Pub Date : 2024-04-23DOI: 10.3389/feduc.2024.1329773
J. Taplin
Many of the elements of the Waldorf approach featured 100 years ago, with the opening of the first Waldorf early childhood groups, are now supported by current evidence and research into child development. Waldorf practitioners are developing stronger and better-informed practice based on the founding principles, contemporary resources and an ever-deepening understanding of young children today. In this paper I intend to explore five of the significant themes which have received additional impetus in recent years. 1. In the Waldorf approach a foundation of social and emotional development is prioritised as a support for later cognitive development. 2. A key features of the Waldorf early childhood environment is that it is a sensorily-friendly and unhurried microcosm of everyday life. 3. Waldorf practitioners and teachers have been actively promoting for the past century the importance of building up children’s connections with nature. 4. As a result of increased academicization and the pressures of 21st century life, child-initiated, free, creative play is under threat and needs protection and support. 5. One aspect of the Waldorf approach viewed as key is that the inner development of the practitioner or teacher is just, if not more, important than their outer work. Following this review of some essential aspects of the Waldorf approach in the light of recent development, the paper concludes by looking into the future and pinpointing three aspects at the forefront of developments and research among Waldorf early childhood practitioners today.
{"title":"Waldorf early childhood care and education in the 21st century","authors":"J. Taplin","doi":"10.3389/feduc.2024.1329773","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1329773","url":null,"abstract":"Many of the elements of the Waldorf approach featured 100 years ago, with the opening of the first Waldorf early childhood groups, are now supported by current evidence and research into child development. Waldorf practitioners are developing stronger and better-informed practice based on the founding principles, contemporary resources and an ever-deepening understanding of young children today. In this paper I intend to explore five of the significant themes which have received additional impetus in recent years. 1. In the Waldorf approach a foundation of social and emotional development is prioritised as a support for later cognitive development. 2. A key features of the Waldorf early childhood environment is that it is a sensorily-friendly and unhurried microcosm of everyday life. 3. Waldorf practitioners and teachers have been actively promoting for the past century the importance of building up children’s connections with nature. 4. As a result of increased academicization and the pressures of 21st century life, child-initiated, free, creative play is under threat and needs protection and support. 5. One aspect of the Waldorf approach viewed as key is that the inner development of the practitioner or teacher is just, if not more, important than their outer work. Following this review of some essential aspects of the Waldorf approach in the light of recent development, the paper concludes by looking into the future and pinpointing three aspects at the forefront of developments and research among Waldorf early childhood practitioners today.","PeriodicalId":508739,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Education","volume":"56 18","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140667389","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-23DOI: 10.3389/feduc.2024.1346073
Katarzyna Chyl, A. Dębska, Artur Pokropek, Marcin Szczerbiński, Łukasz Lech Tanaś, Michał Sitek
The paper reviews the methods for assessing different components of reading skills in adults with reading difficulties, along with functional reading skills. We are particularly interested in the assessment methods available to researchers and practitioners, developed predominantly in the research context, and not available solely in English. We discuss the large-scale international study, PIAAC, as an example of a framework for such assessments. Furthermore, we cover the following types of assessment tools: (1) self-assessment questionnaires, probing into comprehension difficulties and reading habits; (2) measures of print exposure, such as author recognition tests, correlating with other reading-related skills; (3) measures of word recognition and decoding, including reading aloud of words and pseudowords, as well as silent lexical decision tasks; (4) fill-in-the-blank tasks and sentence reading tasks, measuring predominantly local comprehension, entangled with decoding skills; (5) comprehension of longer reading passages and texts, focusing on functional texts. We discuss comprehension types measured by tests, text types, answer formats, and the dependence problem, i.e., reading comprehension tests that can be solved correctly without reading. Finally, we tap into the new ideas emerging from the AI systems evaluation, e.g., using questions generated from news articles or Wikipedia or asked directly by search engines users. In the concluding section, we comment on the significance of incorporating background information, motivation, and self-efficacy into the assessment of adult literacy skills.
