Journal Description
Education Sciences
Education Sciences
is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal on education published monthly online by MDPI. The European Network of Sport Education (ENSE) is affiliated with Education Sciences and its members receive discounts on the article processing charges.
- Open Access— free for readers, with article processing charges (APC) paid by authors or their institutions.
- High Visibility: indexed within Scopus, ESCI (Web of Science), Educational Research Abstracts, PscyInfo, and other databases.
- Journal Rank: CiteScore - Q1 (Education)
- Rapid Publication: manuscripts are peer-reviewed and a first decision is provided to authors approximately 24.9 days after submission; acceptance to publication is undertaken in 3.7 days (median values for papers published in this journal in the second half of 2023).
- Recognition of Reviewers: reviewers who provide timely, thorough peer-review reports receive vouchers entitling them to a discount on the APC of their next publication in any MDPI journal, in appreciation of the work done.
Impact Factor:
3.0 (2022);
5-Year Impact Factor:
2.8 (2022)
Latest Articles
Values-Based Education and the Promotion of Social Participation in Children’s Educational Leisure Organisations
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(4), 430; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14040430 (registering DOI) - 19 Apr 2024
Abstract
As recent research has shown, the importance of integral development during childhood is a highly relevant issue linked to promoting values and participation styles in healthy and safe leisure environments, which serve as significant educational spaces for participants. Research shows that education in
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As recent research has shown, the importance of integral development during childhood is a highly relevant issue linked to promoting values and participation styles in healthy and safe leisure environments, which serve as significant educational spaces for participants. Research shows that education in values is a foundation for citizens to commit to others and embrace diversity as a value and an enriching circumstance. In educational leisure spaces for children, personal and group identities are built around equity, justice, and inclusion, all of which generate greater social cohesion. The study universe of this work was made up of non-profit organisations working in the field of children’s educational leisure in the Basque Country, Catalonia, and Madrid. The methodology used was mixed and developed in three phases. The results presented here correspond to the first phase of the study (qualitative method) and focused on a content analysis, for which the categories of analysis related to education in values and the promotion of social participation were identified. Likewise, the results correspond to a specific territorial context, the historical territory of Bizkaia (northern Spain), specifically to ten non-profit organisations that develop their activity in the field of educational leisure time. The results have been organised around education in values, spaces and dynamics for social participation, and the vision of the sector’s future. The results highlight the entities’ role in methodological innovation, ethical commitment, the transmission of values, and the cultivation of participation from an early age through different activities. In conclusion, it emphasises the need for the children’s educational leisure sector to address the challenges of contemporary society.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Leisure in Education: A Multi-Contextual Tool)
Open AccessReview
The Intellectual Evolution of Educational Leadership Research: A Combined Bibliometric and Thematic Analysis Using SciMAT
by
Turgut Karakose, Kenneth Leithwood and Tijen Tülübaş
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(4), 429; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14040429 - 19 Apr 2024
Abstract
This study aims to describe the century-long trajectory of educational leadership research (ELR), including changes over time in its main and subsidiary themes, as well as its most influential authors, papers, and journals. The study combines the bibliometric performance and science mapping analysis
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This study aims to describe the century-long trajectory of educational leadership research (ELR), including changes over time in its main and subsidiary themes, as well as its most influential authors, papers, and journals. The study combines the bibliometric performance and science mapping analysis of 7282 articles retrieved from the Scopus and WoS databases. SciMAT software (version 1.1.04) was used to analyze changes over four sequential time periods and to exhibit the thematic evolution of the field—Period 1 (1907 to 2004), Period 2 (2005 to 2012), Period 3 (2013 to 2019), and Period 4 (2020–2023). Research during Period 1 focused on principals and included efforts to distinguish between their administrative functions and forms of ‘strong’ leadership contributing to school improvement. Period 2 included research aimed at understanding what strong principal leadership entailed, including the development and testing of more coherent models of such leadership. While instructional and transformational leadership models were prominent during Periods 1 and 2, Period 3 research invested heavily in conceptions of leadership distribution. Early research about ‘social justice leadership’ appeared during this period and eventually flourished during Period 4. While principals were an active focus through all Periods, the leadership of others gradually dominated ELR and accounted for the broader leadership theme found in all four periods. The results point to the evolutionary nature of ELR development, which eventually produced a relatively robust knowledge base. Experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic suggest that crises such as this might prompt more revolutionary orientations in the ELR field.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Educational Leadership and Management for Quality: Past, Present and Future)
