International Journal of Education Research and Reviews

International Journal of Educational Research and Reviews ISSN 2329-9843 Vol. 4 (7), pp. 863-871, July, 2016. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) integration in the primary school curriculum in Uganda

Kassim Mugabi Bhasker*,  Eddy Obote p'Bitek and Tito Matthew Kiprotich

Department of Management and Entrepreneurship, Uganda Christian University UCU, Kampala, Uganda

E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 20 May, 2016

Abstract 

This study investigates how Information and Communication Technology (ICT) integration in the primary school curriculum is managed in Uganda. School management practices were conceptualized as planning, organization and coordination. The dependent variable is ICT integration. The study is a cross sectional survey using mainly quantitative data. The population comprised teachers and school head teachers in Mukono District in Uganda. Data were collected using self administered questionnaires using a likert scale. The major finding of this study was that planning, coordination and organization significantly impacts ICT integration. A multiple regression analysis revealed that all the management practices had a casual effect on ICT integration. Recommendations are made that the state should formulate and implement policies to schools to regulate ICT implementation and offer support to school management to enhance their management practices in order to manage the ICT integration process into the curriculum. Based on the research, we propose that more software and hardware should be made available to schools. Further research may measure the management styles and change management strategies that may be adopted in order to successfully integrate ICT into the primary school curriculum. Such a study may be triangulated with the qualitative views from the respondents.

Key words: ICT integration, school management practices, planning, coordination, organization

International Journal of Educational Research and Reviews ISSN 2329-9843 Vol. 4 (7), pp. 827-836, July, 2016. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Skills to optimize the effectiveness of natural teaching moments and to promote the child’s reliance on auditory signal

Cathwood E. M¹*, Emeli Crane Sandi², Catherine M. C² and Winslow H. Rose³

¹Department of Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, United States.

²The National College of Education Ho Chi Minh City, 182 Nguyen Chi Thanh Street, District 10, Vietnam.

³National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, United States.

E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 18 June, 2016

Abstract 

 Hearing loss is the most common congenital disorder in newborns. Children with insufficient access to sound are at considerable risk for speech, language, and academic delays. This pilot study evaluated vocabulary gains over a 5-month period when children with hearing loss in South Vietnam were taught by teachers of the deaf who had participated in a specialized training program provided by the Global Foundation For Children With Hearing Loss to learn effective teaching strategies to promote listening and spoken language development. Results were compared to vocabulary gains of children whose teachers had not participated in the Global Foundation’s program. Results of this pilot study demonstrated that children with hearing loss achieve better outcomes when they receive services from well-trained professionals who have the specialized skills and expertise to effectively implement listening and spoken language strategies to optimize language development and educational achievement. The importance of establishing strong infrastructure to support newborn hearing screening, use of advanced hearing technology, and appropriate and intensive early intervention services are also discussed. 

Key words: Hearing loss, vocabulary, teacher training, spoken language, Vietnam

International Journal of Educational Research and Reviews ISSN 2329-9843 Vol. 4 (7), pp. 895-900, July, 2016.  © International Scholars Journals

Review

Project evaluation of innovative and novel community-based schooling system established by the foreign students

Tsung-Dao Pei, Kai-shek O. Jiang, Charles Wong Howe and Cao U. Laozi

Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi‟an, Shaanxi, China.

E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 3 June, 2016

Abstract

This paper presents the concept, results and the project execution and evaluation of an innovative and novel, community-based schooling system established by the foreign students of Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU), Xi’an, China at the university campus for the children of foreign students under the patronage of university administration. The authors conceived the idea to institute a community-based education system for the school-going children of the foreign students after analyzing their intellectual and emotional quotients. The project was executed purely on the basis of project management principles and this paper contributes in showcasing the whole concept behind this project. This paper was written after evaluating the performance of all the stake holders involved and a role model is presented here to be replicated in alike scenarios. This paper also spot lights the phenomenal improvement in the five quotients of the school-going children namely: intelligence, emotional, physical, cultural and spiritual.

Key words: Community-based schooling system, quotients, project management, school, foreign students, China.

