Contemporary Educational Researches Journal

Developing creative thinking abilities in mathematics education: A systematic literature review

Susilawati Susilawati, Ardhi Prabowo, Zaenuri Zaenuri, Budi Waluya — Sun, 25 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0300

Mathematical creative thinking ability is the ability to think logically and divergently to produce ideas or various kinds of solutions to given mathematical problems. This systematic review of literature aims to look at research trends related to creative thinking abilities in mathematics education, indicators, research methodology, and learning models used in developing mathematical creative thinking abilities. A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was carried out using the PRISMA method. This paper reviews 30 research articles from 2019 to 2023 from which such data were obtained from Scopus. The findings show that research themes such as tests, abilities, and creative thinking have been widely carried out. Indicators of creative thinking abilities that are often used are fluency, flexibility, and originality. The learning models or approaches that are widely used in developing creative thinking skills in mathematics education are contextual learning models such as problem-based learning and STEM/STEAM. These findings are useful for researchers and teachers.

Keywords: Creative thinking; learning model; mathematics education; PRISMA; systematic literature.

Teachers’ perceptions of active learning method in Afghanistan

Abdul Nafi Himat, Noorullah Noor — Sun, 25 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0300

Active learning has brought many changes in the educational context. The objectives of this study were to examine the perception of teachers towards the student-centered method and the challenges that hinder its implementation in two high schools in Kandahar, Afghanistan. A quantitative approach was employed, and the data was collected through a questionnaire. The participants were eighty-six teachers, and they were elected through a random sample. The findings revealed that instructors have a positive view regarding the student-centered method. Similarly, teachers support the active involvement of students, and persuade students during the teaching, and they are responsible for the learning of learners. Likewise, teachers connect new lessons with learners’ prior experiences, and they motivate them to provide comments about their learning to lecturers. The large number of students, deficiency of teaching materials, and lack of time were the challenges to the use of a learner-centered approach.

Keywords: Active learning; challenges; perceptions; teachers

Widening the Circle: Teaching English for Specific Purposes in the Light of Content-Based Instruction

Yassamina Abdat — Sun, 25 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0300

Language instruction based on content is not a new idea; it originated in English-speaking countries such as the USA, Canada, and many European countries that study content subjects in English. Accordingly, it has become a widely adopted pedagogical approach to English for Academic Purposes. The teaching of English to speakers of other languages, including Algeria, however, abounds with multiple acronyms, causing teachers to become confused, and even disoriented when considering English for Specific Purposes, English for Academic Purposes, and Content-Based Instruction. The rationale of this purely theoretical-based article is to understand the current pedagogical practices in language across the curriculum and strive to unearth and uncover how English for Specific Purpose courses can be taught by implementing Content-based Instruction as a syllabus, by reviewing some linguistic, and pedagogical rationales as well as principles for the application of this framework for foreign language learners in higher education, more precisely in the ESP context. Besides, the study suggests some teaching models that are meant to help English language instructors to be content teachers in some circumstances and language-competent teachers in other contexts.

Keywords: Content-Based Instruction; teacher; Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.

L1 content adaptations and English language teaching at tertiary level: Case of EFL learners at Tlemcen University

Choayb Hadjadj — Sun, 25 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0300

The Algerian reforms in higher education have shifted from the communicative approach towards the Competency-Based Instruction and the role of the teacher has changed to someone who caters to his learner's needs. On the other hand, the Englishization process of Algerian higher education obliged subject matter teachers in different fields to learn English, which is considered a foreign language in Algeria. This exploratory research paper strives to present the findings of a study measuring the success of English Medium lectures relying on L1 content adaptations. In other words, this study examines the adapted English lectures’ content taught to students belonging to the Department of Political Sciences studying at Tlemcen University, to investigate which changes, if any, accompany the linguistic shift from L1 to English-medium teaching. It takes into account our target population, which is represented by 50 Master One Public Administration students who belong to the University of Tlemcen. Two research instruments were used in this study: an achievement test and a questionnaire. The analysis revealed the learner's good quality output and positive response to the Learning Oriented Assessment (LOA) model.

Keywords: Content adaptations; Englishization; integrated content and language; learning-oriented assessment ; political sciences.

Toward optimized attendance management in education: A machine learning and cloud computing approach

Sun, 25 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0300

The main objective of the research is to optimize and streamline the attendance recording and monitoring process for learning sessions by applying advanced technologies such as Machine Learning and Cloud Computing. The methodology employed is based on the XP (Extreme Programming) project management approach. Throughout its phases, the entire implementation process of the application, from conception to launch, is described in detail. Firebase is used as the database manager to ensure the efficiency and security of student information and attendance records. Additionally, the Firebase Machine Learning kit is leveraged to validate attendance registration through QR codes. The application was tested with fifth-year high school students from an educational institution. The user interface has been designed to be attractive, intuitive, and easy to use for both teachers and students. The research results demonstrate that the use of this application significantly reduces the time spent on attendance recording compared to traditional methods. There has been a high level of satisfaction and acceptance of the "ASYS" application among teachers and students. In conclusion, this research has successfully implemented a mobile application that revolutionizes attendance recording and monitoring in educational institutions, harnessing the power of Machine Learning and Cloud Computing to enhance efficiency and the user experience.

Keywords: Attendance records; cloud computing; education; machine learning; mobile application; process optimization