Keyword: secondary education

ABSTRACT: The fundamentals of experimental science didactics have proven that compulsory education students need to develop skills such as critical thinking. Guided inquiry is a practical methodology for developing various science skills. Moreover, current legislation establishes a series of specific competencies that students must develop. This work presents research carried out with students aged 13–14 years. A project, based on the problem-based learning methodology, on a real-world topic close to the students was implemented to assess the development of critical thinking and specific competencies outlined in legislation. For this purpose, a teaching-learning sequence was developed, and the students’ outputs were collected through questionnaires and teacher observation sheets. The results show that students can answer each of the problems encountered during the project, posing researchable questions and finding solutions through experimentation. Each of the sessions has demonstrated clear progress in several key areas such as the development of some of the required competencies and overall scientific skills, thereby facilitating overall development.

ABSTRACT: The effectiveness of inclusive education depends on the specific characteristics of the implementation context. Therefore, studying the role of teachers’ characteristics on inclusion remains a significant concern worldwide. This research investigated the difference between the attitudes of secondary school teachers in Bangladesh regarding including students with intellectual disabilities based on their characteristics. Following a quantitative approach, an adapted survey questionnaire was used. The study purposively determined the participation of 55 general and special education teachers from 8 schools. Positive attitudes toward inclusion are more prevalent among female teachers, special education teachers, those who have previously completed a course in special education, and those who have had fewer students with intellectual disabilities in their classrooms, according to the findings. No statistically significant difference was observed in the teachers’ attitudes according to their level of teaching experience and the subject matter they taught. Explanations of the findings are provided, along with recommendations.

ABSTRACT: Student loans have increasingly become a burden on individuals. This qualitative analysis explores how structural inequities and financial literacy gaps influence US student loan borrowers’ decisions to finance postsecondary education. The study highlights racial and economic disparities, examining participants’ reflections on debt aversion and systemic barriers to equitable access. We asked why participants took out federal student loans, asked about their decision processes when taking on debt, whether participants took any action to reduce accumulated debt, and if they’d made any discoveries about their decisions to take on student loan debt. After coding and a thematic analysis, five themes and five subthemes emerged. Respondents saw loans as their only option to afford college, using the funds not just for tuition but for living expenses. Student loan debt has significantly impacted their life choices, forcing some to delay major milestones like marriage and family, buying a house, and saving for retirement. A discussion including implications for policy, research, and practice as well as future directions is provided.

ABSTRACT: The total quality management (TQM) is a management practice based on the idea of continuous quality improvement of an organization’s products and services, identifying and eliminating problems right from the root, with the participation of all members. For
an educational institution, TQM can improve the quality of education, help with the learning process, provide an atmosphere with less risk of inadequate decisions, and many more. In educational institutions, the implementation of TQM is the responsibility of process approach, management responsibility, customer focus, and continuous improvement. Specifically, digital infrastructure, digital technology, and digital capabilities affect TQM practices directly. This article provides a synthesis and analysis of findings from 51 international publications on the implementation of TQM in secondary schools. This study revealed that more than the commonly stated advantages, addressing the soft facets including student/stakeholder contentment, leadership, continuous enhancement of processes and systems, teacher coaching, and effective use of technology are critical elements for successful implementation of TQM. In addition to that educational managers have to make an espousal to TQM as an omnibus management philosophy, as a supportive culture and enabling the involvement of all stakeholders.