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Open AccessArticle
Preparing General Education Teachers for Inclusive Settings: Integrating High-Leverage Practices and Mixed-Reality Simulation in Pre-Service Coursework
by
Melissa K. Driver, Kate E. Zimmer, Osman Khan, Jasmine V. Sadler and Emily Draper
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(4), 428; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14040428 - 19 Apr 2024
Abstract
Students with disabilities are increasingly being educated in general education classrooms. This exploratory study investigates the efficacy of using mixed-reality simulation (MRS) to provide deliberate practice on high-leverage practices (HLPs) for pre-service general education teachers. Results indicate significant shifts in pre-service teacher understanding
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Students with disabilities are increasingly being educated in general education classrooms. This exploratory study investigates the efficacy of using mixed-reality simulation (MRS) to provide deliberate practice on high-leverage practices (HLPs) for pre-service general education teachers. Results indicate significant shifts in pre-service teacher understanding of and perceived readiness to implement HLPs in favor of the mixed-reality treatment group. Examining the influence of this innovative technology on pre-service teacher lesson planning yielded mixed results. Findings hold implications for the preparation of special and general education teachers across all content areas.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Use of Mixed Reality Simulations in Teacher Education)
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“Don’t Touch Race”: Nice White Leadership and Calls for Racial Equity in Salt Lake City Schools, 1969–Present
by
Maeve K. Wall
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(4), 427; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14040427 - 19 Apr 2024
Abstract
This paper examines school leaders’ evasive attitudes towards race in Salt Lake City (SLC), Utah, between 1969 and 1975. Salt Lake’s unique demographic status as predominantly white and Mormon underscored elements of white anti-Black racism under the guise of innocence. Utilizing critical whiteness
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This paper examines school leaders’ evasive attitudes towards race in Salt Lake City (SLC), Utah, between 1969 and 1975. Salt Lake’s unique demographic status as predominantly white and Mormon underscored elements of white anti-Black racism under the guise of innocence. Utilizing critical whiteness theory and historical inquiry to analyze archival documents and interviews, I highlight one white superintendent, Arthur Wiscombe, and his failed attempts to confront anti-Blackness in schools as he navigated his conflicting values of racial justice, good intentions, and white Niceness. Framing the past as prologue, I uncover the historical legacy of white supremacy’s influence on local school policies and leaders’ actions, and make explicit connections to the repetition of these patterns today. Contemporary iterations of white supremacy rely on the same tools of whiteness used during intense periods of integration and racial awareness in Salt Lake City in the 1960s and 1970s. I conclude that white educational leaders must look more closely at the ‘nice’, color-evasive discourse that enables them to maintain power and privilege in their communities.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Niceness, Leadership and Educational Equity)
Open AccessArticle
Relationships and Gender Differences in Math Anxiety, Math Self-Efficacy, Geoscience Self-Efficacy, and Geoscience Interest in Introductory Geoscience Students
by
Molly M. Jameson, Julie Sexton, Dina London and Jennifer M. Wenner
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(4), 426; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14040426 - 19 Apr 2024
Abstract
While the role of affective factors in learning is well understood in geoscience, math attitudes have been overlooked. This study sought to explore the relationships between math attitudes and geoscience attitudes, namely math anxiety, self-efficacy, and geoscience interest. Baseline data were collected from
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While the role of affective factors in learning is well understood in geoscience, math attitudes have been overlooked. This study sought to explore the relationships between math attitudes and geoscience attitudes, namely math anxiety, self-efficacy, and geoscience interest. Baseline data were collected from 245 undergraduate students enrolled in introductory geoscience courses at three colleges and universities in the United States, with self-report measures of math anxiety, math self-efficacy, geoscience self-efficacy, geoscience interest, and demographic information. Results show strong relationships and predictive values of math attitudes for students’ geoscience attitudes, particularly for female-identifying students. This research provides important empirical support for the study of math attitudes in geoscience; additionally, educators can use this knowledge to inform their understanding of their students’ math attitudes and possible interest in geoscience.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gender and STEM Education)
