The aim of this research is to define the affect of Keyword Mnemonics in 6th class Science Lesson on the students' achievements and their attitudes. Treatment started with the application of achievement and attitude pretests for the experiment and control groups. Afterwards, while keyword mnemonics were used for the experiment groups, traditional method was used for the control groups during the courses. At the end of the courses the achievement and attitude post test was applied to each group. At the end of the research it is seen that the students who were trained by using the key word mnemonics had higher achievements than the ones trained by using the traditional method. A significant difference was not found between the control group and the experiment group in terms of attitude points.

In this paper we develop and study mathematical model for the analysis of the educational numerical expert evaluations that characterize both the educational and psychological levels of student training (scholars and/or students) required in order to continue their further studies successfully. To solve the constructed mathematical model an iterative algorithm is developed. Besides, it is proved that algorithm convergence as well as its convergence rate is determined. A numerical experiment illustrating how an iterative algorithm function is implemented was conducted. The obtained results show that by means of using the developed model as well as algorithm required for finding its solution there could be ranked both the true ratings of students based on the overall expert evaluations and the experts themselves in two ways – using the levels of “objectivity" and "coherence".

Teachers need research-based innovative educational methods for the upgrading of their teaching. The motivation of students and teachers in science education is the core of up to date teaching/learning. A very urgent task for educational research is to find appropriate educational methods and tools which have to be implemented into teachers’ training and then in teaching/learning science. Design-based research is a new trend in educational research. The used methodology can be described as a cycle: analysis of a practical problem, development of solutions, iterative testing of solutions, reflection and implementation. This methodology was implemented into pre-service and in-service science teachers’ training. An action research, which is close to the design-based research methodology, was presented to teachers for their development of teaching. We present the research outcomes of the implementation of the design-based research methodology into pre-service primary science teachers’ training. Used teaching content is a hands-on experimentation with everyday objects.

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of Year 6 Elementary Mathematics Curriculum on problem solving. The study had an experimental design and consisted of a total of 120 students in experimental (60) and control (60) groups. The results of students’ problem solving performances indicated some prominent findings. First of all, students in the experimental group were more successful at problem solving than the control group students. Second, although neither group achieved a satisfactory success level (≤0.75), the results of students in the experimental group were more homogeneous. Similar results were observed in problem solving stages as well. For all steps of problem solving (understanding the problem, devising a plan, carrying out the plan and looking back at work), the success rates of the students in the experimental group were higher than that of the students in the control group. These results suggested that instead of teaching problem solving as a separate subject, it should be taught as a process interwoven into the whole mathematics instruction where all themes include problem solving activities. Therefore, students’ problem solving skills can be improved. Furthermore, there was evidence that the students’ ability to use problem solving strategies was enhanced in this way.

Retention and performance of students in engineering programs has been a topic of concern globally. Various factors involved need to be investigated and understood. The present case study analyzes relationship between students’ school results and their performance in engineering programs. Statistical data from three campuses of Ajman University of Science and Technology, UAE, were used for 3 undergraduate engineering programs. Data for 661 students, with a minimum school score of 70%, enrolled over ten years were investigated. From the students group with ‘high’ performance in school, 53%, 46% and 1% performed ‘high’, ‘medium’ and ‘low’ in their programs, respectively. From students near ‘minimum’ score in school, 6%, 87% and 7% performed ‘high’, ‘medium’ and ‘low’ in their programs, respectively. The analysis suggests that students with relatively ‘high’ scores in school may not maintain their performance in engineering programs, while students with relatively ‘low’ scores in school could improve significantly. Further investigations are recommended.

The validity of peer and self-assessment is discussed under the title consequential validity. One of the important reasons is the conception of what influence the peer and self-assessment practices in group works would have on learning and metacognitive knowledge levels of students. This study aims to identify the influence of peer and self-assessment methods used during group work studies on students’ learning and metacognitive knowledge levels. For treatment-control group, pre-post test design was used in this research. The results of the study revealed that learning and metacognitive knowledge levels in the treatment group were higher than those in the control group.

The paper discusses and reports the reading assessment practices of secondary school teachers to ascertain EFL/ESL learners’ English reading performance at the secondary school level in Pakistan. This exploratory study was designed primarily to examine what specific reading assessment technique is preferred and brought into practice by secondary school teachers in an assessment of grade 10 students’ reading comprehension. Keeping in view the aforesaid issue, the study was conducted in one urban district of Pakistan’s densely populated city Karachi. To do so, samples were gathered from three different groups of teachers as private boys, girls, and coeducational schools. In this exploratory study, (N =120) teachers who were affiliated by different private nonelitist schools had participated. The survey instrument was developed based on the suggested methods and assessment techniques for reading comprehension by Alderson (2000). The results yielded from data were analyzed and reported through mean, rank order and percentage study. The primary findings revealed and indicated that ‘multiple-choice’ is considered at the top and most generally practiced followed by ‘shortanswer’, ‘close-ended’, and ‘subjective method’ of reading assessment techniques among secondary school teachers.