{"title":"Assessment of adults with low literacy skills: a review of methods","authors":"Katarzyna Chyl, A. Dębska, Artur Pokropek, Marcin Szczerbiński, Łukasz Lech Tanaś, Michał Sitek","doi":"10.3389/feduc.2024.1346073","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1346073","url":null,"abstract":"The paper reviews the methods for assessing different components of reading skills in adults with reading difficulties, along with functional reading skills. We are particularly interested in the assessment methods available to researchers and practitioners, developed predominantly in the research context, and not available solely in English. We discuss the large-scale international study, PIAAC, as an example of a framework for such assessments. Furthermore, we cover the following types of assessment tools: (1) self-assessment questionnaires, probing into comprehension difficulties and reading habits; (2) measures of print exposure, such as author recognition tests, correlating with other reading-related skills; (3) measures of word recognition and decoding, including reading aloud of words and pseudowords, as well as silent lexical decision tasks; (4) fill-in-the-blank tasks and sentence reading tasks, measuring predominantly local comprehension, entangled with decoding skills; (5) comprehension of longer reading passages and texts, focusing on functional texts. We discuss comprehension types measured by tests, text types, answer formats, and the dependence problem, i.e., reading comprehension tests that can be solved correctly without reading. Finally, we tap into the new ideas emerging from the AI systems evaluation, e.g., using questions generated from news articles or Wikipedia or asked directly by search engines users. In the concluding section, we comment on the significance of incorporating background information, motivation, and self-efficacy into the assessment of adult literacy skills.","PeriodicalId":508739,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Education","volume":"84 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140670268","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-23DOI: 10.3389/feduc.2024.1288413
G. Akon-Yamga, Godfried Funkor, K. Tsey, R. Kingsford-Adaboh, W. Quaye, D. A. Ntewusu
Ghana has recently renewed its commitment to build a strong Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) base for improved socio-economic development. This commitment hinges on recognizing that the strength of the nation’s STI policy depends on the quality of pre-tertiary education and training in science and mathematics to produce a critical mass of young people well-prepared for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses at the tertiary level. However, despite numerous interventions to improve upon STI, Ghana still performs poorly, along with other Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) countries with common STI indicators in the Global Innovation Index. Using Ghana as a lens, this article highlights the challenges in STEM teaching and learning throughout the sub-region. The qualitative research approach was adopted to allow an in-depth exploration of participants’ perspectives. Six pre-tertiary schools (three Junior High Schools and three Senior High Schools) and the University of Ghana, Legon, were selected due to the availability of their students and teachers to participate in the interviews in Accra, the capital city. This article argues that, to develop the critical mass of human capital needed for sustainable development, there is a need to improve the performance of students in STEM subjects at the pre-tertiary level. In addition, performance improvement, which is linked to student interest in the study of STEM subjects, should increase the quality of students entering tertiary education institutions. These students will then be trained to meet the quality of human resources needed to run the STI system—a step toward achieving sustainable development this article recommends the redesign of STEM curriculum at the pre-tertiary level to align with tertiary STEM education as that in turn aligns with Ghana’s STI system.