International Journal of Educational Research and Reviews ISSN 2329-9843 Vol. 4 (7), pp. 872-879, July, 2016. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Managers and teachers’ opinion of distance education in Kurdistan high schools

Mir-Hossein Banisadr Bakhtiar

Humanities Department, Payame Noor University 19395-4697 Tehran, I.R. of Iran.

E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 8 May, 2016

Abstract

Distance education is a method in which the learner does not attend physically in the class and training environment. The most important difference between distance education and other methods is the physical distance between learners, teachers and educational institution. This method of teaching has solved the problem of distance in order to provide learning knowledge and skills. The main purpose of this research was to study barriers (information technology, educational planning system, administrative and financial) centers of distance education from managers and teachers’ opinion in Kurdistan high schools. The study was a descriptive survey and the population of the research included all management and teachers (94 in number) in the Education year 2011. The sample of the study consisted of all 18 schools managers and 76 teachers who were familiar with different aspects of the system. Samples were selected via multistage random cluster. The instrument of the study was a questionnaire with 35 closed-item questions at Likert scale designed by the researcher, and one open-ended question offered to managers and teachers for the purpose of the promotion of distance education programs. In order to analyze data from the Statistical analysis of variance, t-test was used. The findings showed that among the many barriers of implementation of distance education in the given institutions, the following barriers can be mentioned: non-usage of information technology and non-access to these technologies, dedicating insufficient hours to teach specialized lessons and not having discipline in providing educational material, not having optimal managerial and official systems of distance education, having skilled persons such as educational, computer, … experts, financial inability of students in paying costs and not having financial support for students in these centers. Also, the results showed that there is a significant difference between teachers and administrators’ perspectives about the barriers of information technology and educational planning system of distance education, but there is no significant difference between financial and official barriers of distance education.

Key words: Distance education, barriers of distance education, guidance schools, high schools, information technology.

International Journal of Educational Research and Reviews ISSN 2329-9843 Vol. 4 (7), pp. 837-844, July, 2016.  © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Students levels of motivation to learn database applications using the project-based learning method

Mohammad Bakr Umar

King Saud University, P.O. Box 92782, Riyadh 11663, Saudi Arabia.

E-mail: [email protected] 

Accepted 6 May, 2016

Abstract

This quasi-experimental study aimed to measure the impact of project-based learning and the ARCS motivation model on students’ motivation to acquire the necessary database applications skills in the secondary level. This study adopted a quasi-experimental methodology based on pre- and post-tests for two groups of students. Two classes of the second secondary grade were selected; one to be the experimental group and the other representing the control group. A sample of 65 students was chosen and divided into two classes enrolled in the second secondary grade. The database programs were explained to the students in the control group using traditional teaching methods, which involve the teacher first explaining the concepts, and then giving the students the opportunity to apply their practical computer skills in the laboratory. Students in the experimental group were taught using project-based learning strategies. At the beginning of the semester, students were given projects that they needed to complete by the end of the course. In addition, the ARCS motivation model was applied to the subject matter, whereby additional subject matter was added to the student book, making the database sections more attractive and relevant to the students by including real-life examples. The results showed that students in the experimental group (the project-based learning group) achieved higher post-curriculum test grades and obtained higher grades on the motivational scale.

Key words: Project-based learning, database applications, ARCS motivational model.

International Journal of Educational Research and Reviews ISSN 2329-9843 Vol. 4 (7), pp. 845-852, July, 2016. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Effectiveness of online marking for essay-type assignments in management courses

Heath Minogue Wilson*, Kylie Blanchett Murdoch and Rose Cave Freeman

Department of Employment Relations and Human Resources, Griffith Business School, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Road, Nathan, Qld 4111, Australia.

E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 26 May, 2016

Abstract 

In this study, we explored staff and student perceptions of online marking processes for essay-type assignments in management courses. Focus-group discussion results generated from content analyses were presented, with data collected from 19 staff and 17 students of different management courses within one of the universities in Queensland, Australia. The results revealed a pattern of keywords and phrases used by both staff and students to describe their perceptions of online marking. Furthermore, three themes associated with the keywords and phrases were found to demonstrate the similarities and differences in their perceptions. The relationship between these themes of assignment handling, contact with staff, and marking and feedback is illustrated in a proposed model. Implications of our findings for theory and practice were presented.

Key words: Online assignment marking, electronic learning, staff and student perceptions.