scholarly journals STEM Library Activities in Croatian Primary School Curriculums

Author(s):  
Ana Rendulić

The goal of this paper is to give an overall picture of STEM activities in school curriculums supported by school librarians. Research methodology used to examine described problem is primary qualitative content analysis of Croatian primary schools curriculums, as a main document for planning of all school activities. The research included school curriculums of 854 Croatian primary schools that were available on their official web pages among overall 904, according to the official list provided by Ministry of Science and Education in Croatia (Ministarstvo znanosti i obrazovanja Republike Hrvatske, 2019). Considering the duration, research is transferable since it relies only on school year 2018./2019. and gives a general picture of the STEM activities in school curriculum associated to librarians. Findings are divided in several detected categories: science, green libraries, technology, engineering, math and extracurricular activities. 

Author(s):  
Mihaela Banek Zorica ◽  
Zvjezdana Dukic

In Croatian school system it is prescribed by the law that every school should have a library and a professional librarian managing the library and serving the school community. School library is a part of the educational system and school librarian has to be involved in teaching and extracurricular activities. This research explores how school librarians in primary school in Croatia perceive their various roles and what roles related duties they perform in their daily practices. A survey was conducted on a sample of primary school librarians in Croatia and 122 valid responses were collected and analyzed for the purpose of this study. The study findings show that school librarians in primary schools perceive that promotion of students’ reading is their most important role while teaching information literacy is less important. In their daily practices Croatian school librarians perform various duties related to reading promotion, administration of library, managing collections, supporting school curriculum and providing information services. Further they are engaged in teaching information literacy but they hardly use of technology for enhancement of library collections and services. Only a little more than half of study participants state that school principal and teachers understand their roles and support them in performing these roles. Further studies on roles of school librarians are recommended.


2021 ◽  
Vol 123 (13) ◽  
pp. 404-427
Author(s):  
Aija Liisa Laitinen ◽  
Tanja Tilles-Tirkkonen ◽  
Leila Karhunen ◽  
Sanna Talvia

PurposeThe importance of food education in primary schools has been globally recognised. However, more detailed definitions of its learning objectives are rarely found. The study aimed to define multisectoral themes and learning objectives for food education in primary education in Finland.Design/methodology/approachA descriptive three-round Delphi study was conducted with experts in food education in various organisations. In the first questionnaire, the participants were asked to define possible objectives for food education related to general objectives for basic education. Respondents of the first questionnaire formed a research panel (n = 22). These panellists were then invited to complete the second (n = 16) and third questionnaires (n = 12), where the objectives were further modified. Qualitative content analysis and Bloom's taxonomy were applied in the process of creating the learning objectives.FindingsIn the iterative process, 42 learning objectives for food education in primary schools were defined. Further, “Sustainability and ethics of food systems” was defined as the cross-cutting theme of food education. In addition, 13 subthemes were defined, which fell into three thematic categories: personal (e.g. feelings), practical (e.g. eating) and intangible (e.g. culture) issues.Originality/valueThe defined learning objectives for a holistic food education may be used in advancing primary school curriculum in Finland and perhaps other countries.


Author(s):  
Katarina Vanek

This research has been set in view of the increasing exposure of children and youth to the media and the challenges of the modern education system. The aim was to establish the existence and representation of extracurricular activities in school curricula aimed at media literacy of students in primary schools in the area of Virovitica-Podravina and Požega-Slavonia Counties in the Republic of Croatia. The data were collected by studying the documentation - analysis of 25 school curricula for the 2020/2021 school year, which are available on websites of the schools. The results are described by the descriptive method and point to the existence of extracurricular activities aimed at media literacy of students, but not in all schools. Such extracurricular activities are more represented in higher grades of primary school (5th -8th grade) and are mostly oriented toward journalism, while in lower grades (1st - 4th grade) the most frequent activities are related to Computer Science or a specific aim set within media literacy education. Finally, this research can be a starting point for other research projects for determining the causal links that led to such results and an incentive to improve educational practice in Croatian schools.