Open AccessArticle
Enhancing Teachers’ Interdisciplinary Professional Development through Teacher Design Teams: Exploring Facilitating Conditions and Sustainability
by
Tina Gryson, Katrien Strubbe, Tony Valcke and Ruben Vanderlinde
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(4), 425; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14040425 - 18 Apr 2024
Abstract
Teachers in secondary vocational education face challenges in interdisciplinary teaching due to their traditional teacher education within specific subject domains. Collaborative efforts—like those implemented in Teacher Design Teams (TDTs)—can prepare and support teachers for interdisciplinary teaching. Research has demonstrated the factors determining the
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Teachers in secondary vocational education face challenges in interdisciplinary teaching due to their traditional teacher education within specific subject domains. Collaborative efforts—like those implemented in Teacher Design Teams (TDTs)—can prepare and support teachers for interdisciplinary teaching. Research has demonstrated the factors determining the effectiveness of TDTs. However, it is noted that the sustainable continuation of TDTs remains uncertain over the years. This research investigates the conditions that facilitate the sustainability of TDTs within the context of interdisciplinary teaching. Over the course of three school years, this qualitative study monitored 14 teachers participating in four TDTs within the context of an interdisciplinary vocational education course. During the initial two school years, the TDTs received external support from the main researcher, transitioning to an autonomous operation in the third school year. A yearly interview with each participating teacher and meeting reports were collected and analysed with thematic analysis. One of the main findings reveals that while the internal coach contributes to supporting TDTs’ progress, the support of the school leader is particularly crucial for sustainability. Although this study focused on school-based TDTs, it underscores the importance of support from outside the school for TDTs’ sustainability.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Teacher Professional Development and Sustainability)
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Leaders’ Social and Disability Justice Drive to Cultivate Inclusive Schooling
by
Chelsea P. Tracy-Bronson
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(4), 424; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14040424 - 18 Apr 2024
Abstract
The purpose of this article is to understand administrators’ personal beliefs and experiences related to inclusive education and social justice that are critical to their commitment, the leadership provided, and types of special education services that prevail in their districts. This study is
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The purpose of this article is to understand administrators’ personal beliefs and experiences related to inclusive education and social justice that are critical to their commitment, the leadership provided, and types of special education services that prevail in their districts. This study is embedded within a conceptual framework centered on inclusive education, and existing theoretical framings of leadership for social justice and disability studies in education. Further, it contributes to the conversation in a recent call to reimagine educational approaches in the United States that challenge systems, focus on racial and disability justice, and serve the public good. A qualitative research methodology with in-depth interviewing as the data collection method was used to understand the lived experiences and practices of seven district-level special education leaders. It specifically looks at the leaders’ drive to carry out social justice work and their overall value-based mission of socially just, equity-oriented inclusive education at the district level. It provides a research study on (1) how leaders come to carry out social justice and disability justice work in schools, (2) poignant career events that shape their justice work, and (3) their intentions to prepare under-represented and traditionally marginalized students to engage in society. The overall premise is that since district-level leaders are vital in shaping public schooling spaces, understanding their social and disability justice grounding is critical to disrupt marginalizing practices in PreK-12.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Making Our Way: Rethinking and Disrupting Teacher Education)
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Learning Multiplication by Translating across Microworlds
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Sheena Tan, Sean Chorney and Nathalie Sinclair
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(4), 423; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14040423 - 17 Apr 2024
Abstract