{"title":"Perspectives from students and teachers about the challenges of teaching and learning STEM subjects in Ghana","authors":"G. Akon-Yamga, Godfried Funkor, K. Tsey, R. Kingsford-Adaboh, W. Quaye, D. A. Ntewusu","doi":"10.3389/feduc.2024.1288413","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1288413","url":null,"abstract":"Ghana has recently renewed its commitment to build a strong Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) base for improved socio-economic development. This commitment hinges on recognizing that the strength of the nation’s STI policy depends on the quality of pre-tertiary education and training in science and mathematics to produce a critical mass of young people well-prepared for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses at the tertiary level. However, despite numerous interventions to improve upon STI, Ghana still performs poorly, along with other Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) countries with common STI indicators in the Global Innovation Index. Using Ghana as a lens, this article highlights the challenges in STEM teaching and learning throughout the sub-region. The qualitative research approach was adopted to allow an in-depth exploration of participants’ perspectives. Six pre-tertiary schools (three Junior High Schools and three Senior High Schools) and the University of Ghana, Legon, were selected due to the availability of their students and teachers to participate in the interviews in Accra, the capital city. This article argues that, to develop the critical mass of human capital needed for sustainable development, there is a need to improve the performance of students in STEM subjects at the pre-tertiary level. In addition, performance improvement, which is linked to student interest in the study of STEM subjects, should increase the quality of students entering tertiary education institutions. These students will then be trained to meet the quality of human resources needed to run the STI system—a step toward achieving sustainable development this article recommends the redesign of STEM curriculum at the pre-tertiary level to align with tertiary STEM education as that in turn aligns with Ghana’s STI system.","PeriodicalId":508739,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Education","volume":"70 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140668233","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-22DOI: 10.3389/feduc.2024.1397994
Anna March, E. Stapley, Daniel Hayes, Darren Moore, J. Deighton
Despite recent investments in school-based mental health and wellbeing promotion in England, the sustainability of mental health interventions remains a substantial challenge. This article brings together potential solutions to sustaining interventions in schools, drawing on insights from an online roundtable discussion held in July 2022. Facilitated by researchers and informed by recent research on barriers and facilitators to sustaining school-based mental health interventions, 16 participants came together to discuss challenges and solutions. Participants included school staff, policy makers, educational psychologists, researchers and mental health intervention developers. The discussion explored the need for accountability at all levels (e.g., from school leaders to policy makers and Ofsted) and the potential value of engaging schools more consistently with academic evidence. Participants also discussed the importance of creating a healthy and sustainable ecosystem for interventions (underscoring the significance of staff wellbeing, adequate resourcing, and longer-term funding commitments), and moving beyond separate, isolated interventions. The findings offer a range of recommendations for school decision makers, mental health researchers, intervention developers, and those working in the wider system around schools.
{"title":"Sustaining mental health and wellbeing programmes in schools: recommendations from an online roundtable","authors":"Anna March, E. Stapley, Daniel Hayes, Darren Moore, J. Deighton","doi":"10.3389/feduc.2024.1397994","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1397994","url":null,"abstract":"Despite recent investments in school-based mental health and wellbeing promotion in England, the sustainability of mental health interventions remains a substantial challenge. This article brings together potential solutions to sustaining interventions in schools, drawing on insights from an online roundtable discussion held in July 2022. Facilitated by researchers and informed by recent research on barriers and facilitators to sustaining school-based mental health interventions, 16 participants came together to discuss challenges and solutions. Participants included school staff, policy makers, educational psychologists, researchers and mental health intervention developers. The discussion explored the need for accountability at all levels (e.g., from school leaders to policy makers and Ofsted) and the potential value of engaging schools more consistently with academic evidence. Participants also discussed the importance of creating a healthy and sustainable ecosystem for interventions (underscoring the significance of staff wellbeing, adequate resourcing, and longer-term funding commitments), and moving beyond separate, isolated interventions. The findings offer a range of recommendations for school decision makers, mental health researchers, intervention developers, and those working in the wider system around schools.","PeriodicalId":508739,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Education","volume":"8 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140673450","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-22DOI: 10.3389/feduc.2024.1386738
Leah Hauge, Aydin Yücesan Durgunoğlu, Janet Stewart
All around the globe, the development of digital skills is considered a priority because individuals are increasingly asked to interact with digital information. Digital literacy is required to communicate effectively and accomplish social and work-related tasks. Although there is a significant body of literature on the development of digital proficiencies in educational settings from elementary school to university, there is limited research with adults who are continuing their education later in life, usually outside of formal educational systems. The purpose of this paper is to report results from a study conducted with English learners in an adult education program in the U.S. The study evaluated the digital component of a new curriculum named CILIA-T (Content-Integrated Language Instruction for Adults with Technology Support), CILIA-T is a 16-module curriculum supporting adult learners to build their English skills, US History and Civics knowledge and digital proficiencies. In this study, researchers partnered with teachers to introduce part of the digital literacy content of the curriculum. There was a test given before and after the teaching. To determine the effectiveness of the digital literacy curriculum, the scores on the pre and post-tests and the duration to complete the pre and post-tests were analyzed. There were also learner and teacher surveys to evaluate the usability and utility of the curriculum. Main findings indicated that explicit instruction in digital literacy skills led to significant improvement across all participants. Teachers and learners found the digital literacy curriculum to be helpful and relevant.
