Competencies Required in Education Research and Teaching Systematization according to Students from the Preschool, Primary and Secondary Education Programs of the University of Costa Rica

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of two online forums carried out with the participation of 42 students of the Licenciaturas  in Preschool Education, Primary Education and Secondary Education of the University of Costa Rica. The main purpose of the forums was to determine the insights of the participant students about the competencies they have achieved in the field of education research, and which have been the essential tools for them to systematize their own teaching practices. The discussion forums were part of the course FD5091 Métodos de Investigación Educativa [Education Research Methods] of the School of Teacher Education, delivered from March-April 2010.  Of the sample, 60 percent were students of the Preschool teaching program, 35 percent were from the Primary Education teaching program and 5 percent were from the Secondary Education teaching program in the fields of Science, Mathematics and Social Studies. According to the insights and beliefs showed by the participants –both, the future teachers and the profession practitioners–, there are no opportunities for research or systematization of their own teaching mediation, in the current work situation.(1) Translator’s Note: In Costa Rica, the “Licenciatura” is a one-year post-Bachelor study program, usually including thesis. “Primary Education” refers to students from the 1st to 6th grades, and “Secondary Education” refers to students from the 7th to 11th grades.

Impact of new technologies and social networks on a secondary education theatre project

This paper describes the potential impact of social media and new technologies in secondary education. The case of study has been designed for the drama and theatre subject. A wide set of tools like social networks, blogs, internet, multimedia content, local press and other promotional tools are promoted to increase students’ motivation. The experiment was developed at the highschool IES Al-Satt located in Algete in the Comunidad de Madrid. The students included in the theatre group present a low academic level, 80% of them had previously repeated at least one grade, half of them come from programs for students with learning difficulties and were at risk of social exclusion. This action is supported by higher and secondary education professors and teachers who look forward to implanting networked media technologies as new tools to improve the academic results and the degree of involvement of students. The results of the experiment have been excellent, based on satisfactory opinions obtained from a survey answered by students at the end of the course, and also revealed by the analytics taken from different social networks. This project is a pioneer in the introduction and usage of new technologies in secondary high-schools in Spain.

Research and intervention : preventing substance abuse in higher education /

"FIRST 94-7001"--P. [4] of cover.

Receptive Vocabulary of CLIL and Non-CLIL Primary and Secondary School Learners

CLIL instruction has been reported to be beneficial for foreign language vocabulary learning since CLIL students show higher vocabulary profiles than students of their same age in traditional EFL contexts. However, to our knowledge, the receptive vocabulary knowledge of CLIL and non-CLIL learners at the end of primary and secondary education has not been examined yet. Hence, this study aims at comparing the receptive vocabulary size 79 CLIL primary learners with the receptive vocabulary knowledge of 331 non-CLIL learners at the end of primary and secondary school. Sex-based differences were also analysed. The 2k Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT) was used for the purposes of the study. Results revealed that learners’ receptive vocabulary sizes lie within the most frequent 1000 words, non-CLIL secondary school students throw better results than primary students but the differences between the secondary group and the CLIL group are not statistically significant. As for sex-based differences, we found no significant differences among the groups. These findings led us to believe that the CLIL approach offers a benefit for vocabulary acquisition since CLIL learners have been exposed to the foreign language for a shorter period of time and the results are quite similar to their non-CLIL secondary school partners.

Strategies to assess web resources credibility: results of a case study in primary and secondary schools from Portugal

In this paper, three approaches for the assessment of credibility in a web environment will be presented, namely the checklists model, the cognitive authority model and the contextual model. This theoretical framework was used to conduct a study about the assessment of web resources credibility among a sample of 195 students, from elementary and secondary schools in a municipality in Oporto district (Portugal). The practices that young people and children claim to use regarding the use of criteria for web resources selection will be presented. In addition, these results will be discussed and compared with the perceptions that these respondents have demonstrated for the use of criteria to establish or assess authorship, originality, or information resources structure. These results will be also discussed and compared with the perceptions that these respondents have demonstrated for the elements that make up each of these criteria.

Satisfaction with Life Scale among adolescents and young adults in Portugal: extending evidence of construct validity

The paper presents three empirical studies designed to extend the test of the construct validity of the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) among Portuguese students. In the first study, the responses of 461 elementary and secondary education students were submitted to a principal component analysis. A solution of one single factor was chosen, accounting for 55.7 % of the total variance, with Cronbach alpha coefficient and inter-item correlation above .70 and .20, respectively. The second study used a sample of 317 undergraduate students and registered a similar factor solution for SWLS (/pq = 0.99), which accounted for 65.6 % of the total variance (Cronbach alpha .89 and inter-item correlation above .20). A test–retest analysis registered coefficients of .70 (T2) and .77 (T3) and no significant statistically differences between T2, T3 and T1. The third study used a sample of 107 foster care youths from elementary and secondary education. Confirmatory factor analysis results indicate adequate fit indexes for the one-factor solution (v2/df = 2.70, GFI = .96, CFI = .96), which showed convergent validity, reliability and homogeneity. In conclusion, there is psychometric evidence for the one-factor structure of the SWLS in Portugal.

