Volume 11 Issue 4 (2022)
1

Experiences in the Training of Teaching Digital Competence for Using Digital Social Networks

pp. 7-26  |  Published Online: December 2022  |  DOI: 10.22521/edupij.2022.114.1

Dieter-Reynaldo Fuentes-Cancell, Odiel Estrada-Molina, Nilda Delgado-Yanes, Jimmy-Manuel Zambrano-Acosta

Abstract

Background/purpose – The training of teachers to use digital social networks implies a change in the cultural paradigm and new alternatives for the development of their digital skills. This research analyzes the effectiveness of a workshop-structured massive online open course (MOOC) to develop the teaching of digital skills associated with using digital social networks for educational purposes.

Materials/methods – A quasi-experiment with pretest and posttest and intact groups was conducted. The population of the study was the teaching staff of Cuba’s University of Informatics Science, with a sample of 30 teaching professors.

Results – The statistical results justify that in the two experimental groups, the implementation of the MOOC was satisfactory as significant differences were evident. The results suggest and affirm that MOOC-type online courses are an appropriate means for the continuation of teacher training as professional development. It concludes by arguing challenges in teacher training to develop their digital skills, highlighting: (1) technological, social, and educational imaginary; and (2) teaching digital culture vs. cultural codes of the student body.

Conclusion – The main contribution is the effectiveness of teacher training through the interaction and interactivity between the designed MOOC and learning activities conducted using Facebook, LinkedIn, and Telegram.

Keywords: digital competence, online courses, teacher education

2

Are Academics Satisfied with the Measurement and Evaluation Practices Applied During Emergency Remote Teaching due to COVID-19?

pp. 27-52  |  Published Online: December 2022  |  DOI: 10.22521/edupij.2022.114.2

Hasan Fehmi Özdemir, Çetin Toraman, Güneş Korkmaz

Abstract

Background/purpose – The aim of this research is to examine the meanings through metaphors that academics derive from their experiences regarding the measurement and evaluation practices when emergency remote teaching was conducted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, to identify the problems they experienced with the measurement and evaluation practices, and to present their solution recommendations.

Materials/methods – The study was structured as a qualitative research. The problems experienced by academics in measurement and evaluation practices, together with their solution suggestions were examined according to the “basic qualitative research” pattern. On the other hand, the “phenomenological qualitative research” design was used since the meanings attributed to the measurement and evaluation practice experiences were examined through metaphors. The participants of the study were 2,321 academics teaching at state and private universities in Turkey.

Results – The findings reveal that most of the problems experienced were related to “cheating, test security, fair exam environment, plagiarism, inability to measure whether learning objectives had been achieved, inappropriate online measurement and evaluation methods, lack of quality in assessment practices, and technical issues regarding learning management systems.”

Conclusion – The solutions proposed by the participant academics were the use of alternative assessment methods, conducting face-to-face rather than online exams, asking different questions for each student by mixing up the questions in the exam, and using webcams for online exam invigilation. Metaphors attributed to the measurement and evaluation practices were grouped under three categories; as positive metaphors (e.g., lighthouse, life buoy), negative metaphors (e.g., hallucination, digging a well with a needle), and metaphors implying that such practices played a key role (e.g., water in desert, surgery) in emergency.

Keywords: Emergency remote teaching, measurement and evaluation, academics, qualitative study, metaphors

3

Psychometric Validation of the Information Area of Digital Competence in High School Students in Perú

pp. 53-68  |  Published Online: December 2022  |  DOI: 10.22521/edupij.2022.114.3

Teresa Fernández-Bringas, Francisco Sandoval-Arteta, Cristóbal Suárez-Guerrero, Giancarlo Ojeda Mercado

Abstract

Background/purpose – Few psychometric tests have been identified in the literature that analyze digital competencies in school-aged children. The Evaluation Test of Digital Competencies in Compulsory Education Students (ECODIES, Casillas-Martín et al., 2020) is considered one of the most robust for its measurement. The aim of the study was to assess the psychometric validity of the “ECODIES – Area 1: Information” test with high school students from two Peruvian cities in 2021.