在全球范围内，数字技能的发展被视为一个优先事项，因为人们越来越多地被要求与数字信息互动。要有效地进行交流，完成与社会和工作相关的任务，就必须具备数字素养。尽管有大量文献介绍了从小学到大学的教育环境中数字能力的发展情况，但对那些在晚年继续接受教育的成年人，通常是在正规教育系统之外的成年人的研究却很有限。本文旨在报告一项针对美国成人教育项目中的英语学习者的研究结果。该研究评估了名为 CILIA-T（Content-Integrated Language Instruction for Adults with Technology Support）的新课程中的数字化部分，CILIA-T 是一个支持成人学习者提高英语技能、美国历史和公民知识以及数字化能力的 16 模块课程。在这项研究中，研究人员与教师合作，介绍了课程中的部分数字扫盲内容。教学前后都进行了测试。为了确定数字扫盲课程的效果，研究人员分析了前后测试的分数以及完成前后测试的时间。此外，还对学习者和教师进行了调查，以评估课程的可用性和实用性。主要研究结果表明，通过明确的数字扫盲技能教学，所有参与者的成绩都有显著提高。教师和学习者都认为数字扫盲课程很有帮助，也很有针对性。
{"title":"Developing digital proficiencies of English learners in adult education","authors":"Leah Hauge, Aydin Yücesan Durgunoğlu, Janet Stewart","doi":"10.3389/feduc.2024.1386738","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1386738","url":null,"abstract":"All around the globe, the development of digital skills is considered a priority because individuals are increasingly asked to interact with digital information. Digital literacy is required to communicate effectively and accomplish social and work-related tasks. Although there is a significant body of literature on the development of digital proficiencies in educational settings from elementary school to university, there is limited research with adults who are continuing their education later in life, usually outside of formal educational systems. The purpose of this paper is to report results from a study conducted with English learners in an adult education program in the U.S. The study evaluated the digital component of a new curriculum named CILIA-T (Content-Integrated Language Instruction for Adults with Technology Support), CILIA-T is a 16-module curriculum supporting adult learners to build their English skills, US History and Civics knowledge and digital proficiencies. In this study, researchers partnered with teachers to introduce part of the digital literacy content of the curriculum. There was a test given before and after the teaching. To determine the effectiveness of the digital literacy curriculum, the scores on the pre and post-tests and the duration to complete the pre and post-tests were analyzed. There were also learner and teacher surveys to evaluate the usability and utility of the curriculum. Main findings indicated that explicit instruction in digital literacy skills led to significant improvement across all participants. Teachers and learners found the digital literacy curriculum to be helpful and relevant.","PeriodicalId":508739,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Education","volume":"40 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140674664","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-19DOI: 10.3389/feduc.2024.1334031
Wei Sun, Hong Shi
In the context of global mandates for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education, rural regions face significant hurdles in delivering high-quality language instruction. Generalist teachers in these areas often lack specialized training in EFL, yet are tasked with its instruction. Referred to as L2 generalists, these educators hold a pivotal role in EFL education. However, a notable gap exists in understanding the motivation propelling generalist teachers to undertake EFL instruction, particularly within Chinese rural primary schools, where various challenges persist. Grounded in self-discrepancy theory and possible selves theory, this study examined the way L2 generalist teachers' teaching motivation linked to their various self-concepts as well as their responses to various challenges when delivering EFL teaching in rural elementary schools in China. The study uncovered that the alignment between L2 generalist teachers' ought selves (i.e., the selves that they believe they should be) and ideal selves (i.e., the selves they aspire to become) acted as motivating factors, guiding their active involvement in EFL teaching. However, challenges such as a lack of professionalization and high contextual expectations led to a discrepancy between their actual selves (i.e., the selves they perceive themselves to currently be) and their ought/ideal selves, diminishing their teaching motivation. Furthermore, the presence of ambiguous and conflicting school policies further complicated matters, confusing generalist teachers and eroding their motivation for teaching. Despite experiencing a decline in motivation for EFL teaching, their commitment to their students fostered consistency between their ideal and ought selves, inspiring them to innovate pedagogical strategies within their capabilities. The study's findings hold significance for policymakers and teacher educators, highlighting the necessity of implementing strategies to enhance the professional growth of rural L2 generalist teachers.
