International Journal of Multidisciplinary Perspectives in Higher Education

Design and Development of Virtual Teaching Practicum Models: Embracing Change During COVID 19

2022-05-23T00:52:35+00:00

The unprecedented introduction of COVID-19 in Spring 2020 has created an academic earthquake in higher education. There was an instant halt to academic programs, student support, the learning environment, instructional methods, and delivery at all levels. Teacher educational programs were no exception. These programs consist of both coursework and a culminating practicum. There was an instant need to conceptualize a model that would assist with transitioning pre-service teachers from a traditional teaching practicum to a virtual teaching practicum. This model would ensure the demand from the Ministry of Education for qualified teachers was met despite the global pandemic. Hence, a team of researchers at the University of The Bahamas designed and developed two virtual teaching practicum models that were the foundational platform for transitioning pre-service teachers from traditional to virtual teaching practicums. Implications for theory and practice are also discussed.

Advancing adult learning using andragogic instructional practices

2021-12-25T23:11:06+00:00

Community-college professors possess knowledge in distinct disciplines and have varied experiences that they encompass in their college classrooms. Additionally, creating effective environments for teaching and learning require these assets from instructors to fulfill their curriculum needs. Teaching is a multidimensional and complex activity that requires the instructor to utilize various tools to effectively engage college learners. Often, instructors rely on their past educational experiences that were based on pedagogy (child-focused teaching) to deliver intricate material to adult learners. In this case, a dichotomy of subject delivery may arbitrarily be sustained in the classroom where the effectiveness of pedagogy limits the development of critical-thinking skill sets. Andragogy is an adult learning theory that informs teaching methodology developed to focus more on learner-based practices that grow from the content of lessons. It has been effective in engaging the characteristics of community college learners (Knowles, 1980b) in developing skill sets vital to various disciplines. The aim of this article is to encourage discussions on college campuses of how using andragogy advances adult learning by exploring andragogy usage in Radiologic Technology (RT) and Early-Childhood Education (ECE) classrooms at an urban community college. Moreover, it is hoped that this article will provide undergraduate educators with instructional approaches that advance adult learning outcomes.

Decoding Japanese University Classroom Etiquette Through Purpose-Built Questionnaire as a Research Instrument

2022-07-16T06:18:59+00:00

While previous studies have indeed provided insights into classroom etiquette, most research has been explored by scholars observing in small groups of students. They have failed to explore classroom etiquette in a large sample. They have also generalized their findings due to the lack of a valid and reliable instrument with which to conduct survey research. The present study addressed this gap by developing and validating a questionnaire that measures students’ self-perceptions of classroom etiquette. The study ran a series of factor analyses on a combination of self-report measures in a sample of N=113 university students. The results of this series of factor analyses revealed four underlying factors labeled: Misbehaviors, Disengagement, Apprehension, and Silent class behavior. The relationships between these factors were further investigated using Spearman’s rho correlations analysis, and among the most remarkable results was a high degree of association between Apprehension and Silent class behavior. This relationship was further explored through in-depth interviews with ten university students. The significant findings showed that although the interviewees reported having a positive image of students who expressed personal views during class, most of them preferred to remain silent. They felt afraid of making mistakes and embarrassed to appear ignorant if they made inquiries or provided incorrect answers. Furthermore, Silent class behavior played an essential role in classroom etiquette, and it therefore should not be seen as an offensive action but more that of a face-saving action used by students to prevent damage to their self-reputation.

How Are HBCUs Coping: Investigating the Impact of the COVID-19 Distance Learning on Instructional Effectiveness at an HBCU in the South

2022-07-16T06:07:20+00:00

This study investigates how the rapid transition of the mode of teaching during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic from the traditional face-to-face to distance learning impacted instructional effectiveness at an HBCU. The study followed a survey research design. The population for this study consists of instructors at Southern University, Baton Rouge Campus. To answer the research question; How did the COVID-19 distance learning at Southern University impact instructional effectiveness? Data was collected from a sample size of 59 faculty or instructors through simple random sampling. Data was collected using the Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) by Tschannen-Moran and Woolfolk, (2001) and was analyzed using crosstabulation analysis. The findings from the study reveal that classroom management, student engagement and instructional strategies were impacted by the mode of instruction during the COVID-19 distance learning. Given the political will of the leadership of HBCU institutions across the country, this study recommends that HBCUs: (1) embrace distance learning, and (2) increase opportunities for professional learning.

