Shanlax International Journal of Education

Exploring Perceptions of 21st Century Skills among Thai Grade 9 Students: A Focus on the 4Cs

Yaovaluck Sricharoen — 2024-09-01

This study investigated the perceptions of Thai secondary school students regarding the importance of 21st-century skills, specifically focusing on the 4Cs: creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration. The study employed survey research using a 68-item online questionnaire via Google Form, which was distributed to 146 ninth-grade students at a school in Thailand during the 2024 academic year. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including percentages, means, and standard deviations. The findings reveal a strong positive perception of all four 4Cs skills, with over 72% of students recognizing their importance. Communication skills emerged as particularly significant, receiving the highest agreement rating among the 4Cs (M=3.62). This emphasis on communication suggests a potential focus on these skills within secondary education, highlighting the need for continuous development throughout a student’s academic journey. Although creativity and critical thinking also received a mean of 3.61, collaboration skills, while still viewed favorably, had a slightly lower agreement mean (M=3.60). This suggests a potential need for further exploration of collaborative learning environments within the school setting. These insights from the findings can inform targeted improvements in educational practices, particularly by developing curricula directed at promoting communication-focused activities and more effective collaborative strategies, to better prepare students for future academic and professional challenges.

Diversity of Classroom Management Strategies in Indian Schools

Ritu Samaddar — 2024-09-01

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the various classroom management Strategies used by different school teachers in India.
Objectives: In this study researcher wants to find out comparisons on various dimensions of the classroom management strategies. Also, find out that which type of school is better in classroom management between Institutional Type, locality and Level of Education.
Design: In this Study, a quantitative research approach was used. The descriptive research method was applied in this strategy. The researcher employed the survey method to gather data from the respondents for the descriptive approach. Chi-square test statistics is employed as analysis techniques. In this study there were 292 teachers employed as sample. The researcher selected the sample by Purposive random sampling technique.
Conclusions: The data shows that difference between classroom management strategies used in different Indian schools. It’s concluded that Private, Urban and Secondary level Indian schools have better classroom management strategies than other school.

English Preservice Teachers’ Perceptions of Listening Comprehension Difficulties

Theerapong Palakaprasith — 2024-09-01

This study examines the perceptions of listening comprehension difficulties among English preservice teachers at a university in Thailand. Survey-based research was conducted using a questionnaire designed by Ahkam Hasan Assaf. The questionnaire consisted of 45 close-ended questions on a five-point Likert scale. Out of 98 English preservice teachers selected through simple random sampling, 63 respondents completed an online questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results indicated that the greatest difficulties were associated with the physical setting (M=3.84) as the most challenging, followed by content of spoken text (M=3.77), the speaker (M=3.72), failure to concentrate (M=3.51), difficulties related to the listener (M=3.49), and linguistic features (M=3.45). Rated as moderate, the importance of listening skill (M=3.05) was rated the least. The study reveals how individual learner differences impact listening comprehension and trigger the need for effective educational approaches, such as diagnostic assessments to identify specific listening challenges faced by students, allowing for customized listening exercises. Additionally, curriculum designers can incorporate diverse and comprehensive listening components to directly target these difficulties. This also emphasizes the need for enhanced teacher training programs that focus on pedagogical strategies, including adaptive teaching methods and effective use of technology, to improve the engagement and effectiveness of listening lessons.

A Framework of using Digital Technology for Empowering People in Thailand’s Rural Areas: Case of Nakhon Sawan, Uthai Thani, and Chainat Province

Nicharee Pomsamrit — 2024-09-01

This research aimed 1) to study the framework in using the digital technology for empowering Thai people in rural areas, 2) to survey the information needs in digital media technology, and 3) to propose the prototype for developing the digital technology used. This research used the quantitative method in conducted the research which were divided into 3 steps: 1) surveying the opinion from 10 experts to confirmed the framework, 2) surveying the information need in the digital technology from sampling, and 3) surveying the prototype for developing an application as the digital technology used from sampling. Sampling came from 3 provinces (Nakhon Sawan, Uthai Thani, and Chainat province) by purposive technique. The statistical methods used (mean and standard deviation) are appropriate for the data analysis. The results of each research aims were showed in this paper. The benefits of this study will be used as a guideline for developing the community in the used of digital technology. The limitation also showed as a recommendation to further study.