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 23-54
Author(s):  
Libuše Ďurišová

Aim of this empirical study was to obtain a profile of professionals providing career counselling at primary schools in Zlín District (called career counsellors), map the material conditions, propagation and availability of career counselling at schools, including office hours of career counsellors, identification of information sources career counsellors use, ways of their cooperation with pupils’ parents in deciding about further education, what are the other subjects career counsellors cooperate with, discovering problems connected to career counselling at primary schools, comparison of the level of accordance of our results with the results of researches in the field of career counselling realized at the schools in previous years and creating a vision of primary school career counselling. Empirical data collection was carried out in the school year 2013/2014 through electronic questionnaires and content analysis. Quantitative analysis of the questionnaire data confirmed findings of previous researches, that career counsellors are usually teachers with long practice and experience, who perform the function of education counsellor. Improvement appeared both in the field of professional training and in material support and working environment of career counsellors. Analysis further showed that career counsellors belong amongst important factors providing pupils with information concerning the options of further education and through the part they take in the teaching of the educational area Man and the World of Work they help pupils to create a realistic professional goal and provide them with necessary competences. Apart from the positives the analysis discovered also some insufficiencies—in cooperation both with parents and regional companies—potential future employers of pupils finishing the school. Qualitative content analysis enabled to identify problems in career counselling and visions of career counsellors about how should the career counselling and primary schools should look like.


2014 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 299-319
Author(s):  
Jelena Stevanovic ◽  
Emilija Lazarevic

The ability to understand the meaning of words and sentences is an important determinant of the language development, which also indicates the development of the ability to learn. Bearing this in mind, the research was aimed at studying the level of semantic development of younger primary school-age children. Semantic development was studied from the aspect of understanding the meaning of words and their use in the following lexical relations: homonyms, antonyms, synonyms and metonyms. The research was conducted in three Belgrade primary schools during the school year 2013/2014. The sample was convenient and included 431 second- and third-grade pupils. The Semantic test (by S. Vladisavljevic) was used in the study. Research results showed that none of the pupils had provided the correct answer to all administered tasks. The best scores were achieved on the part of the test referring to antonyms, while the pupils were least successful on the tasks referring to metonyms. Additionally, third-grade pupils were more successful than younger participants, while there were no differences according to gender. The results indicated that it was necessary to devote more attention to different lexical and semantic exercises at preschool and early school age, considering the link between semantic development, the acquisition of reading and writing skills and the (un)successful mastering of the school curriculum in the majority of subjects.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. e045879
Author(s):  
Bina Ram ◽  
Anna Chalkley ◽  
Esther van Sluijs ◽  
Rachel Phillips ◽  
Tishya Venkatraman ◽  
...  

IntroductionSchool-based active mile initiatives such as The Daily Mile (TDM) are widely promoted to address shortfalls in meeting physical activity recommendations. The iMprOVE Study aims to examine the impact of TDM on children’s physical and mental health and educational attainment throughout primary school.Methods and analysisiMprOVE is a longitudinal quasi-experimental cohort study. We will send a survey to all state-funded primary schools in Greater London to identify participation in TDM. The survey responses will be used for non-random allocation to either the intervention group (Daily Mile schools) or to the control group (non-Daily Mile schools). We aim to recruit 3533 year 1 children (aged 5–6 years) from 77 primary schools and follow them up annually until the end of their primary school years. Data collection taking place at baseline (children in school year 1) and each primary school year thereafter includes device-based measures of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and questionnaires to measure mental health (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire) and educational attainment (ratings from ‘below expected’ to ‘above expected levels’). The primary outcome is the mean change in MVPA minutes from baseline to year 6 during the school day among the intervention group compared with controls. We will use multilevel linear regression models adjusting for sociodemographic data and participation in TDM. The study is powered to detect a 10% (5.5 min) difference between the intervention and control group which would be considered clinically significant.Ethics and disseminationEthics has been approved from Imperial College Research Ethics Committee, reference 20IC6127. Key findings will be disseminated to the public through research networks, social, print and media broadcasts, community engagement opportunities and schools. We will work with policy-makers for direct application and impact of our findings.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
V Lastrucci ◽  
M Spinicci ◽  
F Macchioni ◽  
S Gabrielli ◽  
A L Villagran ◽  
...  

