Research Article
Emily Hope Morrison, Dimitrios Vlachopoulos
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 15, Issue 4, Article No: ep473
ABSTRACT
Globally, schools were faced with mandatory shutdowns in the wake of the recent COVID-19 outbreak. To avoid disruption in the education process, teachers and students used alternative education strategies and solutions, switching to emergency remote teaching and learning (ERTL). This change was completely unanticipated, and thus can only be perceived as a reactionary measure. The purpose of this basic qualitative study is to explore the experience of secondary students regarding ERTL, as well as their satisfaction with the tools used in the science curriculum. Challenging the assumption that the learning experience during ERTL would be similar in most subject areas, this qualitative study focuses on the aspects of the science curriculum that were complex to offer in an online setting, including experimentation and modelling of phenomena. To achieve this purpose, three focus groups with grade 8 students from an international school were conducted. Most of the participants described ERTL experience as having a predominantly negative affect on their engagement and academic performance, mainly because of their poor home learning environments, the duration of remote teaching, and the distractions that derive from the ongoing use of the Internet. At the same time, the findings revealed that, beyond the accessibility and interactivity appropriate technologies can offer, the use of tools like gamified pop-quizzes, video applications and interactive simulations can enhance the learning experience. The procedure followed for this research is easy to replicate at different contexts and, thus, generate enough data to reimagine science education from the lessons learned during ERTL.
Keywords: emergency remote teaching and learning, secondary education, science curriculum, qualitative research, technology for science curriculum, educational technology
Research Article
Delfín Ortega-Sánchez
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 15, Issue 4, Article No: ep462
ABSTRACT
This study analyses the frequencies of inclusion of digital literary-educational proposals on the diversification of sex/gender/sexuality expectations by in-service Spanish teachers of secondary education (n=436), and the predictors that determine this inclusion. Based on the application of the instrument Digital Literary Education and the Construction of Gender Identities (DLECGI), the study is developed in non-experimental designs of a cross-sectional nature, and at the relational, explanatory and predictive levels of research, insofar as it seeks to reveal the socio-demographic, formative and didactic causes of the phenomenon or event of interest, and its degree of occurrence. The results obtained indicate the existence of a profile of teachers who promote the recommendation of this type of digital reading based on their belonging to non-binary gender groups with previous training in co-education and equality, and with explicit didactic stances on controversial issues. Likewise, the relationship between socio-demographic variables and the didactic positioning of teachers on the recommendation of digital readings on affective-sexual diversity shows that initial and/or ongoing specific training in co-education and equality is a key predictor of this relationship. These findings attest to the fact that the visibility and recognition of identity plurality in literary education necessarily involves the proposal of counter-hegemonic models regarding gender and affective-sexual identity. In this regard, teacher training must continue to progress towards the adoption of inclusive didactic approaches within the framework of educational principles for democratic citizenship, regardless of the gender or personal and social identity that defines these teachers.
Keywords: digital literary, gender and affective-sexual diversity, gender identities, secondary education
Research Article
Francisco José Montiel-Ruiz, María-del-Mar Sánchez-Vera, Isabel M. Solano-Fernández
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 15, Issue 1, Article No: ep401
ABSTRACT
Recent research and studies on training plans in physical education agree on the need to incorporate digital technologies in teaching contexts. At the same time, the introduction of active methodologies, such as gamification, has become one of the major trends of recent years. In this paper we present the perception of teachers and students about a gamified proposal for physical education in secondary education that uses social networks as a way for communication, collaboration, and promotion of physical activity among students. Edmodo has been used to carry out this experience because, as a vertical social network, it has an attractive interface for students and protects their privacy by not requiring any personal data.
This is a qualitative research, with a case study methodological design, which has used the focus group and group interview as data collection techniques. The sample consisted of 10 teachers, which represents all the teachers participating in the experience, and 56 students. The results show the positive assessment, both by teachers and students, of the Edmodo social network as a virtual teaching-learning environment for physical education in secondary education, and gamification as an active methodology. Likewise, the influence that the proposal, based on the use of digital technologies and gamification, has had on the promotion of physical activity among pupils has been high.
Keywords: physical education, social networks, gamification, secondary education, digital technologies
Research Article
Verónica Marín-Díaz, Begoña Sampedro, Jorge Figueroa
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 14, Issue 2, Article No: ep348
ABSTRACT
The advancement of emerging technologies in the classroom is a reality, however, the vision that teachers may have of them is essential in order for these to be incorporated. Using this as a foundation, this article’s main objective is to know the vision that secondary education (SE) teachers have of the use of Augmented Reality (AR) in teaching at that educational level. Through a descriptive correlational quantitative study, an ex-post facto design, and an ad-hoc questionnaire of 39 items, (N=350 teachers), this objective has been corroborated. The main conclusion that has been reached is that SE teachers consider AR as an element that will cause a change in the student’s learning methodology making it more autonomous and experiential. In addition, the teachers will need more training with AR, lower costs, and greater availability of resources to carry out the teaching process with greater ease.
