by Anthony Mugagga Muwagga, Gyaviira Musoke Genza and Rex Regis Ssemulya
Original Research
This study investigated the effectiveness of the Diocesan educational leadership in enhancing a denominational education philosophy in view of learners¡¯ holistic growth and development. Its aim was to find out if there was a ¡°Catholic environment¡± in these Church founded schools ¨C both in principle and in practice. The study took a case study of Catholic schools in the Greater Kampala District of Uganda. The study discovered that although in principle the Catholic Church highly espouses its denominational education philosophy, the practice is different. In this, the Church is especially betrayed by an apparent ineffectiveness of its Diocesan educational leadership in supervising its schools. Implications for both denominationalism and nationals¡¯ integral growth and development are discussed.
American Journal of Educational Research. 2018, 6(1), 88-95. DOI: 10.12691/education-6-1-14
Pub. Date: February 01, 2018
5901 Views2961 Downloads
by Nwosu Ebere Hope and Williams Cheta
Original Research
The study ascertained the effect of infographics on class size, attitude and academic performance in Media Systems among undergraduate students of Curriculum Studies and Educational Technology, Faculty of Education of University of Port Harcourt. The study was guided by three (3) objectives, three research questions and three hypotheses. The population comprised of seventy-nine (79) three hundred (300) level students of Computer Science Education, while the sample of the study was made up of the whole seventy-nine (79) three hundred (300) level students of Computer Science Education purposively selected by the researcher. The research instrument was questionnaire structured by the researcher. The questionnaire consisted of twenty (20) items designed to determine student’s attitude toward media systems. The data collected were analysed using Mean and standard deviation while t-test was used to analyse the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The study revealed that there was significant difference in student’s attitude on the use of infographics and on their academic performance in media system. There was also a significant difference in class size and their academic performance on the use of infographics in media systems. There was significant difference between male and female students’ academic performance on use of infographics in media systems. As a result, the males performed better than the females. Males had a stronger affinity and interest towards the use of infographics in media systems. Recommendations were that teachers should be encouraged to use infographics during teaching and learning, the students should also be encouraged to develop positive attitude towards the use of infographics in their various courses. Also, parents should provide learning opportunities to their children especially their girls to enable them varieties in learning.
American Journal of Educational Research. 2018, 6(1), 83-87. DOI: 10.12691/education-6-1-13
Pub. Date: January 29, 2018
7524 Views3143 Downloads
by Comfort Korkor Sam, Kofi Acheaw Owusu and Christian Anthony-Krueger
Original Research
The study sought to identify the effectiveness of 3E, 5E learning cycle and the conventional approaches in teaching a Biology lesson. The mixed method approach was used for this study. Three science classes in three Senior High Schools were randomly selected. For the quantitative aspect, a pre-test-post-test non-equivalent quasi-experimental design with two experimental groups was used. The qualitative part constituted an interview to find out students’ views with regards to the 3E and 5E teaching approaches. The students in the experimental groups were instructed through 3E and 5E learning cycle whilst those in the control group were instructed on the same concept through conventional approach. ANCOVA and independent t-test were used to analyse the data. The results of the study showed that the experimental groups performed better on the post-test as compared to the control group. The results also revealed that the learning cycle approach was more effective in teaching the biology concepts than the conventional approach. The 3E learning cycle was found to be more effective for improving the performance of low achievers. The students exposed to the 3E and 5E approaches showed positive attitudes towards learning cycle when they were interviewed. Teachers should be encouraged to learn and use the learning cycle approach in the teaching and learning process of Biology concepts.
American Journal of Educational Research. 2018, 6(1), 76-82. DOI: 10.12691/education-6-1-12
Pub. Date: January 29, 2018
7355 Views2569 Downloads
by Arif Ahmed Zufi
Original Research
Educational reforms around the countries are a crucial issue in international and comparative education. Almost every country in the Global South is in search of an education policy which is benchmarked against other global educational policies of international standard. This quest engages them into policy borrowing. There are several other reasons for this educational transfer as well. This paper has attempted to explore the issues relating to policy borrowing of two countries Bangladesh and China. The case is selected because of its significance in international comparative education and implication is there also for the policy formulators concerned in both the countries. The study draws upon secondary sources literature such as existing literature, policy documents, reports of international organisations etc. A descriptive analysis has been attempted in order to achieve a better view of the issues under investigation. The results affirmed a similar model of policy transfer in both Bangladesh and China. In both cases the educational policy transplantation has proved to be a failure.
