Modern Perspectives in Language, Literature and Education Vol. 5

This paper discusses how to improve teaching of Mathematics in Brazilian schools, based on Seymour Papert’s Constructionism associated with Information Technology tools. Specifically, this work introduces the constructionist microworld, a digital environment where students are able to build their knowledge interactively, in this case, using dynamic mathematics software GeoGebra. Papert’s constructionism offers a versatile framework to implement pedagogical models using computers.

By using Chinese images as T'ai-chi tu, Rudolf Arnheim's Gestalt art theory investigates visual perceptual forces and the phenomenon of "isomorphism" in psychological movement.  He draws attention to the similarities between western and Chinese aesthetic conceptions by bringing up these Chinese instances. To compensate for the shortcomings of western mind, he employs Chinese ideas, particularly Taoism.Taoist thought led him on a new path, allowing him to critically reflect on western dichotomies that strongly split perception from thinking, and art from science. In order to complement western experience and create a universal empirical aesthetic theory, Arnheim explores Chinese art from the viewpoint of western psychology and also focuses on western ideas using Chinese culture as a mirror.

Qualitative research conducted with fifty-eight (58) pupils old 9 to 12 and 85 preservice teachers of elementary education from Quebec in Canada on their alternative conceptions of force, motion, and gravity, demonstrates that they share many misconceptions despite the difference in age and training.

Most of their understandings differ radically from those established by the scientific community. They look like those developed in the pre-Newtonian Physics setting, such as the Greek philosopher Aristotle view and the 14th-century Impetus theory by the French philosopher Buridan. For this, we have given them a paper and pencil questionnaire of sixty minutes duration and composed of six questions. The results were analyzed based on previous research on students' and teachers' motion and force conceptions. Most of the misconceptions identified on analyzing the data were 1. The force exerted on an object is proportional to the speed; 2. The notions of mass and weight are synonymous; 3. The quantity of matter in an object on the Earth is different than in the Moon; 4. In the absence of atmosphere, there is no gravitation like on the Moon; 5. There are no forces exerted in an object at rest; 6. Gravity does not act on stationary objects; 7. The moving object must necessarily have forces exerted on them to keep them on movement; and 8. Without a continued application of force, an object could not continue its movement. The misconceptions identified are relevant for developing teaching strategies focused on the conceptual conflict with trainee teachers to move them towards scientific conceptions. To value their misconceptions, one must confront them with the erroneous theories on movement developed by renowned scientists.

The globalisation process and the development of the knowledge society were sparked by the convergence of telecommunications and computer science, the implementation of computer-based networks, and the integration of languages, which overcame space and time constraints. We are witnessing a true revolution based on knowledge multiplication and its associated applications, as well as knowledge codification, memorization, and transfer. The challenges that educational institutions, and the University in particular, face are linked to the fact that classrooms or lecture halls are no longer the only places where one can follow study courses: anyone from anywhere, if he has the necessary technological equipment and materials, can create his own environment in which to continue his own educational and self-learning activities. This is why, through study, we must identify new university models and psycho-pedagogic theories that will allow for the development of new Internet-based teaching and learning models. This paper explains the university model proposed by the International Telematic University UNINETTUNO, which has quickly gained international recognition.

Political party vigilantism in Ghana has consistently been on the ascendency since the return to Constitutional rule in 1993. The effect of the violent activities of vigilante groups in Ghana cannot be delinked from elections. Their activities have usually been during and after elections across the country. By-elections in Atiwa, Akwatia, Chereponi, Talensi, Amenfi West and more recently Ayawaso West Wuogon, have all been marred by acts of violence. Ghana in 2017 recorded for the first time political party vigilante groups storming a courtroom in Kumasi and freeing some of their members standing trial after assaulting a regional security coordinator in the second largest region in the country – the Ashanti region. The paper seeks to highlight the dangers inherent in this rather negative development which could reverse the gains Ghana has made in consolidating its democracy. The author relied on secondary data including relevant media publications and statements from civil society organizations, political parties and religious bodies on vigilantism in Ghana. Findings show that the seed of vigilantism has been sowed and allowed to be nurtured to the extent that the parties have taken uncompromising positions in ending the canker because it borders on political power. A law has been passed but indications are that nothing much is changing. The National Peace Council has intervened yet there is no sign of a lasting solution to the problem. The paper concludes that all stakeholders especially the civil society organizations and the religious bodies ought to be objective and bold to openly name and shame political parties whose members engage in negative acts of vigilantism and urge the masses to vote against such parties or else the phenomenon will persist and its ramifications will be disastrous.

