European Journal of Education and Pedagogy

Three Semesters in: COVID’s Impact on the Health and Well-being of Students over Three Semesters of the Health Emergency Order Concerning the Pandemic

John Woosley, Aristides Baraya, Jose Noguera, Michael C. Budden — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Health impacts of COVID-19 are many. COVID-19 manifested itself through a variety of symptoms, resulting in illnesses, debilitations, and too often death. The serious nature of the virus became clear as the number of infections and deaths rose, economies contracted, and governments began issuing public health emergencies with coincident stay-at-home mandates. Pandemic impacts on student health resulting from the move to online education amid a public health emergency are discerned over the course of three semesters.

Reviewing Teachers' Preparedness to Adopt and Implement the Lesotho Inclusive Education Policy 2018 in Lesotho Schools

Motlalepula Alphonci Khumalo, Paseka Andrew Mosia — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0400

The launch of the Lesotho Inclusive Education Policy (LIEP) in 2018 by the Ministry of Education and Training assured the participation of learners with special educational needs (LSEN) in the education system. The policy requires teachers to be the drivers of educational initiatives within the school setting to execute the implementation of the policy and assumes that teachers' use of constructivism-based practices would influence them to implement inclusive education. Informed by a critical paradigm and situated within qualitative research, this paper sought to assess teachers’ preparedness to adopt and implement the LIEP and how they have revised their practices to align with the policy aspirations. Data were generated through individual, semi-structured interviews with a purposively selected group of eight primary school teachers. The data were analysed through thematic analysis. The findings reveal that teachers ar unaware of the LIEP; they have not been sensitised about or trained on how the policy affects their educational practices. Additionally, teaching and learning resources to support diverse learners remain an obstacle to the full implementation of the policy. It is recommended that the Ministry of Education and Training facilitate teacher training and improve the infrastructure of schools to make them physically accessible. It is also recommended that a national study on reviewing teachers' preparedness to adopt and implement the Lesotho Inclusive Education Policy 2018 in Lesotho Schools is required to inform implementation of the Lesotho Inclusive Education Policy (LIEP) 2018 in mainstream schools.

The Effects of Field Work Practice, Information Mastery, and Work Motivation on the Work Readiness of Vocational High School Students in Indonesia

Darti Purnama Sari, Dwi Rahdiyanta — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0400

This study aims to analyze the impacts of (1) PKL (Field Work Practice) experience, (2) information mastery, (3) work motivation, (4) PKL, mastery of information, and motivation on students’ work readiness. This study employed the ex post facto design using the regression approach. The population consisted of 310 students of class XII of the Mechanical Engineering expertise program in Vocational High Schools in Yogyakarta, and the total number of participants was 170 students. The number of participants was determined using Issac & Michael’s formula. Then, using the purposive sampling technique, the sample was selected. Meanwhile, the data were collected through surveys, tests, and documentation. The collected data were analyzed using multiple linear regression analysis to check the hypothesis. The results of this study show that: 1) PKL has a positive and significant effect on students’ work readiness (p = 0.015) with an effective contribution of 9%, (2) mastery of information has a positive and significant effect on students’ work readiness (p = 0.012) with an effective contribution of 5.1%, (3) work motivation has a positive and significant effect on students’ work readiness (p < 0.001) with a contribution effective 30%, and (4) PKL, information mastery, and work motivation simultaneously influence students’ work readiness (sig. 0.000) with an effective contribution 44.6%.

Effectiveness and Preferences on Mainstreaming Early Childhood Stimulation Services in Tanzania: A Case Study of Community-based Early Childhood Development Initiative

Ignas Lukanga, Suzana S. Nyanda — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Early childhood stimulation (ECS) services are globally championed due to their proven ability to help children at risk of developmental delay attain their developmental potential. This study explored the effect of different ways of mainstreaming ECS services on child development. A mixed research approach was employed, involving quantitative and qualitative collection methods. Quantitative data was collected using the adopted ZamCAT tool administered to 334 children sampled from the benefited households. Qualitative data was collected through focus group discussions with the parents (n=4) and in-depth interviews with the key informants (n=14), respectively. The collected quantitative data were coded and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (25), and the collected qualitative data were analysed through content analysis. The binary logistic regression model was employed where the results showed a significant effect on child development from home visiting (p = 0.01) and Early childhood development centres (p = 0.016) compared to clinic outreaches. Children's nutritional status was also an influencing factor for a child to attain optimal developmental status. Furthermore, both community members and ECS services providers highly preferred ECD centres and home visiting services as opposed to a preference for clinic outreaches. The study concludes that when children are subjected to ECS services, attaining optimal development potential regardless of the household background characteristics is the forecasted result. Therefore, the study underscores the capacitation of communities on ECS practices utilising the available enabling environment and increased budget allocation for developing specific ECD policies and deploying experts.

Exploring Higher Education Part-time Students’ Sense of Belonging: The Case of an Institution in Lesotho

Maqenehelo Letseka-Manka, Malebohang C. Morena, Motlalepula Alphonci Khumalo — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0400

A sense of belonging is one of the fundamental human needs, which occurs when a person feels supported, accepted, and included in a variety of social situations. A university has a duty to create an atmosphere that encourages students to feel more a part of the campus community. That would enhance students’ success, achievement, motivation, and retention, as well as their wellness and mental health. The study explored the sense of belonging of part-time students enrolled in part-time programmes in higher education. A qualitative case study was conducted, and group interviews with first-year, second-year, and third-year students conveniently sampled produced the data to gain in-depth knowledge of part-time students’ sense of belonging. It was found that both full-time students and non-academic staff did not treat part-time students fairly during their stay on campus. Again, the study revealed that part-time students had no access to library facilities like full-time students do. On the other hand, students appreciated the support they received from their lecturers. It is recommended that higher institutions of learning improve students’ well-being and create a conducive environment for part-time students to feel accepted, respected and cared for.

Differentiating Content as a Way of Enhancing Students’ Self-Efficacy: A Study of Private Schools in Ruiru Sub-county

Nyongesa Harun Wakhungu, Mary Mukami Njoroge — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Research confirms that differentiated instruction has both academic and non-academic benefits for students. Individualized learning enhanced academic performance, and most importantly, a sense of self-efficacy are all associated with this mode of instruction. Teachers in Kenya, as in the rest of the world, hold the opinion that differentiation reflects the best professional comprehension of skilled and adaptable instruction. This study aimed to examine the effects of differentiated instruction on the self-efficacy of elementary school students. The investigation utilized the Theory of Multiple Intelligences and Self-Efficacy and a post-positivist methodology. In nine private primary schools in Ruiru Sub-County, Kiambu County, Kenya, 45 teachers and 1,022 pupils in upper primary levels (grades 6, 7, and 8) participated in the study. Using questionnaires, quantitative data was collected and analyzed using SPSS Student Version 14.0. The investigated aspect of differentiated instruction is content differentiation. It was discovered that differentiated content has a statistically significant impact on the self-efficacy of elementary school pupils. The establishment of comprehensive teacher professional development systems in private primary schools to equip teachers with the ability to effectively deliver differentiated instruction and build students' self-efficacy is one of the study's key recommendations. Among the areas for additional research is the conduct of a comparable study in public elementary schools. Additionally, longitudinal, and experimental studies can be conducted to examine the relationship between differentiated instruction and student self-efficacy in both private and public primary institutions. Additional recommendations include conducting research on other factors that contribute to the self-efficacy of elementary school students.