American Journal of Educational Research. 2018, 6(1), 70-75. DOI: 10.12691/education-6-1-11
Pub. Date: January 19, 2018
6119 Views2972 Downloads
by Esther Samuel Uko and Okoi O. Obeten
Original Research
This paper is focused on the management of secondary school principals for poverty reduction in achievement of sustainable development goals in Cross River State, Nigeria. The research design adopted for the study was survey design. The population of the study comprised 233 public secondary school principals in Cross River State. A questionnaire titled: Management of Secondary School Principals for Poverty Reduction in Achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (MSSPPRASDG) was designed by the researchers and validated by research experts in measurement and evaluation. Data collected from 233 schools were used for the analysis. Using test-retest statistics, the reliability co-efficient of the instrument was 0.85. Weighted mean score, standard deviation and criterion mean were used to answer the research questions while z–test was used to test the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that secondary school principals could contribute directly towards poverty reduction in achievement of sustainable development goals by partaking in and organizing entrepreneurship skills acquisition training for members of their staff in secondary schools in Cross River State. It was therefore recommended that the State Ministry of Education (SME) and State Secondary Education Board (SSEB) should set up organ(s) that will provide support and supervision for secondary school principals to encourage effective implementation of entrepreneurship skills acquisition training programs in order to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable development goals in Cross River State, Nigeria.
American Journal of Educational Research. 2018, 6(1), 65-69. DOI: 10.12691/education-6-1-10
Pub. Date: January 19, 2018
7103 Views3051 Downloads1 Likes
by Hanadi Hussain AL- Hadi Al-Qahtani and Mefleh Qublan Al-Juda
Original Research
The study extends on a novel idea of using mobile application for the development of social skills such as communication skills and behavioral skills for student with intellectual disabilities. A quasi-experimental study design was applied, and an experimental group and a control group (15 students each) of Intellectual Disability Center, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, filled a pre-test and post-test questionnaire. The students with intellectual disability, mental age between (10-12) years, and (12-15) years old on "Binet" and the measure of adaptive behavior "Alshakhs." A follow-up study was also conducted to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of the mobile application for the development of social skills. ANOVA analysis of variance was applied to test the hypothesis. Results of this study show that communication skills and behavioral skills of the students improved and have statistically significant value in post-test and follow-up at the significance level of 0.05.
American Journal of Educational Research. 2018, 6(1), 55-64. DOI: 10.12691/education-6-1-9
Pub. Date: January 17, 2018
7214 Views2777 Downloads
by Chad G. Malcolm
Original Research
Socio-emotional skills (SES) are a solid indicator of student success in the future (CASEL, 2016). However, in the area of evaluating the developmental level of SES in students hasn’t been quantified in research. The SEStimate Checklist works to provide teachers with a quantifiable number in this area, so they can directly affect SES development in their classroom with interventions. This reliability and validity study of the SEStimate Checklist was conducted on 250 prekindergarten age (3-5 years of age) students. The checklist is filled out by the teacher and scored. Then the score is graphed against an aim line to determine level of SES needs. The teacher can then implement interventions to improve low areas within the classroom, small group, or on an individual need.
American Journal of Educational Research. 2018, 6(1), 50-54. DOI: 10.12691/education-6-1-8
Pub. Date: January 16, 2018
6130 Views2119 Downloads3 Likes
by Enoch Nyarkoh and Emmanuel Intsiful
Original Research
In Ghana and many other developing countries, the substantial investment in and provision of quality education have been identified as the surest path out of persistent poverty. The hope of accelerated development is now hinged on the provision of quality education for it citizenry. However, the inability to raise enough revenue by the government is as a result of varied factors including but not limited to macroeconomic and growth instability, high debt ratios, weak tax administration and large informal (non-taxable) sectors. The intent and desire of the state and government to provide quality accessible education to its citizens and the constraint of inadequate financial resources has compelled Ghana to seek external assistance to fill the resources gaps. Bilateral and multinational donors have responded in diverse ways to the call and over the last two decades, aid increased in quantity and prominence in Ghana’s education sector. There are and may be several reasons that could be assigned to the quick response of these bilateral and multinational donors to the call made by Ghana for aid. The paper seeks to comparatively assess the impact international aid has had on Ghana's educational sector over the last two decades in term of access to “quality” education, educational financing and infrastructure expansion at the basic level. This paper argues that, notwithstanding the challenges the educational sector in Ghana is facing, the impact of international stakeholders on educational policy making and practice especially at the basic level has been positive in terms of access, financing and infrastructural expansion.
