefs, the role of pre-service teachers’ perceptions of teacher education courses in influencing self-efficacy through their classroom management beliefs remains underexplored. This study expands self-efficacy theory by proposing an integrated model in which beliefs serve as both a mediator and a moderator between course perceptions and classroom management self-efficacy, particularly in inclusive classrooms. It builds on previous evidence that pre-service teachers’ beliefs about proactive strategies partially mediate the relationship between their course perceptions and capability beliefs in proactive management practices. This leads to the proposal of a moderated mediation model to explore a more nuanced relationship by investigating whether pre-service teachers’ punishment-oriented classroom management beliefs alter the strength and direction of this partial mediation effect. Data collected online from 480 pre-service teachers enrolled in State University and National Colleges of Education in Sri Lanka, which were used in the previous study, were analyzed using SmartPLS4 structural equation modeling. The findings indicate that punishment-based beliefs negatively moderated the indirect partial effect of pre-service teachers’ perceptions of classroom management training on their self-efficacy for inclusive classroom management, mediated by preventative beliefs. This positive indirect effect was significant only when reactive punishment-based beliefs were at low to moderate levels. These findings suggest that an overreliance on reactive strategies diminishes the beneficial influence of teacher education on self-efficacy in implementing preventive measures for inclusive classroom management. The results emphasize the importance of fostering proactive beliefs through targeted training within initial teacher education programs, supported by dedicated engagement from teacher educators and policymakers.  

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10.12973/ijem.11.3.403
Pages: 403-421
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