Technologies for Education

2022-06-23T14:21:44+00:00

The landscape of teaching in higher education is dynamic in nature driven by the interplay between educators, students and curriculum. Educator plays the primary role in presenting curriculum for students to absorb and leading classroom discussions. The onus of teaching is on educators who come with different teaching pedagogy’s beliefs, teaching styles and prior experiences. The effectiveness of teaching is often determined by the teaching quality of individual instructors. This paper presents an overview of technologies which can help with improving teaching effectiveness. The adoption of technologies ensure consistency in delivery of curriculum and delegate some of educator’s role to technology in exchange for greater engagement and involvements from students.

Dialogical, online teaching and learning platforms in Higher Education: Socially just and decolonized

2022-07-11T13:55:15+00:00

This article addresses whether dialogical, online teaching and learning platforms in higher education can be framed as socially just and decolonized pedagogies at the University of the Free State’s Faculty of Theology and Religion, in South Africa. It is suggested that inclusive pedagogies like dialogue and care on online teaching and learning platforms such as Blackboard, if effectively used by lecturers, can contribute to students from diverse backgrounds feeling acknowledged and recognized as humans in general but Africans in particular. It is therefore the argument of this paper that these kinds of socially just and decolonized pedagogies ought to be particularly true in a post-colonial South African higher education system, where historically only certain individuals had input in the curriculum and the dialogical relationships of student and lecturer when it came to teaching and learning. In order for this to happen, this article has determined that lecturers/teachers ought to manage diversity and teach effectively in order to foster success in a decolonial classroom environment that is safe and friendly, with a curriculum where previously disadvantaged students can deliver dialogical input. In doing so, by implication, students grow wholly and communally as Africans, but are also provided the opportunity to critically interact with lecturers in their online higher education learning process.

Preparing Online Materials for Teaching Intermediate Composition at a Bangladeshi Private University

2022-08-29T04:36:42+00:00

The paper examines the effectiveness of materials designed and distributed among course instructors to teach an Intermediate Composition course in an online platform. The study has been established in the context of a private university in Bangladesh, where the students enrolled are bi-lingual learners. The paper visits literature in fields of technology-enhanced language learning (TELL), Activity theory and Scaffolding to understand the extent to which the teaching materials are effective. In addition, through means of a semi-structured interview responses from course instructors, the paper highlights numerous strengths, weaknesses and suggestions regarding the materials disbursed among the faculty members. The research findings suggest that the given materials were useful and helped to promote understanding of course content, but improvements can be made to assist student learning. Increased emphasis on learner autonomy can facilitate the learning process for students and motivate them to become independent learners.

STEM Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Preservice Teachers

2022-11-25T07:38:46+00:00

The United States needs to produce more graduates with the required 21^st-century skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration and cross-cultural awareness to remain a top competitor in a global marketplace. Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, commonly referred to as STEM, is a transdisciplinary approach to learning through real-world application. The fastest growing occupations require STEM skills and STEM education can be effective in promoting desired 21^st-century capacities. To successfully teach STEM, educators need pedagogical content knowledge. Students can be greatly impacted by their teachers and K-12 public school may be the first-time students are exposed to STEM education. Even if students do not pursue careers in STEM, they benefit from the communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills gained from STEM education. The purpose of the correlational quantitative study was to determine the STEM pedagogical content knowledge of preservice teachers and to consider any gaps in STEM pedagogical content knowledge. Recommendations include adding an explicit STEM course into preservice teacher preparation programs and future research.