In this article, we explore students’ experiences of using two different digital microworlds of multiplication, which can be found in the multitouch application TouchTimes. We draw on Diagne’s notion of translation to frame our study, focusing on the learning that occurs in the
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In this article, we explore students’ experiences of using two different digital microworlds of multiplication, which can be found in the multitouch application TouchTimes. We draw on Diagne’s notion of translation to frame our study, focusing on the learning that occurs in the movement between the two microworlds. We study translation in terms of actions, strategies, perceptions, and preferences and highlight both the translatables and the untranslatables that emerged in the pair-based interviews that were conducted with grades 3–4 students.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Methods and Tools in Mathematics Education)
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Examining Front-Line Administrative Services in a Selected Public Higher Education Institution
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Mthokozisi Luthuli, Ntando Nkomo and Smangele Moyane
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(4), 422; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14040422 - 17 Apr 2024
Abstract
The South African government’s commitment to people-friendly public service since 1994 has influenced the quality of service provided by front-line administrative staff in public higher learning institutions. This study explores the experiences of front-line administrative staff at the Durban University of Technology (DUT),
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The South African government’s commitment to people-friendly public service since 1994 has influenced the quality of service provided by front-line administrative staff in public higher learning institutions. This study explores the experiences of front-line administrative staff at the Durban University of Technology (DUT), focusing on the challenges faced and their impact on teaching, learning, and overall academic activities. Against the backdrop of public higher education institutions (HEIs) in South Africa, the study addresses the persistent challenges in service delivery and the crucial role of front-line administrative staff. Employing a post-positivist paradigm, the research adopts a hybrid methodological approach, combining qualitative and quantitative methods. A survey design is utilized to gather data from first-time entry students (FTENs) enrolled in the Business and Information Management program at DUT, employing convenience sampling and a self-administered questionnaire. The study’s findings illuminate the inefficiencies in front-line administrative services, elucidating their impact on diverse stakeholders and emphasizing the pressing need for enhancement. The study found that the majority of students perceived the services positively, with only a small number expressing dissatisfaction and nearly all participants noted the institution’s adherence to the Batho Pele Principles positively, though a few had contrasting experiences. The findings further revealed areas of improvement for the service. By focusing on the experiences of FTENs, the study contributes to the broader discourse on enhancing service delivery in public higher learning institutions. Addressing these challenges is crucial for the fulfilment of the core mission of HEIs providing quality education and fostering a positive learning environment.
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(This article belongs to the Collection Trends and Challenges in Higher Education)
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How a Phonics-Based Intervention, L1 Orthography, and Item Characteristics Impact Adult ESL Spelling Knowledge
by
Katherine I. Martin
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(4), 421; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14040421 - 17 Apr 2024
Abstract
Spelling ability is a key dimension of orthographic knowledge and a crucial component literacy skill that supports automatic word recognition and fluent reading. There has been substantial research on first language (child) English speakers’ spelling ability, including the effectiveness of instruction interventions for
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Spelling ability is a key dimension of orthographic knowledge and a crucial component literacy skill that supports automatic word recognition and fluent reading. There has been substantial research on first language (child) English speakers’ spelling ability, including the effectiveness of instruction interventions for improving spelling knowledge. However, there is relatively little research on spelling in adult learners of English as a second language, and even less examining instructional interventions for improving their spelling. The current study addressed this gap by implementing an adaptation of a phonics-based instructional intervention in a university-based intensive English reading class. Compared to two different control cohorts, the cohort receiving the intervention significantly improved their ability to accurately identify whether an English word was spelled correctly or not. Analyses also considered the influence of a variety of lexical characteristics as well as participants’ L1 writing system. The results demonstrate the efficacy of this intervention in adult L2 English learners and also highlight the importance of considering word characteristics and participants’ language background when examining spelling performance.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Science of Second Language Reading: Ecological, Educational, Neurolinguistic, Psychological, and Sociocultural Perspectives)
