Journal on Efficiency and Responsibility in Education and Science

Do Teachers’ Beliefs Turn to Practice?

2025-01-24T19:46:47+01:00

This study employed a convergent parallel mixed-method design to examine the teaching beliefs of secondary school teachers and determine the relationship between their scientific epistemological beliefs and pedagogical approaches. Semi-structured interviews were utilized to explore teachers’ teaching beliefs, while quantitative analysis involved a descriptive-correlational approach, employing two adapted questionnaires: Scientific Epistemological Belief Questionnaire (SEBQ) and Approaches to Teaching (ATI). Analysis of interview responses reveals that most teachers prioritize creating a student-involved classroom environment, typically teacher-initiated learning, rather than allowing student-led initiatives. They generally view themselves as facilitators of learning, base their teaching decisions on the curriculum, and believe that students demonstrate understanding by reiterating what has been taught. Quantitative analysis indicated that science teachers in the region largely demonstrate traditional beliefs regarding the origins and characteristics of scientific knowledge while predominantly employing transitional teaching approaches in their practice. Furthermore, the study found a correlation between teachers' SEBs and adopting learner-focused teaching approaches. Integration and meta inference of qualitative and quantitative findings bear significant implications for science education, suggesting avenues for enhancing, restructuring, and reforming teachers' teaching and epistemological beliefs. Hence, efforts should focus on fostering teachers' deeper understanding of the nature of science.

Mood States as a Key Factor in Assessing Student Learning in Project Management Teaching

2025-02-05T00:19:21+01:00

Hands-on experience is an essential part of project management education. We researched to determine whether our practical seminars organized as part of an undergraduate project management course provide the expected learning experience consistent with current project management practice. We organized two practical seminars for students in four study groups that utilized serious management games. The seminars focused on traditional and agile project management, emphasizing the differences in teamwork and emotional states of the participants between both approaches. We used the Profile of Mood States psychological method to evaluate the total mood changes of eligible participants (n = 49). We found that respondents' total mood and fatigue have improved significantly during practical seminars, confirming that serious management games have a positive effect on student learning and experience. We observed no significant difference in total mood improvement between traditional and agile seminars. We learned that the vigor of the participants has increased only for the agile seminars. This outcome is consistent with actual research and empirical experience in the field. The study results will be used to improve the quality of practical seminars next year.

Students' Attitudes toward the Annual Instrumental Exam in Croatian Elementary Music Schools

2025-05-14T23:53:24+02:00

At the end of the school year, the music schools organize the annual instrumental exam to evaluate the student's achievements. The study investigates complex patterns of performance anxiety in music school students during annual exams, focusing on how gender, age, instrument type, and family musical tradition interact, revealing inconsistencies with prior research and illustrating the importance of tailored pedagogical interventions. The study was conducted on a sample of 143 third- to sixth-grade students, using a 14-item Likert-scale questionnaire. Results show high levels of pre-exam stress, especially among girls and piano students, while younger students reported more positive emotions before the exam and older students were calmer afterward. Family music tradition had limited influence. These findings underscore the need to rethink evaluation approaches in music education with an emphasis on students' emotional well-being. Teachers and parents must create a supportive and positive environment before and during the exam, particularly for girls. The study also has practical implications: it emphasizes that there must be psychological preparation for exams, emotional intelligence development, and consideration of alternative assessment methods that reduce stress.

Exploring How Change Leadership Influences Instructional Leadership Effects on School Culture and Teachers’ Teaching Performance in Pesantren Education Settings in Indonesia: A Moderated-Mediation Analysis

2025-04-23T17:23:52+02:00

As an instructional leader, the principal is instrumental in facilitating the adjustment to the more advanced school environment by supporting teachers and students in their endeavors. The present study investigates the moderated mediation model of how change leadership impacts instructional leadership effects on school culture and teachers’ teaching performance. To this end, 459 junior high school teachers from 39 pesantren in Indonesia were surveyed, and the collected data were then examined with factor analysis and Hayes’ (2013) bootstrapping technique. The results of the analysis indicate that the principal’s instructional leadership has a direct and indirect effect on teachers’ teaching performance through school culture. Furthermore, the findings suggest that when the professional relationship between teachers and their principals is characterized by higher change leadership, the indirect effect of the principal’s instructional leadership on teachers’ teaching performance through school culture is greater. This study provides evidence that principals’ instructional leadership is a collaborative process as opposed to a top-down leadership model.

Too Much of Everything Is Bad: The Case of Czech University Students’ Work-Study Balance During the Covid-19 Pandemic

2025-03-18T16:57:15+01:00

Students are an exceptionally vulnerable population in comparison to any other age group. Many students face considerable stress stemming from the combined demands of their studies and, for some, the necessity to work. This situation presents a serious dilemma of how to combine work and study how to maintain mental well-being. We explored the work-study balance by analyzing a repeated cross-sectional sample of 8,584 Czech university students at two time points (2020 and 2021) during the pandemic outbreak. Employment benefits students’ mental health, but students who worked extra hours had more depressive symptoms than those who worked part-time or full-time. In addition, an increasing study load had a negative effect on students in the form of increased depressive symptoms. Both students who were employed before the pandemic but were no longer working during it and students who never had a job had significantly higher depressive symptoms than working students. The expectation of a detrimental high workload-high study load effect was not confirmed.

The Role of Academic Resilience, Self-Regulation, and Perceptions of Chemistry Students in Academic Achievement: A Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) Approach

2024-09-05T00:29:12+02:00

Improving student achievement is one of the most important components of learning, and it is influenced by several variables, including academic resilience, self-regulation, and students' perceptions. This study examined how high school academic resilience, self-regulation, and students' perceptions affect their academic achievement in chemistry classes. Even though chemistry is regarded as a crucial subject for learning, most students find it complicated, making it challenging to comprehend. This explains why students' academic achievement in chemistry is so low. Using cluster random sampling techniques, 791 students participating in chemistry classes formed the sample. The linear relationship model between academic resilience, self-regulation, student perceptions, and achievement in chemistry is examined in this research using the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) method. The results indicate that chemical achievement correlates negatively with academic resilience, significantly positively with self-regulation, and negatively and insignificantly with student perception. To ensure that students in chemistry learn at their best, teachers should focus more on the qualities of their students and incorporate learning activities.