American Journal of Educational Research. 2018, 6(1), 43-49. DOI: 10.12691/education-6-1-7
Pub. Date: January 16, 2018
6078 Views3058 Downloads4 Likes
by Kenneth D. Royal, Leigh Jay Temple, Jennifer A. Neel and Laura L. Nelson
Original Research
Education in the medical and health professions is considerably different than education in most higher education contexts (e.g., multiple instructors, clinical focus, student cohorts, etc.). Thus, despite a mature research literature relating to course and instructor evaluations in higher education, there largely is an absence of such literature in medical and health professions education. This study sought to contribute to the medical and health professions education literature by: 1) introducing a new instrument for evaluating course effectiveness; 2) demonstrating how to conduct a state-of-the-art psychometric validation study of an instrument’s psychometric properties; and 3) providing a framework for interpreting construct validity evidence. Results of the validation study indicated a considerable amount of construct validity evidence is discernible to conclude the instrument is capable of producing valid and reliable measures of course quality and effectiveness. Other medical and health professions educators are encouraged to adopt the instrument for use at one’s own campus, and/or replicate the validation procedures on other survey instruments.
American Journal of Educational Research. 2018, 6(1), 38-42. DOI: 10.12691/education-6-1-6
Pub. Date: January 11, 2018
6854 Views2902 Downloads2 Likes
by Jamal Abu-Hussain and Nadia Abu-Hussain
Original Research
This study examined the thinking styles prevalent among Arab teachers, given their status as members of a minority, in the Arab education system in Israel. Examination of thinking styles very important for predicting a person's behavior in different situations, and teachers’ thinking styles predict some of their professional behavior when at work in school. The teaching profession demands certain personal characteristics, skills, and a wide professional knowledge base together with appropriate thinking and perceptions and thinking styles are considered to be an important aspect of the teacher’s work. A central aspect of a person’s personality is their thinking style and another, parallel aspect, is their characteristics. Each of the two have their unique contribution and defining structure. A person’s thinking style is influenced by culture and social characteristics and different cultures and societies are characterized by different thinking styles. As members of a national minority in Israel, the thinking styles of Arab teachers have not been previously studied, despite the fact that Arab society is undergoing rapid change in the social, economic, political, cultural, and familial spheres and despite the fact that thinking styles of teachers have an important impact on their day-to-day work in school. It is therefore important to study this subject and to examine the prevalent thinking styles among Arab teachers given their status as a minority in the education system in Israel. The study was conducted among 185 Arab teachers who answered a questionnaire about thinking styles. Their responses were analyzed using the SPSS statistic software. The principle findings showed that the most prevalent thinking styles were Type 2 (executive, local, conservative, and oligarchic) and Type 3 (monarchic, anarchic, internal, and external). The least prevalent was Type 1 (legislative, judicial, global, liberal, and hierarchic).
American Journal of Educational Research. 2018, 6(1), 32-37. DOI: 10.12691/education-6-1-5
Pub. Date: January 11, 2018
5707 Views2319 Downloads3 Likes
by Jorge Reyna and Peter Meier
Original Research
Learner-Generated Digital Media (LGDM) has been incorporated as a learning tool to assess students in Higher Education over the last decade. There are models developed for video making in the classroom that considers technical know-how, pedagogies or a combination of both. However, there is the absence of a student-centred, practical framework to inform academics and students on the implementation of digital presentations as an assessment tool in the curricula. This conceptual paper proposes a new framework to assist with the design, implementation and evaluation of LGDM as assessment tools. The framework considers the following elements: (1) pedagogy; (2) student training; (3) hosting of videos; (4) marking schemes; (5) group contribution; (6) feedback; (7) reflection, and; (8) evaluation. The purpose of this paper is to outline the basic elements of the framework and provide practical implementation strategies that academics from any discipline could apply to their classrooms.
