Innovare Journal of Education

Teacher Autonomy and Preferences in Professional Development: A Comprehensive Survey of Florida Educators

Zafer Unal, Aslihan Unal — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0530

Most educators around the world are required to participate in professional development activities in order to renew certification or licensure and ensure employees are up to standard. This study examined the professional development needs of 1,167 in-service teachers in Florida, United States, through a comprehensive survey. Findings revealed discrepancies between the current decision-making process for teachers’ professional development and their preferences. Teachers expressed a strong preference for autonomy in identifying their professional development needs, as well as a desire for more diverse formats, such as teacher observations and conference attendance. Additionally, the study found that teachers highly value professional development activities during designated days set aside by the school system and express interest in incorporating college or university settings into their experiences. The survey results also highlighted teachers’ preferences for effective professional development experiences, encompassing four key components: addressing what teachers need to know, demonstrating how to do it, suggesting best practices on implementation, and leaving time for specific questions. Furthermore, teachers demonstrated a clear understanding of their professional development needs, covering a range of topics such as effective teaching practices, classroom management, and integrating technology. Based on these findings, the study proposes a centralized professional development system, allowing teachers to input their needs and search for approved opportunities, ultimately enhancing the quality and effectiveness of professional development programs.

Effectiveness of Curriculum Based Industrial Training for Undergraduate Professional Courses

Amit Kumar — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0530

Education is one of the important needs of human life like food, cloth and house. It helps to develop and nourish overall human personality and socialization through physical and mental abilities. In similar manner, undergraduate courses play crucial role to built personnel and professional carrier in the world. Undergraduate courses such as B. Pharm. and B. Tech. (Biotechnology) are demanding in the present situation and are conducting by various government and private universities. According to the course curriculum of the universities, curriculum based industrial training for the undergraduate students are part of their courses. Therefore, the present study was designed, and conducted based on one month industrial training program for the undergraduate students by training department of Bharat Immunologicals & Biologicals Corporation Limited (BIBCOL), Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, India as biopharmaceutical industry and also investigated for the effectiveness of the training program for students as participants belonging to the undergraduate courses from different academic institutions. Results of the study revealed that there was found significant impact of the designed and conducted training program on the participants through employing up-gradation in grade system A, B, C, & D after the successfully completion in BIBCOL as a bio-pharmaceutical industry.

Intersecting Traditions and Modernity: Perceptions of Quality Assurance in Outcome-Based Education among Vietnamese University Lecturers

Tran Thi Thuy, Pham Trut Thuy, Le Thanh Thao — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0530

In the continuously evolving landscape of global education, the role of Quality Assurance (QA) in fortifying and maintaining the relevance of teaching and learning processes has grown ever more critical. In this context, Vietnam—a country delicately balancing its rich traditions with a strong push towards modern educational paradigms—offers a unique vantage point. The primary aim of this study was to delve deep into Vietnamese university lecturers’ perceptions regarding the intersection of QA and Outcome-Based Education (OBE), particularly focusing on its ramifications on their academic practices. Adopting a qualitative methodology, we engaged with ten lecturers from two distinct universities in the Mekong Delta. Through semi-structured interviews, participants shared their narratives, which were subsequently analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. This analysis was enriched and contextualized through the lens of established theoretical frameworks. The emergent themes painted a multifaceted picture. While recognizing the transformative potential that QA can bring within the OBE framework, lecturers often found themselves grappling with the challenges of seamlessly integrating traditional teaching methodologies with the demands of OBE. Adding to this complexity were concerns about the potential erosion of the ‘human touch’ in teaching as technological interventions become more pervasive in QA processes. Another intriguing dimension was the interplay of deeply rooted Vietnamese cultural norms with contemporary QA practices, serving at times as barriers while at others as catalysts for innovation. The revelations from this study underscore the imperative for establishing culturally resonant QA systems, crafting comprehensive and contextual training modules, and ensuring a judicious blend of technology and traditional pedagogical practices. While resonating with universal themes in education, the findings also spotlight the nuances specific to Vietnam’s academic landscape, making a case for contextually tailored educational interventions.