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Nice for What?: The Contradictions and Tensions of an Urban District’s Racial Equity Transformation
by
Patricia Virella and Román Liera
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(4), 420; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14040420 - 17 Apr 2024
Abstract
Diversity, equity, and inclusion training has exploded over the last decade. While many districts invest considerable resources in developing their leaders’ knowledge and skills on equity issues, “niceness” can perpetuate whiteness and present formidable obstacles to meaningful progress. Investigating a large urban-emergent district
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Diversity, equity, and inclusion training has exploded over the last decade. While many districts invest considerable resources in developing their leaders’ knowledge and skills on equity issues, “niceness” can perpetuate whiteness and present formidable obstacles to meaningful progress. Investigating a large urban-emergent district as a case study, we examine the efforts to eliminate the racial barriers perpetuated by its leaders and explore the contradictions that arise after a year of professional learning geared towards antiracist district transformation. We employ a theory of racialized organizations, seeking to understand how whiteness as niceness impeded school leaders’ efforts to engage in antiracist change work. The study provides valuable implications for policy, practice, and future research in education and equity.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Niceness, Leadership and Educational Equity)
Open AccessArticle
Implementation of Hybrid Education in Peruvian Public Universities: The Challenges
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Félix Colina-Ysea, Nathalí Pantigoso-Leython, Irene Abad-Lezama, Kriss Calla-Vásquez, Soledad Chávez-Campó, Fanny Miriam Sanabria-Boudri and Colbert Soto-Rivera
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(4), 419; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14040419 - 17 Apr 2024
Abstract
Digital competencies and hybrid education have become fundamental tools to promote new learning styles in the context of higher education. The objective of the research was to evaluate the challenges that hybrid education creates with respect to the digital competencies of Peruvian university
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Digital competencies and hybrid education have become fundamental tools to promote new learning styles in the context of higher education. The objective of the research was to evaluate the challenges that hybrid education creates with respect to the digital competencies of Peruvian university teachers in times of uncertainty. The approach used was mixed in order to collect both numerical and qualitative data. The population and sample were composed of 189 teachers from three national universities. The techniques used were a survey for quantitative data and an interview for qualitative data. The instruments used were a questionnaire and an interview protocol. The results show that the challenges that universities in Peru must face are the recognition of their own potential, technical–technological capacity, interpretation of the felt needs, the formative development of human talent, and reflecting themselves as a dynamic node that responds to the changes in society. It was concluded that Peruvian universities must proactively address the challenges presented by hybrid education and the development of digital competencies to ensure a high quality education that prepares students for the world of today and the world of tomorrow.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Technologies and Teacher Education: Situating Educators in Possible Futures and Postdigital Era)
Open AccessArticle
Bloom’s Taxonomy Student Persona Responses to Blended Learning Methods Employing the Metaverse and Flipped Classroom Tools
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Fotis Kilipiris, Spyros Avdimiotis, Evangelos Christou, Andreanna Tragouda and Ioannis Konstantinidis
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(4), 418; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14040418 - 16 Apr 2024
Abstract
The paper aims to identify and analyze the correlation between student personality types and the use of metaverse and flipped classroom blended learning methods (BLMs) and tools by formulating a series of research hypotheses. Using Bloom’s Taxonomy, the most influential and standard theory
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The paper aims to identify and analyze the correlation between student personality types and the use of metaverse and flipped classroom blended learning methods (BLMs) and tools by formulating a series of research hypotheses. Using Bloom’s Taxonomy, the most influential and standard theory of learning in the education cognitive field and toward this objective, the authors extracted the personality types of students and employed a mixed-methods research methodology JASP software (v.0.17.1) involving both qualitative and quantitative tools. The qualitative component involved direct observation of synchronous classroom teaching to students, while the quantitative aspect utilized structured questionnaires administered to 634 students of the International Hellenic University enrolled to attend the “Human Resource Management” course. The acquired qualitative data were processed using (a) network analysis JASP software (v.0.17.1) software in order to address the student personas through nodes, connections, and centralities and (b) structural equation software in order to identify the correlations between types of students and the variables of the metaverse and flipped classroom methods. The findings reveal that the four types of students identified have a direct and strong correlation with the use of flipped classroom and metaverse teaching methods.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Active Teaching and Learning: Educational Trends and Practices)