Materials/methods – The research was formed as a basic level, non-experimental, and cross-sectional study. Content validity was analyzed through expert judges (n = 8), while construct validity, factorial invariance, and reliability were tested with a sample of high school students from Lima and Cusco (N = 201).

Results – The content validity obtained satisfactory results (Aiken’s V = 0.952, p < .01). Through construct validity, it was corroborated that the instrument measures the information competence (RMSEA = 0.052, CFI = 0.948, TLI = 0.928, PNFI = 0.67) and that this theoretical construct remains invariant between both of the groups studied. The instrument also demonstrates adequate internal consistency (α = 0.736, ω = 0.751, ordinal α = 0.869).

Conclusion – “ECODIES - Area 1: Information” is a valid and reliable instrument for the assessment of the information digital competence, including cultural differences, in high school students.

Keywords: Psychometric instrument, validity, reliability, digital competence, high school

4

How School Climate Affects Teachers' Individual Innovativeness: The Mediating Role of Teacher Autonomy

pp. 69-91  |  Published Online: December 2022  |  DOI: 10.22521/edupij.2022.114.4

Tuncay Yavuz Ozdemir, Neslihan Cakalci

Abstract

Background/purpose – The continuity of society is ensured through schools where educational activities are formally conducted. There exists a wide range of tasks that are assigned to educational systems and schools, and three concepts play a critical role for the successful completion of those tasks: school climate, individual innovativeness, and teacher autonomy. The aim of this study was to investigate whether teacher autonomy had a mediating role in the relationship between school climate and teachers' individual innovativeness.

Materials/methods – The relational survey model was used in the study, with 617 elementary school teachers selected using simple random sampling. Data were collected using three scales: the School climate scale, the Teacher autonomy scale, and the Individual innovativeness scale. The collected data were analyzed using regression and correlation analyses. In addition, Bootstrap analysis was performed through IBM SPSS v.24.0 (Hayes, 2013) with PROCESS Macro 3 and “Simple Mediation Model 4” used to examine the significance of the mediation effect.

Results – The findings revealed that a positive, moderate, and significant relationship exists between school climate, individual innovativeness, and teacher autonomy. Bootstrap analysis showed that teacher autonomy had a significant mediating effect in the relationship between school climate and individual innovativeness. Furthermore, the Sobel test proved the significant mediating effect of teacher autonomy since the Z value was at the desired level.

Conclusion – It was found that teacher autonomy had a mediating role in the relationship between school climate and teacher innovativeness. Since this is the first study to examine the mediation effect of teacher autonomy on the relationship between teacher innovativeness and school climate, further research is needed with different samples to verify the findings.

Keywords: School climate, individual innovation, teacher autonomy, mediator variable, education and training

5

The Contribution of Teaching Practice to Preservice Teachers’ Training – Empirical Research of the Department of Primary Education of Western Macedonia University Students’ Evaluation

pp. 92-111  |  Published Online: December 2022  |  DOI: 10.22521/edupij.2022.114.5

Pavlos Stavridis, Vasiliki Papadopoulou

Abstract

Background/purpose – Teaching practice is an essential and integral part of preservice teacher training. In this study, we investigated its role in guiding and supporting student work, and whether or not it contributed to their successful completion of a teacher education program.

Materials/methods – Evaluation was conducted by preservice teachers, who constituted a stable sample throughout the research (approx. 130 students per stage), as they were directly involved and deemed the most competent to evaluate the program. Three different semi-structured questionnaires, with quantitative (closed-ended 5-point, Likert-type scale items) and qualitative variables (open-ended questions) included.

Results – The research data showed that a connection between pedagogical theory and practical application in the classroom was achieved to a satisfactory degree. The preservice teachers recognized the importance of reflecting on the educational process during the final stage of their teaching practice, when they are required to teach on a daily basis. A number of issues were also identified; most importantly, mastering the subject matter of science courses and overcoming the difficulties faced in teaching those subjects.

Conclusion – Based on the study’s results and in comparison with previous related research, we find that the evolution of the Teacher Training Program has shown improvement and is perceived more positively by preservice teachers. However, there are still several aspects that require further change and improvement in order to provide preservice teachers with the best and most comprehensive training possible.

Keywords: teacher education, teaching practice program, initial teacher training, preservice teacher training

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