{"title":"Understanding L2 generalist teachers' motivation for teaching EFL in China's rural elementary schools","authors":"Wei Sun, Hong Shi","doi":"10.3389/feduc.2024.1334031","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1334031","url":null,"abstract":"In the context of global mandates for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education, rural regions face significant hurdles in delivering high-quality language instruction. Generalist teachers in these areas often lack specialized training in EFL, yet are tasked with its instruction. Referred to as L2 generalists, these educators hold a pivotal role in EFL education. However, a notable gap exists in understanding the motivation propelling generalist teachers to undertake EFL instruction, particularly within Chinese rural primary schools, where various challenges persist. Grounded in self-discrepancy theory and possible selves theory, this study examined the way L2 generalist teachers' teaching motivation linked to their various self-concepts as well as their responses to various challenges when delivering EFL teaching in rural elementary schools in China. The study uncovered that the alignment between L2 generalist teachers' ought selves (i.e., the selves that they believe they should be) and ideal selves (i.e., the selves they aspire to become) acted as motivating factors, guiding their active involvement in EFL teaching. However, challenges such as a lack of professionalization and high contextual expectations led to a discrepancy between their actual selves (i.e., the selves they perceive themselves to currently be) and their ought/ideal selves, diminishing their teaching motivation. Furthermore, the presence of ambiguous and conflicting school policies further complicated matters, confusing generalist teachers and eroding their motivation for teaching. Despite experiencing a decline in motivation for EFL teaching, their commitment to their students fostered consistency between their ideal and ought selves, inspiring them to innovate pedagogical strategies within their capabilities. The study's findings hold significance for policymakers and teacher educators, highlighting the necessity of implementing strategies to enhance the professional growth of rural L2 generalist teachers.","PeriodicalId":508739,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Education","volume":" 20","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140683331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-18DOI: 10.3389/feduc.2024.1347432
Asil El Galad, Dean Harvey Betts, Nicole Campbell
Driven by the rise of recent technologies and long-standing interest in accommodating diverse student needs, the demand for flexibility in higher education has intensified. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified studies investigating online learning effects, reflecting shifting preferences and demands in education. Although prior research recognizes diverse flexibility practices, a narrow focus on instructional delivery limits its potential. Bridging this gap requires re-envisioning flexible learning by involving students, educators, and institutions in the transformation process. Therefore, this study aims to investigate and compare students’ and educators’ perspectives and experiences of five dimensions of flexibility (deadlines, modality, assessment type, grading and weighting, and course correspondence). The study involves a quantitative and qualitative survey, composed of Likert scale and open-ended questions. The survey respondents were students (N = 315) and educators (N = 100) at Western University across different years and programs. The quantitative component reveals a general alignment between student and educator preferences across flexibility dimensions. Noteworthy preferences include collaborative deadline setting, non-timed and take-home assessments, and more frequent, lower-weighted tasks. Students’ increased preference for hybrid learning, despite a general preference for in-person formats, underscores the value placed on flexibility and adaptability. Qualitative findings illuminate the broader implications of flexibility that can be organized into the following four themes: (1) flexibility humanizes teaching and learning, (2) flexibility recognizes diverse student populations, (3) flexibility provides broad accommodation and increases accessibility, and (4) flexibility can offer immediate relief but poses long-term consequences. In conclusion, this study emphasizes the multifaceted nature of flexibility in higher education, offering a nuanced understanding of the impact of flexibility on students, educators, and institutions, encouraging further exploration and evidence-based policy decisions. Beyond academia, the research suggests potential reshaping of the higher education landscape, positioning flexibility as a fundamental element to foster a more inclusive, supportive, and effective learning environment for both students and educators.