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The Impact of Teachable Machine on Middle School Teachers’ Perceptions of Science Lessons after Professional Development
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Terri L. Kurz, Suren Jayasuriya, Kimberlee Swisher, John Mativo, Ramana Pidaparti and Dawn T. Robinson
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(4), 417; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14040417 - 16 Apr 2024
Abstract
Technological advances in computer vision and machine learning image and audio classification will continue to improve and evolve. Despite their prevalence, teachers feel ill-prepared to use these technologies to support their students’ learning. To address this, in-service middle school teachers participated in professional
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Technological advances in computer vision and machine learning image and audio classification will continue to improve and evolve. Despite their prevalence, teachers feel ill-prepared to use these technologies to support their students’ learning. To address this, in-service middle school teachers participated in professional development, and middle school students participated in summer camp experiences that included the use of Google’s Teachable Machine, an easy-to-use interface for training machine learning classification models. An overview of Teachable Machine is provided. As well, lessons that highlight the use of Teachable Machine in middle school science are explained. Framed within Personal Construct Theory, an analysis of the impact of the professional development on middle school teachers’ perceptions (n = 17) of science lessons and activities is provided. Implications for future practice and future research are described.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Learning: Exploring the Use of Educational Technology in Educational Environments)
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Learning from Mistakes—Dental Students’ Learning Experiences from Adverse Clinical Events
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Hiroshi Ishikawa, Layra Valdes, Juanna Xie, Hiroe Ohyama, Isabel Tate, Masahiko Maeno, Takahiko Shiba and Shigemi Nagai
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(4), 416; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14040416 - 16 Apr 2024
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Clinical training in the teaching practice is essential for developing patient-specific skills, yet the transition from preclinical to clinical training presents significant challenges for students. This study aimed to comprehend the challenges and issues faced by students at the onset of clinical training.
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Clinical training in the teaching practice is essential for developing patient-specific skills, yet the transition from preclinical to clinical training presents significant challenges for students. This study aimed to comprehend the challenges and issues faced by students at the onset of clinical training. It retrospectively investigated adverse events presented at the advanced dentistry course by third-year pre-doctoral students from classes 202A, 202B, and 202C during their initial ten months of clinical practice at the teaching institution. In this study, adverse events were defined as any undesirable experiences or incidents associated with a clinical treatment and administrative procedures. A total of 279 adverse events presented were categorized into eight disciplines: Treatment planning (TP), Operative (OP), Periodontics (PER), Endodontics (EN), Oral Surgery (OS), Fixed Prosthodontics (FP), Removable Prosthodontics (RP), and Patient Management (PM). The distribution of events was as follows: TP (11.5%), OP (17.7%), PER (13.1%), EN (6.9%), OS (6.2%), FP (24.2%), RP (5.0%), and PM (15.4%), with FP, OP and PM experiencing the highest rates of adverse events. The distribution pattern within the disciplines was consistent, and no statistical difference was observed. Across these disciplines, a lack of clinical skill competency was identified as a primary cause of adverse events. Other contributing issues included miscommunication, insufficient explanations to patients, a lack of administrative support, case complexity, and a deficit in diagnostic examinations and skills. The frequency of causes varied across the three classes, but no significant differences was noted in OP, FP and OS, in which over 80% of causes were related to clinical skill competency. Adverse events in clinical settings are frequent. Knowing these beforehand can aid students’ performance. Students should prepare thoroughly before clinical practice and understand common causes of errors. Educators should recognize the challenges inexperienced students encounter. Awareness of typical mistakes can enhance success in demanding clinical scenarios.