Building Leadership: The Knowledge of Principals in Creating Collaborative Communities of Professional Learning

Research literature is replete with the importance of collaboration in schools, the lack of its implementation, the centrality of the role of the principal, and the existence of a gap between knowledge and practice--or a "Knowing-Doing Gap." In other words, there is a set of knowledge that principals must know in order to create a collaborative workplace environment for teachers. This study sought to describe what high school principals know about creating such a culture of collaboration. The researcher combed journal articles, studies and professional literature in order to identify what principals must know in order to create a culture of collaboration. The result was ten elements of principal knowledge: Staff involvement in important decisions, Charismatic leadership not being necessary for success, Effective elements of teacher teams, Administrator‘s modeling professional learning, The allocation of resources, Staff meetings focused on student learning, Elements of continuous improvement, and Principles of Adult Learning, Student Learning and Change. From these ten elements, the researcher developed a web-based survey intended to measure nine of those elements (Charismatic leadership was excluded). Principals of accredited high schools in the state of Nebraska were invited to participate in this survey, as high schools are well-known for the isolation that teachers experience--particularly as a result of departmentalization. The results indicate that principals have knowledge of eight of the nine measured elements. The one that they lacked an understanding of was Principles of Student Learning. Given these two findings of what principals do and do not know, the researcher recommends that professional organizations, intermediate service agencies and district-level support staff engage in systematic and systemic initiatives to increase the knowledge of principals in the element of lacking knowledge. Further, given that eight of the nine elements are understood by principals, it would be wise to examine reasons for the implementation gap (Knowing-Doing Gap) and how to overcome it.

Adult basic and secondary level program statistics.

Mode of access: Internet.

Participation of private school students in chapter 1 : information for private school educators and parents.

Mode of access: Internet.

The Relationship of Instructor Technical Literacy to the Academic Performance of Students in Career Academies

Career Academy instructors’ technical literacy is vital to the academic success of students. This nonexperimental ex post facto study examined the relationships between the level of technical literacy of instructors in career academies and student academic performance. It was also undertaken to explore the relationship between the pedagogical training of instructors and the academic performance of students. Out of a heterogeneous population of 564 teachers in six targeted schools, 136 teachers (26.0 %) responded to an online survey. The survey was designed to gather demographic and teaching experience data. Each demographic item was linked by researchers to teachers’ technology use in the classroom. Student achievement was measured by student learning gains as assessed by the reading section of the FCAT from the previous to the present school year. Linear and hierarchical regressions were conducted to examine the research questions. To clarify the possibility of teacher gender and teacher race/ethnic group differences by research variable, a series of one-way ANOVAs were conducted. As revealed by the ANOVA results, there were not statistically significant group differences in any of the research variables by teacher gender or teacher race/ethnicity. Greater student learning gains were associated with greater teacher technical expertise integrating computers and technology into the classroom, even after controlling for teacher attitude towards computers. Neither teacher attitude toward technology integration nor years of experience in integrating computers into the curriculum significantly predicted student learning gains in the regression models. Implications for HRD theory, research, and practice suggest that identifying teacher levels of technical literacy may help improve student academic performance by facilitating professional development strategies and new parameters for defining highly qualified instructors with 21st century skills. District professional development programs can benefit by increasing their offerings to include more computer and information communication technology courses. Teacher preparation programs can benefit by including technical literacy as part of their curriculum. State certification requirements could be expanded to include formal surveys to assess teacher use of technology.

Historical perspectives of bilingual Education in the United States. 'Una perspectiva histórica de la educación bilingüe en Estados Unidos'.

Monográfico con el título: 'Sociedad de la Información, lenguas minoritarias y educación en bilingüismo'. Resumen basado en el de la publicación

A sistematização do conteúdo jogo nas aulas de educação física do ensino fundamental e médio