{"title":"Flexible learning dimensions in higher education: aligning students’ and educators’ perspectives for more inclusive practices","authors":"Asil El Galad, Dean Harvey Betts, Nicole Campbell","doi":"10.3389/feduc.2024.1347432","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1347432","url":null,"abstract":"Driven by the rise of recent technologies and long-standing interest in accommodating diverse student needs, the demand for flexibility in higher education has intensified. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified studies investigating online learning effects, reflecting shifting preferences and demands in education. Although prior research recognizes diverse flexibility practices, a narrow focus on instructional delivery limits its potential. Bridging this gap requires re-envisioning flexible learning by involving students, educators, and institutions in the transformation process. Therefore, this study aims to investigate and compare students’ and educators’ perspectives and experiences of five dimensions of flexibility (deadlines, modality, assessment type, grading and weighting, and course correspondence). The study involves a quantitative and qualitative survey, composed of Likert scale and open-ended questions. The survey respondents were students (N = 315) and educators (N = 100) at Western University across different years and programs. The quantitative component reveals a general alignment between student and educator preferences across flexibility dimensions. Noteworthy preferences include collaborative deadline setting, non-timed and take-home assessments, and more frequent, lower-weighted tasks. Students’ increased preference for hybrid learning, despite a general preference for in-person formats, underscores the value placed on flexibility and adaptability. Qualitative findings illuminate the broader implications of flexibility that can be organized into the following four themes: (1) flexibility humanizes teaching and learning, (2) flexibility recognizes diverse student populations, (3) flexibility provides broad accommodation and increases accessibility, and (4) flexibility can offer immediate relief but poses long-term consequences. In conclusion, this study emphasizes the multifaceted nature of flexibility in higher education, offering a nuanced understanding of the impact of flexibility on students, educators, and institutions, encouraging further exploration and evidence-based policy decisions. Beyond academia, the research suggests potential reshaping of the higher education landscape, positioning flexibility as a fundamental element to foster a more inclusive, supportive, and effective learning environment for both students and educators.","PeriodicalId":508739,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Education","volume":" 37","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140689590","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-18DOI: 10.3389/feduc.2024.1292717
Charles J. Williams, Jacqueline M. Chen, Allison Quirion, Fumiko Hoeft
Students with Learning Disabilities (LDs) can experience classroom challenges that may negatively impact their social and emotional development, and these struggles can put them at risk for mental health issues and lower quality of life. Programs designed to support students with LDs need to consider not only academic skills and accommodations, but also the broader well-being of these students. Among interventions that address holistic student development are mentoring programs that utilize peer mentors (older students who also have LDs). The purpose of this article was to review key literature on the potential benefits of peer mentoring for students with LDs. According to reviewed articles, peer mentoring programs have been implemented in both school and university settings. In addition to conferring academic benefits to mentees, participation in these programs is associated with increased emotional well-being, higher self-esteem, and better communication skills among mentees. These programs may also benefit mentors, but these benefits have been understudied. More research is needed to determine the positive benefits of mentoring for mentors and mentees with similar learning characteristics, above and beyond positive benefits of mentorship in general.