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Exploring the Complexity of Adaptive Teaching Expertise within Knowledge Generation Environments
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Jee Kyung Suh, Brian Hand, Jale Ercan-Dursun, Ercin Sahin and Gavin Fulmer
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(4), 415; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14040415 - 16 Apr 2024
Abstract
The shift towards Next Generation Science Standards represents a paradigmatic change in teaching, transitioning from knowledge transmission to knowledge generation approaches. This reform underscores the complexity of teaching expertise, extending beyond mere knowledge to require a profound comprehension of generative learning environments. In
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The shift towards Next Generation Science Standards represents a paradigmatic change in teaching, transitioning from knowledge transmission to knowledge generation approaches. This reform underscores the complexity of teaching expertise, extending beyond mere knowledge to require a profound comprehension of generative learning environments. In this study, we explore Adaptive Teaching Expertise (AdTex), defining it as a teacher’s capacity characterized by fluidity and reflexiveness in teaching dynamics, rather than just flexibility. Through a complexity framing approach, we delineate three layers of AdTex: the visible actions of teachers, the semi-visible use of epistemic tools such as language, dialogue, and argument, and the tacit orientations towards learning that encompass epistemological, ontological, and axiological dimensions. Our research primarily investigates the intricate relationship between the epistemic tool and orientation layers. Our findings highlight the significance of an interconnected understanding and the impact of philosophical orientations on adaptive teaching practices. A notable contribution of this study is the development of a framework that articulates the belief and knowledge systems crucial for fostering generative learning environments, alongside the introduction of complexity maps to illustrate the interplay among these subsystems.
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(This article belongs to the Topic Education for Sustainable Development and Science Teaching)
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Children and Practitioners as Truth Seekers and Truth Tellers: Innovative, Counter-Hegemonic Approaches to Evaluating National Inclusion Policies
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Deborah Robinson and Geraldene Codina
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(4), 414; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14040414 - 16 Apr 2024
Abstract
This paper describes and defends the counter-hegemonic methods applied to the investigation of a high-profile national policy for Early Education and Care (ECCE) in Ireland. The policy, the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) seeks to ensure the full inclusion and meaningful participation of
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This paper describes and defends the counter-hegemonic methods applied to the investigation of a high-profile national policy for Early Education and Care (ECCE) in Ireland. The policy, the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) seeks to ensure the full inclusion and meaningful participation of children with disabilities in mainstream, state funded ECCE. It makes a significant contribution to data and debate on how research about inclusion can become inclusion in the context of policy evaluation. The design of the policy evaluation included surveys, in depth interviews and qualitative case studies of pre-schools and children supported by AIM which were deliberately designed to be counter-hegemonic through the recruitment of practitioners as co-researchers (as expert representatives within a feminised workforce), and the use of a participative method of elicitation that sough the perspectives and lived experiences of inclusion among fourteen children supported by AIM. This method was multi-modal mapping. With a focus on these counter-hegemonic elements, the paper poses questions about how the approach was counterhegemonic in terms of its theoretical underpinning, practical approach, and outcomes. Thematic analysis of the data collected by practitioner researchers for the child case studies showed that the approach did achieve counter-hegemony through the achievement of redistribution, representation, and recognition in both the enactment of the research, and in the reporting of children’s lived experience in the study as a whole. However, the extent of counter-hegemony achieved was limited when practitioner researchers were unable to deploy the multi-modal mapping method because of limited time, or because the child was not a speaker of English or was as yet, non-speaking. In a context where policy makers have a preference for positivist and rationalist approaches to evaluating the impact of policies, we assert that research about policies for inclusion, should be enacted as inclusion and social justice through the deliberate deployment of participatory and counter-hegemonic methods. We also assert that multi-modal mapping holds particular promise for researching the lived experience of inclusion and participation from the perspective of children and argue that more work needs to be done on developing these methods so that they are effective with all children, including those who are non-speaking. Finally, we posit that Fraser’s triune model of social justice can be applied as a benchmark for designing and evaluating counter-hegemonic modii and outcomes.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Approaches to Enhance Inclusive Education)