School Corporate Social Responsibility Scale: A Validity and Reliability Study

Süleyman Sırrı Aydoğan — 2024-09-01

The aim of this study is to develop a valid and reliable instrument to measure the performance of schools in relation to corporate social responsibility based on teachers’ perceptions. To this end, content and construct validity and reliability studies were conducted with the participation of 521 teachers from four different study groups. As part of the related studies, a comprehensive literature review on the phenomenon was conducted and the theoretical structure was revealed through open-ended questions to the first study group of thirty teachers. An item pool was then created in accordance with the existing scope and the type of scale was determined. Eight experts were consulted for the item pool and the item pool was finalised and a draft scale form consisting of thirty-one items was produced. The draft scale, with the addition of the administration instructions, was administered to the second study group, a group of forty teachers, and thus the pre- application was realised. The scale that emerged after the pre-test was applied to a total of 451 teachers from two different study groups for exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and validity and reliability analyses were conducted on the data obtained from the study groups. These analyses showed that the total variance explained by the nine-item, one-factor structure that emerged from EFA was 81.8%, and the construct validity of the scale was supported by confirming the emerging structure with CFA. Reliability analyses revealed that Cronbach’s α and McDonald’s ω values were 0.975 and 0.976 respectively, and these values, which were quite high, proved that the scale was a reliable scale. As a result, a valid and reliable scale capable of measuring teachers’ perceptions of the CSR performance of the schools where they work has been introduced to the literature.

The Reliability of using ChatGPT in Rating EFL Writings

Yang Yang — 2024-09-01

This paper explores the reliability of using ChatGPT in evaluating EFL writing by assessing its intra- and inter-rater reliability. Eighty-two compositions were randomly sampled from the Written English Corpus of Chinese Learners. These compositions were rated by three experienced raters with regard to ‘language’, ‘content’, and ‘organization’. The writing samples were also rated by ChatGPT twice over some time, and the average scores were calculated. Independent samples t-test was conducted to compare the average scores given by ChatGPT and human raters. Pearson correlation analyses were conducted between the two sets of overall scores given by ChatGPT to calculate the intra-rater reliability, as well as between average scores given by ChatGPT and human raters for inter-rater reliability. The results of comparative analysis shows that ChatGPT may be used for evaluating EFL essays, as the scores are similar to those provided by reliable human raters. However, the result of correlation analyses shows that the intra-rater reliability of ChatGPT is not h igh enough to be acceptable, r=0.575, p<0.01 and the strength of the inter-rater reliability is moderate as well, r=0.508, p<0.01. Besides, there is no significant relationship between their average scores on ‘organization’ of the writings, r=0.181, p>0.05. Thus, it can be concluded that ChatGPT is not a reliable tool to rate and score EFL writings using the prompt in this study. One of the possible reasons for the unreliability of ChatGPT as a rater of EFL writing seems to be related to scoring for the ‘organization’ of the essay. These findings imply that while ChatGPT has potential as an evaluative tool, its current limitations, particularly in assessing organization, must be addressed before it can be reliably used in educational settings.

Understanding Latent Variables in EFL Contexts

Patsawut Sukserm — 2024-09-01

Understanding latent variables is essential in EFL research. This article examines key latent variables, such as linguistic competence, cognitive ability and socio-cultural factors. These variables play a crucial role in shaping EFL learning experiences and outcomes. Researchers can use methods such as exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) to uncover these variables. By combining theoretical findings with advanced statistical methods, such research provides an understanding of the complex processes involved in language learning. The article points to the need for longitudinal studies and mixed methods to capture the dynamic nature of EFL learning. This approach could contribute to the development of more effective educational strategies that improve teaching practices and learner outcomes. The article also emphasizes the importance of considering the sociocultural context and developing culturally sensitive teaching methods to create an inclusive learning environment. Moreover, this article serves as a guide for future research and practice in language learning.