Inter-agency coordination is critical to the advancement of technical education services for students with special needs, including those with learning difficulties. Inter-agency partnership is a group of teachers, guardians, school representatives, and representatives from outside organizations that work together to execute, coordinate, and create programmes for students. However, the implementation of inter-agency collaboration with schools has remained at low levels. Therefore, this study was undertaken to explore the implementation of inter-agency collaboration and the obstacles faced by teachers in vocational education of students with learning disabilities towards career experience preparation. This study used a qualitative approach with case study design. Data were collected using interviews involving 10 teachers from vocational education in 6 Integration Program with Learning Disabilities (IPLD) schools. The findings show that there is inter-agency collaboration implemented with the schools involved but the implementation is not comprehensive. Results from interviews show that there are several obstacles in the implementation of inter-agency collaboration in terms of student attitude, parental attitude, and attitude of employers, financial problems and lack of information about the implementation of vocational education in IPLD. This study is expected to assist schools in implementing inter-agency collaboration to provide the best service to enhance the skills and careers of students with special needs especially students with learning disabilities. Moreover, teachers should work to establish a collaboration with various parties such as a joint venture especially in the field of vocational education, to get advice and work to highlight the existing potentials in students with learning disabilities.

Learning and teaching have traditionally been viewed as a direct interpersonal classroom activity in educational settings. New forms of teaching and evaluation have emerged as a result of technological advancements, and they have gradually become a more prevalent aspect in education. With the advancement of information technology in general, and the Internet and online technologies in particular, there has been a growing emphasis on the development of distance learning methods, which allows students to expand their learning beyond the constraints of space and time. The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of a case-study investigation into student perceptions of the addition of an e-learning component as part of their experience of an M.A. programme in Catholic School Leadership at St Mary's University, Twickenham. Students were able to participate in a "virtual classroom" by engaging in online learning, where they were able to share discussions sparked by online questions. As a result, the introduction of online learning represents a significant advancement that has the potential to impact pedagogy and assessment. As a result of this research, the following conclusion can be drawn: While there were some concerns regarding the facility's implementation, students generally agreed that online activities improved the quality of their education.

This study aims to clarify the relationship between learning methods prophetic character education  with student achievement in the field of character education in schools. This study uses a quantitative approach with a statistical formula Product Moment. Collecting data in this study using observations, questionnaires and documentation. In practice, the researchers conducted a study on the learning process in the classroom related to the way teachers teach or methods used in educational subjects prophetic character. Pembejaran and curriculum materials have been determined by the school institution. Determined with a random sample of the population that has been quantified. After the learning process by using certain methods at the end of the semester and then held a test. The test results connected using Product Moment correlation statistical tests, the results are as follows: there is a correlation between the prophetic character education learning method with the results for students at the school with a degree of correlation is very strong. Thus it can be understood that the prophetic character education methods have relationships that can improve student learning outcomes in schools on vocational education.

The aim of the study is to explore the effect of instructions for promoting cooperative learning (CL) in EFL classroom. The purpose of this study is to explore teachers’ behaviors and perceptions while applying procedures and instructions to encourage CL in their teaching practice.

A total of nine teachers participated in the study. This study adopted mixed methods as follows: quantitative data from structured observations during EFL lessons and qualitative data from the teachers’ daily reports and open-ended questionnaire answers.

The findings revealed that most of the teachers found that the instructions helped them support their students and encourage them to work effectively and cooperatively in groups. Further, the findings indicated that the instructions helped the EFL teachers increase their students’ interaction and communication by prompting them to apply CL procedures. However, the majority of the teachers did not appropriately encourage their EFL learners to engage in CL even though they were aware of the procedures.