Unlocking the Innovative and Commercialization Potential of the Undergraduate Final Year ‘Design and Make’ Research Projects

Oniward Svubure, Constantino Pedzisai — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0530

Innovation and commercialization are viewed as key drivers of any country’s economy. Individuals normally start commercial enterprises with an innovative and entrepreneurial mindset. Universities worldwide are regarded as centers of knowledge creation and are expected to play a key role in the industrialization of a country’s economy. For undergraduate engineering students, the capstone ‘design and make’ research module is best placed to unlock their innovative and commercialization potential. Capstone modules are typically about applying what the student has learned during the entire course of studies, thereby presenting a rich setting for innovation and entrepreneurial skills learning. In Zimbabwean universities, the final year capstone project is offered where the student fabricates a product as a possible solution to a problem in industry. However, very few of the ideas from the module have found their way into the real world as goods or services. The study’s main question was to establish the extent of the impact of the projects module on agricultural engineering undergraduate students’ innovative and commercial-mindedness. Using the case study research design, data was collected on implementing the capstone module at the Chinhoyi University of Technology’s Department of Agricultural Engineering. Data was collected on the parameters potentially impacting the student’s innovativeness and commercial mindedness. The study findings showed that in its present form, the research project module improves the students’ design and innovative skills. At the same time, equipping the same scholars with entrepreneurial skills is inadequate.

Parental Influence on Career Choices of Navrongo Senior High School Students in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality

Alfred Alunga Anovunga — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0530

This study examined parental influence on the career choices of Navrongo Senior High School students in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality. The study sought to assess parental factors that contribute to the career choice of Navrongo Senior High School students in the Kasena Nankana Municipality, examine the effects of parental influence on the career choice of their children in Navrongo Senior High School, and find out the strategies that Navrongo Senior High School can adopt to assist students make informed career choice. Participants included in this study were 150 senior high school students. Stratified and simple random sampling techniques were used to select the sample size. Both open-ended and closed Likert Scale questionnaires were used for data collection. Percentages, bar charts, pie charts, and standard deviations were used to present the results. The result indicated that parents, in one way or the other, do influence their children in choosing careers. From the study, the respondents believed that when parents choose careers for their children, they do not enjoy their lifelong vocation. It was therefore recommended that the school solicit parents’ views when organizing career guidance for students, and parents should also be made aware of the negative consequences of their actions when they impose their opinions on their children when planning for their careers. Again, career programs should be introduced in Senior High Schools to assist students in making appropriate career choices.

Developing Electronic Portfolios to Align with Diverse National Standards to Showcase Students’ and Teachers’ Performance: A Design Approach

Kazeem FABUNMI Olaiya, Oyeronke O. Ogunlade — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0530

Traditional methods of documenting and assessing educational performance and achievements have often been limited in scope and accessibility. Addressing these limitations is to leverage the potential of technology to create a comprehensive and user-friendly electronic portfolio (e-portfolio) system. This study aimed to investigate the required national standard and functionalities of e-portfolios for showcasing students’ and teachers’ performance. This study adopted qualitative research methods to investigate the context under study. Interviews, documents, and reports with and from students, lecturers, administrators, and educational experts provided insights into the specific requirements and expectations for an effective electronic portfolio system. One hundred twenty-five participants were randomly sampled for the study in the Abuja metropolis of Nigeria. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview and case study approach. A deductive approach was employed for the coding and analysis of the transcribed data. The findings identified several key features and functionalities required in an electronic portfolio system: Customizability and Flexibility, Alignment with Standards, Multimedia Capabilities, Reflection, and Goal-Setting Tools. Both students and teachers generally perceived the use of electronic portfolios positively. The respondents highlighted technological barriers, such as lack of necessary skills, limited access to devices or reliable internet connectivity; time constraints; and resistance to change as challenges in using e-portfolios to showcase their performance. Based on a systematic analysis of interview data from the respondents, the qualitative study offers a framework for exploring, understanding, and discussing the standard for and the impact of developing electronic portfolios for student and teacher performance.