International Journal of Education and Practice

Structural modeling of the relationship between occupational stress, occupational motivation, and job satisfaction among school teachers in the Sultanate of Oman

Ali Sulaiman Talib AlShuaili — 2024-04-17

This study aims to explore the effect of occupational stress on occupational motivation and job satisfaction among teachers in government schools in the sultanate of Oman from the perspective of teachers. The study follows a cross-sectional research design and uses a research questionnaire as the main tool with standardized scales to measure occupational stress, occupational motivation and job satisfaction. The probability sampling method was used to select respondents randomly using a sampling frame obtained from the Ministry of Education. The sample size of the study comprises 410 schoolteachers in the Sultanate of Oman. Structural equation modeling was used to assess the relationships across the variables. The results showed a statistically significant effect of occupational stress on occupational motivation and job satisfaction, and a statistically significant effect of job satisfaction on occupational motivation. Awareness programs are recommended to help build the respect that teachers deserve for the essential roles they play in their work environment with respect to preparing the new generation for future endeavors.

Reimagining mathematics education: Identifying training needs and challenges among public elementary school teacher’s post-pandemic

Lislee Valle — 2024-04-17

The sudden shift in the education system during the pandemic and its subsequent evolution during the post-pandemic era have been pivotal in fostering significant educational development and growth. However, this paradigm shift has not been without challenges. This paper aims to investigate the challenges faced by 68 mathematics teachers in four public elementary schools in the Philippines. The respondents were purposively selected to answer the study’s instrument. Using a descriptive survey research methodology, this study explored the five domains in teaching mathematics, namely planning lessons, executing lessons, assessment, mathematical knowledge, and using technology tools. This paper revealed that novice, experienced, and highly experienced teachers alike had moderate difficulty enriching mathematical knowledge and utilizing technology in teaching the subject matter. Moreover, teachers with more than five years’ experience had moderate difficulty in the five domains of teaching mathematics in the post-pandemic era. This finding emphasizes the widespread impact of the education shift for teachers of all levels of experience. The paper further emphasizes the importance of supporting experienced teachers during this transformative phase of formulating innovative learning activities and adapting to reimagined pedagogical concepts. Consequently, this study underscores the need for additional training interventions to enhance their mathematical knowledge and use of technology as an integral teaching tool.

Elevating students' presentation skills with Indonesian local wisdom in virtual teaching mode

Melania Wiannastiti — 2024-04-17

This study examines the impact of synchronous real and virtual teaching modes on students' abilities in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) for presentation. It uses an experimental research design, with the first semester at Bina Nusantara University, Indonesia, as the participants. There were 30 students in the experimental group and 30 in the control group attending the ESP business presentation course. The students’ presentation skills of structure, delivery, and gesture were the skills tested by integrating specific topics of local Indonesian knowledge: Pancasila, local tourist destinations, and free topic. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for data analysis taken from the pre-and post-test scores from both groups. The results demonstrated that both modes of teaching had a positive effect on the overall presentation skills of both groups. However, there were variations in the improvement of specific presentation skills across different topics. Comparing both modes of teaching, the synchronous virtual mode of teaching has shown promise in developing students' presentation abilities, but attention should be given to addressing limitations and optimizing teaching strategies for comprehensive skill development. This study contributes to the understanding of the impact of synchronous real and virtual modes of teaching on students' presentation skills in the context of ESP and has practical implications for educators and course designers involved in ESP instruction. Incorporating a synchronous mode of teaching can be a valuable approach to developing students' presentation skills when combined with the integration of local Indonesian knowledge and diverse topics.

The effectiveness of super's theory-based career group counseling in developing self-concept and career decision-making among a sample of gifted students in Jordan

Alaa Alsqour — 2024-04-25

This study explores the effectiveness of Donald Super’s theory-based career group counseling in improving self-concept and career-related decision-making among a sample of gifted students enrolled in King Abdullah II School for Excellence in Jordan. The quasi-experimental study used a total of 56 male and female tenth grade students, who volunteered to participate in the group counseling program. They were randomly distributed into two groups (experimental and control), each consisting of 15 participants. In order to answer the question of the study, a career group counseling program was developed based on Super's theory, and two scales were applied—the Adolescent Self-Concept Short Scale (ASCSS) and the Career Decision-Making (CDM) scale. The career group counseling program was applied to experimental group through 14 sessions (two weekly sessions) each lasting for 90 minutes The results of the study revealed that there were statistically significant differences at the level of α = < 0.05 between the degree of the experimental and control group scores in the post-test on the Adolescent Self-Concept Short Scale and the Career Decision-Making scale in favor of the experimental group, which showed the effectiveness of the program in promoting self-concept and career decision-making.