American Journal of Educational Research. 2018, 6(1), 27-31. DOI: 10.12691/education-6-1-4
Pub. Date: January 11, 2018
7673 Views4361 Downloads3 Likes
by Safari Kambanda, Kabwete Mulinda Charles, Kagwesage Anne Marie and Murenzi Janvier
Original Research
Before 1994, Rwanda education policy knew some selection barriers to access tertiary education. Thereafter, it liberated the access allowing many higher private learning institutions to open their doors. This paper analyzed late tertiary education impact on mature women students. The impact regards acquired knowledge, skills and capacity that boosted their voice equity to better perform at workplace than before. The research embarked on Bandura’s [1] social learning theory (or social cognition theory) that proves how people with high self-efficacy master their feelings and thoughts, are self-directed and motivated to accomplish their targets. The study followed a qualitative approach including interviews with 18 mature women and 104 who filled the questionnaires. All the participants were in fourth year, between the ages of 30-45 and selected from five higher private and public learning institutions but following different programmes. The findings show that their self-efficacy beliefs as a social cognition construct empowered their capacity to perform specific duties through personal goal setting. Further, tertiary education, from the majority of their views and perceptions, increased their self-esteem and trust, rendered them effective human capital in their day-to-day duties, enhanced their personal fulfillment and awakened them to be more participative in different social, political, economic spheres etc.. In addition, they learned to link challenging goals of studying to strong commitment of being good performers at work, raising confidence in colleagues, employers, neighbors and avoiding failures but creating attitudes of serenity and scrutiny to approach difficult situations.
American Journal of Educational Research. 2018, 6(1), 18-26. DOI: 10.12691/education-6-1-3
Pub. Date: January 08, 2018
6852 Views3030 Downloads
by Gyaviira Musoke Genza and Badru Musisi
Literature Review
Although it is true that government financial support for education is dwindling in many countries, most educational institutions in Uganda have failed to devise functional internal mechanisms to enable them to raise resources to continuously deliver quality education in quantity. Might the application of certain entrepreneurial strategies in educational management perhaps help to make a difference? What is educational entrepreneurship (EE)? How feasible is EE in a developing world education landscape like that of Uganda? Which challenges must EE surmount before it can envisage success? Using literature review methodology, this study attempted to find answers to such questions. Its aim was to delineate the EE domain and to highlight both its importance and feasibility in Uganda’s context. The study made two key discoveries; first, indeed EE is clouded in conceptual mishmash, hence need for more scholarly attention; second, however salvaging EE can be to struggling educational institutions, it is not without serious challenges – even apparent contradictions – hence preference for a “moderate risk” approach to entrepreneurship within educational institutions.
American Journal of Educational Research. 2018, 6(1), 9-17. DOI: 10.12691/education-6-1-2
Pub. Date: January 08, 2018
6214 Views2604 Downloads
by Mark Owusu Amponsah, Eugene Yaw Milledzi, Eric Twum Ampofo and Martin Gyambrah
Original Research
The study explored the relationship between parental involvement in education and academic performance of senior high school students in the Ashanti Mampong Municipality of Ghana. The descriptive correlational research design was used to conduct the study. Stratified random sampling procedure was employed to select a total sample of 471 respondents made up of 186 males and 285 females. Questionnaire and test items on Mathematics and English Language were the research instruments used to collect data for the study. Data analysis was conducted by employing descriptive statistical tools (mean and standard deviation scores) to examine students’ perceived parental academic ambition and involvement in their education while the Zero-order correlation was used to examine the relationships between parental involvement in education and academic performance. The results of the study show a significant positive relationship between parental involvement in education and students’ academic performance. It is recommended from the study that parents should play a leading role in supporting their children’s education since they are the first to expose children to the social and academic world.
American Journal of Educational Research. 2018, 6(1), 1-8. DOI: 10.12691/education-6-1-1
Pub. Date: January 05, 2018
25860 Views4862 Downloads2 Likes