Keywords: secondary education, professor, augmented reality, emergent technologies
Research Article
Sahin Gokcearslan
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 8, Issue 1, pp. 40-55
ABSTRACT
Recent mobile learning technologies offer the opportunity for students to take charge of
the learning process both inside and outside the classroom. One of these tools is the tablet
PC (hereafter ‘tablet’). In parallel with increased access to e-content, the role of tablets in
learning has recently begun to be examined. This study aims to reveal the relationship
between the level of acceptance of tablets (TAM) and the level of selfdirected
learning with technology (SDLT) of students and to differentiate these in terms of
gender. A mixed method research design is used in this study. In addition, the qualitative
part of the study aims to determine the reasons students have for using or not using tablets
for supporting learning. The study group consisted of 414 high school students, involved in
the pilot application group of the FATIH project in Turkey. According to the study, a
significant positive relationship was determined between four of the variables of tablet
acceptance and the SDLT level. While the degree of acceptance of tablets was different
according to gender, the SDLT level was not.
Keywords: tablet computers, self-directed learning, secondary education, learning with technology, gender studies
Research Article
Matthew U. Blankenship, Erin E. Margarella
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 5, Issue 2, pp. 146-160
ABSTRACT
This article reports a review of the literature that focused on relationship between writing instruction and technology in the secondary classroom since the passing of the No Child Left Behind Act over the past two decades. Based on the search, six themes have emerged across the fields of writing instruction and assessment. Within writing instruction, it was found that researchers often focused on a third space (Bhabha, 1994) where writing can take place in meaningful ways. Also, technology often served as a motivator during the instructional process of writing and worked to engage students in varied lessons. Finally, researchers found an increase in the amount of writing for secondary students when technology was introduced into the instructional classroom. Within writing assessment, the research focused on special populations including special education students, minorities, economically disadvantaged and English language learners. Next, technology served as a motivator in both the instruction and assessment of writing and tended to be a factor that increased writing assessment scores. Finally, researchers posit technology can be used to allow teachers to give effective and efficient feedback through the instructional and assessment cycles and tended to increase student assessment scores. These themes emerged across all articles reviewed and truly demonstrate where writing with technology research has occurred in the secondary classroom.
Keywords: Writing, Instruction, Technology, Policy, Secondary Education, Motivation
Research Article
Casimir C. Barczyk, Emily Hixon, Janet Buckenmeyer, Heather Zamojski
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 3, Issue 2, pp. 99-114
ABSTRACT
Students at a regional campus of a Midwestern university were surveyed using an online questionnaire to determine their ownership, skill, and use of technological devices. Four hundred ninety-three students responded to the survey. It was found that the survey sample mirrored the student population at the university. Students owned and used a wide variety of electronic devices. Eighty five percent of the students owned laptop computers, 62% digital phones, 60% desktop computers, and 52% gaming systems. Students used electronic devices an average of 6.03 hours per week on classroom activities and 3.93 hours per week surfing the Internet for pleasure. They perceived themselves as being very skilled at using email, surfing the web, and word processing. It was also found that there was a significant correlation between students’ ownership of and skill with educational technology and their experience with Blackboard. Technological barriers were found to have a negative impact on students’ experience with Blackboard. Those barriers also negatively impacted their technological use and skill. A simple linear regression model explains that students’ experience with Blackboard is enhanced by having greater skill with technology, but is diminished when confronted with technological barriers. Implications for course design are discussed.
Keywords: Educational Technology, Post-Secondary Education, Student Experience with Technology, Barriers to Use Technology, Course Design
Research Article
Ali Simsek
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 2, Issue 3, pp. 177-187
ABSTRACT
This study examined the relationship between computer anxiety and computer self-efficacy of students and teachers in elementary and secondary schools. The sample included a total of 845 subjects from two private school systems in Turkey. The Oetting’s Computer Anxiety Scale was used to measure computer anxiety whereas the Murphy’s Computer Self-Efficacy Scale was used to measure computer self-efficacy of subjects. The results demonstrated that elementary students were less-anxious than secondary students; males had lower anxiety scores than females; and the difference between anxiety scores of students and teachers was not significant. However, students had higher self-efficacy scores than their teachers; elementary students were more self-efficient than secondary students; and males had higher computer self-efficacy scores than females. The correlation between the variables of computer anxiety and computer self-efficacy was moderate, negative, and significant.
Keywords: Computer anxiety, Computer self-efficacy, Attitudes toward computers, Beliefs about computers, Elementary education, Secondary education
Research Article
Yavuz Akbulut
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 1, Issue 4, pp. 322-334
ABSTRACT
A recent survey study with 2515 pre-service teachers suggested an underlying structure to shelter ICT integration indicators. Eleven indicators were extracted, which were Teaching-Learning Methods, E-learning, E-interaction, Learning Communities, Infrastructure, Access, Ease of Use, Technical Assistance, Policy, Special Education and Health. In addition, the study provided interrelationships among variables which could lead to an ICT integration model for teacher training institutions. The current study administered the survey to 255 pre-service teachers to confirm the suggested factor structure. Based on the relationships among constructs that were provided in the previous study, second-order analyses were conducted revealing a potential pathway to an ICT integration model. The model indicated that the Policy of the institutions was at the center predicting Infrastructure, Special Education, Health and Teaching-Learning Methods. Infrastructure predicted Access, Ease of Use and Technical Assistance; whereas Teaching-Learning Methods predicted E-interaction, E-learning and Learning Communities. Implications and recommendations for further research are provided.
Keywords: Country-specific developments, Post-secondary education, Teacher training, ICT integration, Structural equation modeling