{"title":"Peer mentoring for students with learning disabilities: the importance of shared experience on students’ social and emotional development","authors":"Charles J. Williams, Jacqueline M. Chen, Allison Quirion, Fumiko Hoeft","doi":"10.3389/feduc.2024.1292717","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1292717","url":null,"abstract":"Students with Learning Disabilities (LDs) can experience classroom challenges that may negatively impact their social and emotional development, and these struggles can put them at risk for mental health issues and lower quality of life. Programs designed to support students with LDs need to consider not only academic skills and accommodations, but also the broader well-being of these students. Among interventions that address holistic student development are mentoring programs that utilize peer mentors (older students who also have LDs). The purpose of this article was to review key literature on the potential benefits of peer mentoring for students with LDs. According to reviewed articles, peer mentoring programs have been implemented in both school and university settings. In addition to conferring academic benefits to mentees, participation in these programs is associated with increased emotional well-being, higher self-esteem, and better communication skills among mentees. These programs may also benefit mentors, but these benefits have been understudied. More research is needed to determine the positive benefits of mentoring for mentors and mentees with similar learning characteristics, above and beyond positive benefits of mentorship in general.","PeriodicalId":508739,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Education","volume":" 21","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140688487","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-17DOI: 10.3389/feduc.2024.1365916
Arne Sørensen, P. Lagestad
Teaching in higher education is still mainly executed as lectures, even though research about student-active instruction methods points to more motivated students, higher enjoyment, and more optimal learning outcomes. The purpose of this study was to obtain better insight into how physical education (PE) students assessed their learning outcomes in relation to the use of different pedagogical approaches.A master’s course in PE was planned and implemented using the following eight different learning approaches: lectures; practical exercises about themes in lectures; discussions during lectures; discussions outside of lectures; planning and exercises for peer students; individual work preparing to write an academic text; individual work writing the academic text; and reading for an exam. The study constituted a mixed methods study, which used quantitative data from students’ evaluation of eight different learning approaches on a Likert-type scale, and in-depth qualitative data from follow-up interviews with some of the same students, with the aim of explaining the main findings. Quantitative data about the students’ reflections on the learning outcomes of the different learning approaches were collected among 59 different students at three different times (2021, 2022, and 2023), after finishing a course in the fifth semester in a master’s program in PE.The findings showed that the students reported achieving the highest learning outcomes from practical exercises and attaining the lowest learning outcomes from lectures. In depth interviews among seven randomly selected students were also used to obtain reflections from the students about the different learning approaches. Quantitative analyses again revealed that practical exercises produced the highest learning outcomes, while lectures resulted in the lowest learning outcomes. Qualitative analyses of the in-depth interviews indicated that practical activities enabled students to relate theory to practice, make them active, and are associated with future work, while the quality of lectures depended on characteristics of the teacher and were often experienced as long and unstimulating.According to the results, we recommend that student teachers in higher education acquire the ability to plan and execute practical lessons in relation to themes focused upon in lectures and involve students more in discussions during lectures.
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Pub Date : 2024-04-17DOI: 10.3389/feduc.2024.1286113
M. Imad
This reflective essay explores the role of love in higher education through the lens of personal experiences, including confronting situations of tragedy and hopelessness as an educator. Drawing on the philosophies of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and James Baldwin, as well as insights from colleagues and students, I argue that love is not simply an emotional state but a transformative force capable of effecting meaningful, sustainable change. Love can serve as a vital element in pedagogical settings, providing a framework for justice, equity, and communal wellbeing. I offer several practical recommendations for educators to intentionally cultivate a culture of love in their interactions with students and colleagues. These range from self-care and setting boundaries to integrating love into course design and community building. The essay suggests that embracing love as an active force can provide a renewed sense of purpose, particularly in times of collective trauma and uncertainty. Further, it highlights that love can be the necessary counterforce to the challenges affecting both educators and students, ultimately serving as the cornerstone for transformative education. By fostering love in academic settings, we enable both individual and communal healing, enriching the overall educational experience. In the wake of global crises like pandemics, genocides, climate disaster, and political divisiveness, the essay asserts that love remains the enduring force that can empower us to build a more just and resilient community in higher education.
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