The study is part of a larger study on the management of learner indiscipline in schools. The study sought to establish educators’ insights on the disciplinary measures used to deal with minor and major forms of indiscipline in selected South African schools. Available literature points to the realization that educators use mostly punitive disciplinary measures to deal with learner indiscipline in schools. There was a need to establish the situation on the ground. The study was a descriptive survey that utilized a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches. It looked into insights of 125 educators selected from 15 independent schools in one educational district in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Data were collected mainly through a semistructured questionnaire administered on educators as well as interviews. The SPSS version 17 software was used to analyze quantitative data while content analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. It emerged from the study that from the educators’ point of view educators mostly employed punitive disciplinary measures when dealing with both minor and major forms of indiscipline. The study concludes that educators still viewed disciplining learners as synonymous to punishing them. The study recommends the establishment of staff development workshops to equip educators with skills to embrace supportive, proactive and cooperative disciplinary measures when dealing with learner indiscipline.

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effective factors on attitude of parents that have slow learning children in regular schools toward educational integration. 204 available parents in Arak were used (all of parents that have slow learning child). In this correlational research, questionnaire of assessing attitude was prepared by researchers. Researchers used the statistical parameters such as regression analysis for analyzing data. Results showed that the attitude of the parents was positive toward educational integration. The relation between parents’ attitude and their age, the number of children's friends, and their academic grade was significant. Parents were dissatisfied with poor facilities in classrooms and school size. They approve teachers' supportive and sympatric relation with their children. So regression analysis showed that relation of other variables with parents’ attitude was not significant. The other results are presented in the article.

This paper examines and focuses on some issues and questions related to effective use of meta communication concept as nonverbal communication in teaching English as a foreign language by giving some language tips on how to teach meta-communicative items in the foreign language class. “Meta Communication” is the process between message designers when they are talking about the learning process, as distinguished from their articulation of the “substantive” learning, itself. Like verbal communication, nonverbal communication exists in a context, and that context determines to a large extent the meanings of any nonverbal behaviors. The same nonverbal behavior may have a totally different meaning when it occurs in another context. It is also important to mention culture in teaching meta-communication as the nonverbal behaviors are generally culture specific. Thus, there can be misunderstandings in communication. It is essential to remember that the meta-communication which accompanies any message is very powerful. The receiver will use these clues to help them to interpret what you mean, but more importantly they will often take the meaning from the meta-communication rather than from the words themselves, particularly when what you are saying conflicts with what you are doing. Hence, understanding or interpreting nonverbal messages accurately is especially important for second/foreign language (L2) learners whose comprehension skill is more limited. Thus, this paper aims to demonstrate authentic uses of meta-communication by showing some visual and written materials to be used in class to increase students’ awareness of the target language.

This paper studies whether job satisfaction levels of technology and design teachers will have an influence on both the organizational success and societal development. The basic aims of the study are to identify the job satisfaction levels of technology and design teachers in primary schools in Ankara and to suggest ways to improve job satisfaction. The study is a descriptive research. Job satisfaction measurement tool was administered to eighty one technology and design teachers. Technology and design teachers are found to have least job satisfaction score in regard to their profession. Attempts to improve job satisfaction may focus on the dimension of job itself. “Regarded as important and being respected” may contribute to satisfaction.

The styles depend upon cerebral dominance of an individual in retaining and processing different modes of information in his own style of learning and thinking. This study attempted to find out the relationship and significance of difference between academic achievement and learning-thinking style of secondary school students. The study was delimited to class Xth students only. The purpose of present study was to see whether there is a relationship between academic achievement and learning-thinking style of secondary school students or not. Normative Survey method was applied for conduction of the study. The population for the research includes students of secondary class of different areas. Mean and Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation (‘r’) are the statistical technique which helped in the analysis and interpretation of the result. The collected data was analysed and interpreted on the basis of hypothesis. It has been found that learning-thinking style and academic achievement of secondary school students are positively and significantly related to each other. Students having high academic achievement are better for teaching. It can be said that academic achievement is a factor which influence the learning-thinking style of secondary school students. It can also be concluded that male and female secondary school students are not different in respect to their academic achievement whereas they are different in respect to their learning-thinking style.

The last article is from ZIMBABWE . It is entitled as “TEACHER DEVELOPMENT THROUGH OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNING: THE CASE FOR ZIMBABWE” and written by Caleb KANGAI and Richard BUKALIYA from Zimbabwe Open University, Marondera. This article that is a case study of distance teacher education at the Zimbabwe Open University, is part of an ongoing longitudinal study the two researchers are undertaking at the Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) concerning issues of quality and effectiveness in open and distance learning (ODL). The article argues that distance teacher education has the potential to solve the current and future problems of teacher shortage in Zimbabwe and elsewhere. Data for the present study were collected over a period of two years through personal experience, participatory methods, observations, document analysis, informal discussions and illuminative methods. On the basis of the present findings, effective distance education programmes would require the adoption of the following key strategies: · Winning government support for distance teacher education, · Setting up a directorate for the coordination of distance teacher education, · Adoption of the partnership model in the training of teachers.