Forum for Education Studies

Triggering factors affecting primary school children in Lebanon: A pilot cross-sectional study

Diana Ghanem — 2024-04-17

Purpose: Academic pressures, the fear of failure, social expectations, and high expectations from parents or teachers can all contribute to performance-related stress or anxiety in children. This study aims to assess the triggers encountered by primary schoolchildren and examine the interrelatedness between them and the characteristics of the students. Methods: A pilot cross-sectional study targeted primary school children over two months. Two pharmacists and a psychologist collected data using a standardized survey. Students were asked to assess their social (10 statements), behavioral (10 statements), environmental (10 statements), and academic (16 statements) triggers. Results: Environmental triggers had the highest score (4.92 (1.92)), followed by behavioral triggers (4.21 (1.70)). Social triggers were the least reported (3.52 (1.59)). After adjusting for covariates, age, sex, and grade did not affect the academic triggers of the students (p > 0.05), while having divorced or separated parents significantly increased these triggers (B = 0.22; p = 0.025). The social triggers and stressors significantly decreased (B = −0.28; p = 0.003) per grade increase. In contrast, having divorced parents significantly increased these scores (B = 0.21; p = 0.025). Environmental triggers significantly decreased per increase of one year in age (B = −0.23; p = 0.013), with the same pattern observed for the overall trigger scores (B = −0.28; p = 0.003). Conclusion: Promoting open communication, creating an inclusive environment establishing achievable academic goals, and regular follow-up with students can be effective strategies to reduce school triggers among those at high risk.

Engineering students’ thoughts on teamwork and approaches to solving a problem with an underperforming member

Tanju Deveci — 2024-04-17

Engineering programs have to develop students’ teamwork skills. However, the onus on content specialists to teach teamwork skills may be challenging partly because of students’ negative attitudes towards and experiences with teamwork. This study investigated 295 engineering students’ thoughts on teamwork and the strategies they used to solve problems with underperforming team members. Data were collected using a survey and a discourse completion task. The results revealed that among the key reasons why the students liked such activities was the exchange of information and experience, increased quantity and quality of work, and interpersonal communication. However, they indicated lack of harmony, social loafing, lack of attention paid to tasks, and individual approaches to learning as reasons for skepticism about teamwork. As to problem-solving strategies, emphatic inquiry and judgmental questioning were most common. Based on these results, we suggest that engineering faculty collaborate with communication instructors in planning and executing soft-skills training for students. Engineering faculty should also be provided with technical support for the incorporation of teamwork activities in virtual environments.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the soft skills of lecturers

Afam Uzorka — 2024-04-22

Education institutions quickly made the switch to remote teaching and learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic’s extraordinary problems. This study intends to investigate how the pandemic has affected lecturers’ soft skills, which are vital non-technical and interpersonal skills such as efficient communication, teamwork, adaptation, empathy, problem-solving, and leadership. Data were gathered from lecturers who had firsthand experience with the change to remote teaching through a qualitative study methodology that included interviews and focus group discussions. The research shows that lecturers used new tools, modified their teaching methods, and navigated the virtual environment with amazing flexibility and adaptation. Communication skills improved as lecturers used digital tools to interact with students and offer support. With lecturers attending to academic demands and emotional well-being, empathy and student assistance emerged as crucial. Through creative virtual methods, cooperation and teamwork were promoted. To overcome obstacles, problem-solving skills were used. The study advances knowledge about how the pandemic affected lecturers’ soft skills. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed how instructors use their soft skills. Rapid technology advancement, improved communication abilities, adaptability and flexibility, student support and empathy, and teamwork have all been identified as major areas of change. To successfully adapt to changing educational environments and guarantee the delivery of high-quality education, lecturers will need to further develop these soft skills in the future. By accepting these adjustments, lecturers may not only deal with the difficulties caused by the pandemic but also create a future-focused, welcoming learning atmosphere for their students. Future research should focus on long-term effects, quantitative validation of findings, and evaluation of interventions to improve lecturers’ soft skills in distance learning. In light of changing educational environments, such research can promote lecturers’ professional growth and inform pedagogical methods.

A new canvas of learning: Enhancing formal analysis skills in AP art history through AI-generated Islamic art

Krista Carpino — 2024-04-25

This study explores the use of AI art generators to enhance formal analysis skills in AP Art History students, with a focus on Islamic Art and Architecture. Students, often entering the course with high academic achievements, find the unique challenge of articulating detailed visual descriptions of artworks. The study’s approach involves using AI image-generation websites, like wepik.com, where students create AI images resembling Islamic artworks studied in class. This method aims to refine their descriptive skills, focusing on visual evidence rather than relying on identifying details. The choice of Islamic Art, markedly different from other historical periods covered in the curriculum, is intended to boost retention and learning engagement. The results show that students were more successful in describing architectural artworks compared to two-dimensional narrative pieces, with limited site access and the need for iterative description refinement being key challenges. Successful attempts were marked by precise vocabulary usage and detailed descriptions, resulting in AI images closely matching the original artworks. In contrast, less successful attempts revealed deficiencies in comprehensive and detailed descriptions, particularly in narrative artworks. These outcomes highlight the potential and limitations of AI tools in art history education, suggesting that their effectiveness depends largely on the depth and precision of student inputs. The study not only demonstrates the innovative application of AI in education but also underscores the importance of detailed visual analysis, pointing towards future enhancements in AI-assisted educational methodologies.

Techno-Pedagogical Competency among teachers in relation to their attitude towards teaching

Deepika Chauhan — 2024-04-25

The purpose of this study is to determining the Techno-Pedagogical Competency and attitude towards teaching of teachers from selected colleges in Gurgaon District. A normative survey method was adopted in this stage. A sample of 190 teachers were selected from various colleges. The study found that the level of Techno-Pedagogical Competency and the teachers’ possessed a favourable attitude towards teaching. Further, it was found that there exists significant difference in Techno-Pedagogical Competency and attitude towards teaching mean score among teachers with respect to gender, locality, teaching experience and type of institutions. Further, it can be revealed that there was a significant positive correlation between Techno-Pedagogical Competency and attitude towards teaching. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the current state of Techno-Pedagogical Competency and attitude towards teaching among teachers in Gurgaon District. The findings suggest that the teachers in the region have a good grasp of using technology for pedagogical purposes and hold a positive outlook towards their teaching profession. The results also highlight the importance of considering demographic factors when analyzing teachers’ competency and attitude.

Assessment for employability: Is synoptic assessment the answer?

Alan Johnston — 2024-04-15

The production of job ready graduates remains one of the key requests of the business community. The purpose of this paper is to re-examine the importance of assessment in developing employability skills and in making graduates more employable. One criticism often levied at higher education institutions, is that students understand ideas in subject context, but cannot transfer that knowledge into a holistic business context. As such, they have silo ‘mentality’, when to be successful in the modern complex working and business environment they need to understand and command multiplicity. As a conceptual paper, this article seeks to discuss the importance and relevance of assessment and its links to employability. The paper provides a case for the inclusion of synoptic assessment as a tool for developing and demonstrating employability skills. The article emphasises the importance of employability and surrounding issues. The paper provides originality through linking the concepts of education and assessment with the end goals of job-readiness and employability. This paper argues for a new approach to assessment which is employability driven.