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Connecting Prescriptive Analytics with Student Success: Evaluating Institutional Promise and Planning
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Catherine A. Manly
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(4), 413; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14040413 - 16 Apr 2024
Abstract
Data-driven educational decisions enabled by online technologies hold promise for improving student performance across the full range of student dis/ability, even when efforts to design for student learning requirements (such as through Universal Design for Learning) fall short and undergraduates struggle to learn
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Data-driven educational decisions enabled by online technologies hold promise for improving student performance across the full range of student dis/ability, even when efforts to design for student learning requirements (such as through Universal Design for Learning) fall short and undergraduates struggle to learn course material. In this action research study, 37 institutional stakeholders evaluated the potential of prescriptive analytics to project student outcomes in different simulated worlds, comparing hypothetical future learning scenarios. The goal of these prescriptions would be to make recommendations to students about tutoring and to faculty about beneficial course redesign points. The study’s analysis focused on the alignment of resources, processes, and values for feasible institutionalization of such analytics, highlighting institutional core values. In the postpandemic mix of online and on-campus learning under increasingly constrained resources, educational leaders should explore the potential competitive advantage of leveraging data from online technologies for greater student success.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Is Online Technology the Hope in Uncertain Times for Higher Education?)
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The (Im)Possibility of Interrupting Midwest Nice in a Predominantly White, Small-Town School District
by
Emily O. Miller
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(4), 412; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14040412 - 16 Apr 2024
Abstract
As school and district leaders are confronted with explicit opposition to racial equity and inclusion policies and practices, they also continue to contend with Nice resistance. In this ethnographic case study, I draw on interviews with teachers and administrators as well as observations
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As school and district leaders are confronted with explicit opposition to racial equity and inclusion policies and practices, they also continue to contend with Nice resistance. In this ethnographic case study, I draw on interviews with teachers and administrators as well as observations of meetings and professional learning sessions to explore how educational leaders in a predominantly white, small, Midwestern town navigated a culture of Niceness characterized by good intentions, comfort, and avoiding conflict. Though most educators said they supported equity and inclusion, they resisted the administration and the policies and practices administrators implemented. Leaders challenged the culture of Niceness in the school district by focusing on impacts, pushing teachers to do things they were not comfortable with, and having direct conversations. Ultimately, several administrators left the district, and some equity and inclusion efforts were stalled or rolled back. Based on the findings of this study, I conclude that it is difficult to interrupt Niceness in the interest of advancing racial equity and inclusion.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Niceness, Leadership and Educational Equity)
Open AccessArticle
Equipping Teachers for Integrated Language, Science and Technology Instruction: The Design of a 4C/ID-Based Professional Development Program
by
Miriam J. Rhodes, Hanno Van Keulen, Martine A. R. Gijsel and Adrie J. Visscher
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(4), 411; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14040411 - 15 Apr 2024
Abstract
Integrated language, science and technology (ILS&T) instruction is a complex task for primary school teachers that requires professional development. Task-centered educational approaches such as the four-component instructional design (4C/ID) model are well suited for the development of complex professional skills. This article describes
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Integrated language, science and technology (ILS&T) instruction is a complex task for primary school teachers that requires professional development. Task-centered educational approaches such as the four-component instructional design (4C/ID) model are well suited for the development of complex professional skills. This article describes the application of the Ten Steps approach to the 4C/ID model in the domain of teacher education. The findings describe a blueprint for a 4C/ID-based teacher professional development program aimed at equipping in-service primary school teachers with the competences for ILS&T instruction, which can support instructional designers, teacher educators and researchers in making informed instructional design decisions.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shaping the Future of Science Education)
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