Effect of Organisational Climate and type of Autonomous Colleges on Academic Achievement of the Students

Kalpana Behera — 2024-09-01

This article examines the independent and interaction influence of organizational climate and the type of autonomous colleges on the academic performance of students. Organizational climate encompasses various elements such as leadership styles, communication patterns, and staff morale, collectively shaping the institutional environment. Autonomous colleges, with their capacity for innovation in curriculum design, pedagogical methods, and assessment practices, provide a unique context for this analysis. To explore the effect, researchers employed a quantitative approach, surveying 480 students across 12 colleges (both government and non-government) in Odisha, India. Questionnaires assessed student perceptions of organizational climate and academic achievement. Additionally, researchers collected student result sheets and surveyed college staff to gain a wellrounded perspective on the college climate. Data analysis using ANOVA and Scheffe tests identified significant effects. Major Findings of the study confirm that a positive organizational climate, regardless of college type, is associated with higher student academic achievement. Interestingly, students in government autonomous colleges achieved higher scores than those in non-government ones. The most significant finding, however, is the interaction effect. Students in government
autonomous colleges with a strong learning environment achieved the highest scores, while those in non-government autonomous colleges with a weak environment achieved the lowest.

The Impact of Group Psychological Counseling on Counseling Self-Efficacy: A Mixed-Methods Study

İsmail Ay — 2024-09-01

This study aims to examine the impact of group counseling practice conducted with undergraduate psychological counseling and guidance (PCG) students on their counseling self-efficacy levels. The study group consisted of 36 third-year students enrolled in the Group Counseling Principles and Techniques course in the spring semester of 2019 at the Department of PCG at Atatürk University. Since the course content was theoretical and students needed to have fundamental knowledge related to the course, it was taught theoretically for the first 7 weeks (until the midterm exam). After the midterm, group counseling practice was conducted with students divided into three groups for the remaining 7 weeks. The researcher led the sessions, and the students participated as group members. The Counselor Activity Self-Efficacy Scales was administered immediately before and one week after the practice. After the practice, students were also asked to fill out a semi-structured form to evaluate their group experiences. This study was designed using the explanatory sequential design, one of the mixed research methods. The quantitative aspect of the research was conducted as a single-group pretest-posttest design, one of the weak experimental designs. In analyzing the quantitative data, the Paired Samples t-Test was used for pretest-posttest comparisons. For the qualitative aspect, content analysis was performed on the forms filled out by the students. The study found that group counseling practice significantly increased the counseling self-efficacy of the counselor candidates, and the students’ qualitative responses supported this finding. Furthermore, students indicated that the practice contributed to their development in both professional skills and personal relationships. It is observed that individual counseling practices are generally emphasized in psychological counselor education. Considering the inadequacy of group counseling practices in counselor education and the lack of research addressing the contributions of these practices to the personal and professional development of psychological counselors, it is evaluated that the results of this research will contribute to the field.

The Moderating Role of Work Overload in the Effect of Transformational Leadership on Individual Innovativeness: A Study on School Administrators

Özgür Uygur — 2024-09-01

This study was conducted to determine the regulatory role of excessive workload in the effect of transformational leadership behaviors of school administrators on individual innovativeness within the educational ecosystem. The data of the study were collected from teachers working in schools in Isparta city center. Within the scope of the research, the data collected with the participation of 1007 teachers using convenience sampling method were subjected to regularization analysis using bootstrap regression analysis. According to the findings, transformational leadership has a positive and significant effect on individual innovativeness. Excessive workload was found to have a negative moderating role in the effect of transformational leadership on individual innovativeness. The findings were discussed in line with the literature and suggestions were made for future studies.