The influence of teachers’ statistics knowledge on the academic performance of high school students in math lessons

Assanbayeva Gulzhaukhar — 2024-04-26

Statistics and probability is one branch of mathematics with numerous conceivable outcomes and problem-solving circumstances that require a basic problem-solving aptitude. The purpose of this study is to determine the need for high school mathematics teachers to teach statistics and probability, which would serve as a basis for improving the level of teaching statistics and mathematics in general. A descriptive research method was applied in this study, and a two-part survey was employed as the primary method of data collection. A total of 34 secondary school mathematics teachers from 23 private and public secondary schools in Kazakhstan acted as respondents to answer a specially designed questionnaire. The mean value, percentage of frequency, standard deviations, correlation, regression, percentage of correct answers and average percentage scores were used. Based on the responses, the respondents have a low level of knowledge regarding the content of statistics, but their students have satisfactory results in statistics and mathematics. The results of this study will give scientists an idea of how to improve the level of training of mathematics teachers. In addition, since higher educational institutions are engaged in the training of mathematics teachers, they need to think about the methodology of teaching statistics, as well as teacher training institutes, to adapt courses and seminars for teachers.

Continuing professional development opportunities: Teachers’ motivation and perceived effectiveness

Filomena Dayagbil — 2024-04-26

Continuing professional development (CPD) ensures that learning is an ongoing process and that professionals should continuously upgrade their craft throughout their careers. This study explored the perceived effectiveness of professional development (PD) activities on teachers' competence, aiming to answer questions about what PD activities teachers participate in, what motivates and hinders their participation, and how effective they are perceived to be in terms of improving teaching competence and enhancing student learning. The study utilized a quantitative approach, collecting data through a survey instrument from 1,063 teachers from Central Visayas, which is Region 7 in the Philippines. The results showed that teachers engaged in a variety of activities for their own personal and professional development to enhance their instructional strategies and to meet professional standards. However, hindering factors included lack of time, funding, and workload. Teachers believed that high-quality and needs-based PD activities enhance teaching competence and practice and impact student learning. In conclusion, the study highlights the importance of needs-based CPD programs to support teachers' ongoing professional development and enhancing their effectiveness in the classroom. By addressing the motivating and hindering factors identified in this study and prioritizing responsive CPD opportunities, educators and educational institutions can create a culture of continuous learning and improvement, resulting in positive outcomes for both teachers and students.

Perceptions of the determinants of mental health literacy among Vietnamese adolescents

Son Quang Le — 2024-04-26

Even though there is a large frequency of mental health issues among adolescents all over the world, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the mental health literacy of this demographic, particularly in economically developing nations. Literacy in mental health is necessary for the early diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses before they become severe. The objectives of this study are to investigate the mental health literacy of students, the causes of mental illness, the disparities between genders, the reasons for mental disorders, and the variations between grade and causes of mental illnesses. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and an independent sample t-test were utilized to analyze the data. It was shown that environmental factors were the most significant contributors to mental illness. Furthermore, there was a substantial disparity between the degree of spirituality and the gender of the individual. Moreover, it was demonstrated that there are substantial distinctions between grade and environmental and biological factors. These findings have significant repercussions for educational initiatives that aim to promote students' mental health literacy at the high school level. Among the Vietnamese high school population, there is a demand for programs that teach pupils about mental health literacy. Literacy in mental health serves as the basis for mental health promotion, prevention, and care, with the primary goal of enhancing mental health and its associated outcomes.

The power of project-based learning: A catalyst for student engagement, collaboration and academic excellence

Emiliana Sri Pudjiarti — 2024-04-26

This research aims to explore the impact of using project-based learning methods on academic achievement and student engagement in education using mixed methods. The sampling technique was carried out in two stages. The three best private universities in Semarang City were selected based on the 2023 Webometrics results (University of Dian Nuswantoro, Catholic University of Soegijapranata, and the Islamic University of Sultan Agung), then the sample selection was carried out using stratified random sampling techniques, which comprised 318 students. Data collection was carried out through questionnaires, interviews, and literature studies. The hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling via AMOS 26 software. The practical implications of this research show that the project-based learning (PBL) method positively impacts academic achievement and student involvement in the learning process. The PBL method also effectively increased students' conceptual understanding, reflecting a shift from traditional approaches to more interactive, creative, and innovative learning. From a managerial perspective, these findings emphasize the integration of PBL into the curriculum to optimize student potential. It is also essential for lecturers and educational policymakers to provide ongoing professional training to support the effective use of PBL in educational environments. PBL methods are a valuable learning strategy and their implementation can be a significant challenge that needs to be overcome in an educational context. This research concludes that project-based learning may effectively increase student participation, engagement, collaboration, and future academic achievement.