Since the enactment of LDBEN 9.9394/96, Physical Education began to be understood as a curricular component in school. Thus, we see the need for systematization of content. We observed that the physical education classes at the public schools in Natal/RN from the game content, teachers did not use the existing proposals for systematization. And it was on this reality that the study occurred, aiming to present and discuss a proposal to systematization the game content in physical education classes in elementary and secondary education. Accordingly, we departed of following question: What possibilities of systematization of the game content in school physical education classes?. The methodology used was the action research, which allowed us to structure the intervention plan for the game content, directed to a reflective didactic process. The dialogue with action research provided an opportunity to understand of the proposal of systematization, the knowledge of game content, the planning and process of teaching and learning in physical education lessons developed. We use the proposed systematization the book Educação Física Escolar e Organização Curricular , to direct and organize the lesson plans. As research technique, we use the participant observation, filming, photographic records and field diary, guiding us in the debates and discussions about the field of research. The applications of the lesson plans were carried out in three schools, all located in Natal / RN: Escola Municipal Professora Ivonete Maciel, Escola Municipal Professor Ulisses de Góis e Professor Escola Estadual Josino Macedo. The members of this study were students PIBID-EF-UFRN, teachers, supervisors and school. They made the bridge between research and action, theoretical foundation and pedagogical practice, university and school. The results were advanced for beyond the propositions submitted by the above-mentioned book. For the Elementary School 1, the proposed systematization broadened experiences and learning of knowledge of the game and of playful and body manifestations. Provided an opportunity to know and learn about game of make account, rules, popular games, cooperative games, among others. For Elementary Schools 2 and Middle education, systematized lessons allowed the practical, the incorporation of knowledge of the game and its features: such as rules, origin, meaning of the name, different denominations, among others. The students experienced and learned, popular games, pre-sport games, cooperative games, with recycled material, among others. The treatment from three dimensions of contents: procedural, conceptual and attitudinal, occurred parallel to approach the game content, and in conjunction with our interventions, not being done separately during practice, but an ongoing process during class. This new perspective of work the game, in a systematized way, with applying, description and discussion the activities, allowed elaborate a summary framework of thematizations for game content, by year of teaching

Eleição direta para diretor escolar: desafio à democratização da gestão

Esta pesquisa analisou a eleição direta para diretores escolares via estudo de caso da Escola Estadual de Ensino Fundamental e Médio Brigadeiro Fontenele em Belém do Pará, na perspectiva da democratização da gestão, cujas questões norteadoras foram: De que modo as eleições diretas podem contribuir para a construção da gestão democrática na escola? Como se deu o processo de implantação das eleições diretas para provimento do cargo de diretor da Escola Estadual de Ensino Fundamental e Médio Brigadeiro Fontenele, do ponto de vista do Sistema e da comunidade escolar? Para tanto, desenvolvemos este estudo utilizando abordagem qualitativa com pesquisa de campo, e coletamos os dados por intermédio de documentos e entrevistas semiestruturadas destinadas a 17 sujeitos, assim distribuídos: ex-secretária adjunta de ensino, representantes do Conselho Escolar, comissão eleitoral, grêmio estudantil, professores, alunos do ensino fundamental, ensino médio, da educação de jovens e adultos, comunidade e equipe gestora. A democratização da gestão da educação e da escola foi analisada em sua concretude na Secretaria de Educação do Estado do Pará e na escola selecionada, a partir dos seguintes elementos: Conselho Escolar atuante, Projeto Político Pedagógico construído coletivamente e em funcionamento e Autonomia escolar. As análises indicam que o processo eletivo para o provimento do cargo de diretor escolar enfrentou problemas comuns nas relações políticas no Brasil, e no Pará em particular, como o clientelismo, e a inexistência de um projeto político de mudança, discussões de campanhas centradas em pessoas e não em ideias, dentre outros. Podemos afirmar que a experiência estudada não foi um caso isolado, porque o exemplo se manifestou em diversas instituições da rede estadual; que a direção eleita finalizou seu mandato sem rever o Projeto Político Pedagógico, mesmo sendo um instrumento que não garante a democratização das relações de poder, mas é essencial, e se for produto de trabalho coletivo poderá concorrer para a construção de novas relações de poder e para nortear a organização política, administrativa e pedagógica da instituição. A construção da gestão democrática encontrou diferentes barreiras, pois os órgãos colegiados não conseguiram realizar seu papel enquanto órgão permanente de educação política, pois fica quase restrito a problemas burocráticos, como prestação de contas de recursos recebidos. A estrutura hierárquica tradicional presente na E. E. E. F. M. Brigadeiro Fontenele não permitiu uma significativa mudança nas relações de poder e a própria organização pedagógica possui barreiras quase intransponíveis, como a execução dos programas de disciplinas estanques, sem os professores discutirem ou se articularem. Por fim, consideramos que a forma autoritária de conduzir a escola pode reforçar a sociedade excludente e avaliamos que para a democratização da gestão, necessitamos de novos referenciais de formação para os gestores escolares, pois o cenário político e econômico e social impõe novas práticas gestoras.

Biennial survey of education in Canada.

At head of title: Dominion of Canada. Dominion bureau of statistics. Education statistics branch.

Annual survey of education in Canada.

Mode of access: Internet.