Abstract Backgrounds Intestinal parasitic infections (IPI) are a major health issue for children of low- and middle-income countries. Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) practices are crucial for preventing IPI. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of a school-based health education intervention on handwashing behavior and IPI prevalence in children Methods This is a randomized intervention trial in 8 primary schools in rural communities over the course of 3 school years; preliminary results from the first two years of the trial are here presented. Schools were randomly selected and assigned in a 1:1 ratio to intervention or control (no intervention) groups. For each school year, the intervention included 14 school-based educational sessions and 2 skit events, involving children aged 8-12 years. Knowledge, attitude and practice questionnaire and handwashing at key events was assessed at the beginning and end of each school year. IPI prevalence was assessed with repeated cross-sectional parasitology surveys 12 months apart, involving a minimum of 50 children for each school Results At baseline, no significant differences between intervention and control schools were present in the proportion of children who washed their hands at key events (7.2% vs 9.3%, p = 0.28), in IPI (79.4% vs 75.3%, p = 0.3) and multiple parasitic infections (MPI) prevalences (47.6 vs. 38.6; p = 0.051). At the end of the second year, the percentage of children who washed their hands at key events was significantly higher in the intervention schools (75.4% vs 12.1%, p < 0.001), and the prevalence of IPI and MPI in the intervention schools were respectively about 25% and 15% lower than in the control schools (respectively, 42.9% vs 67.8%, p < 0.001; 16.1% vs 31.6%, p < 0.001) Conclusions A school-based health education intervention could achieve significant changes in hand-washing behaviors and reduction in the prevalence of IPI in children. The third year survey results are needed to confirm these findings Key messages An health education intervention on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) practices can reduce the risk of IPI infection in children. An health education intervention on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) practices could be configured as a sustainable long-term approach to intestinal parasitic infections control in children.


2009 ◽  
Vol 25 (01) ◽  
pp. 63-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Serra-Sutton ◽  
Alejandro Allepuz ◽  
Mireia Espallargues ◽  
Gerold Labek ◽  
Joan M. V. Pons

Objectives:Registers have proven to be a valuable instrument in the evaluation of arthroplasty procedures and the performance of implants. The aim of this study was to describe the structure, functioning, and content of arthroplasty registers in Europe and other parts of the world.Methods:A search of technical reports was carried out through the Internet and in Medline/PubMed. The exhaustiveness of the information was confirmed using the links to Web pages of other registers and contacts with key people. Aims, methods in data collection and evaluation, internal structure and organization, participants, validity of the data, and other variables were assessed for each arthroplasty register using a qualitative content analysis of the texts.Results:Fifteen arthroplasty registers were identified which published sufficient information to conduct a comparative analysis. Eight additional registers were identified but no information was available on the Internet or in English. Most registers were initiatives of an orthopaedic society receiving governmental funding. Data were collected using standardized clinical forms and additional information from clinical-administrative datasets or other registers (mortality, implant costs, hip fractures). The main outcome measure of these registers is survival of the prostheses. Registers use the Internet and their annual reports as the main strategy for the dissemination and feed-back of their results.Conclusions:Scientific or professional societies and the public health administration should collaborate in the development of arthroplasty registers. To adequately assess the results of observational data information on the structure, the process of arthroplasty interventions and patients characteristics should be collected.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1321103X2110325
Author(s):  
Katrina Skewes McFerran ◽  
Alexander HD Crooke ◽  
Megan Steele ◽  
John Hattie ◽  
Gary E McPherson

Arts programs are increasingly recognized for their role in promoting student development and cohesive school communities. Yet, most Australian schools are left to navigate a landscape characterized by shifting policy goals and external providers of diverse quality and intent. Drawing on interviews with 27 stakeholders from 19 Catholic primary schools in Melbourne, Australia, we explored key approaches to arts provision in this context, and conditions that hinder and support it. Approaches varied markedly, from school-wide programs embedded across the curriculum, to one-off incursions. Conditions consistently affecting provision ranged from leadership support to a community’s view of the arts. Programs regularly relied on individuals passionate about arts to go beyond their paid roles, yet this frequently jeopardized sustainability. Overall, the approaches identified, and conditions affecting their sustainability, reveal a lack of value for school arts at policy and administration levels. This lack of value is not demonstrated in the provision of other traditional school activities like math or literacy, which begs consideration by policymakers and school administrators.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1(11)) ◽  
pp. 155-166
Author(s):  
Adam Porębski

It is no use looking for the educated musicians who were given a chance to come into longer contact with composition as a school subject being part of their formal education. Meanwhile, fascination with an act of creation and willingness to get familiar with music “from the inside” accompany school-age people. It is then that first, bashful compositional attempts are made. Over time, pupils search for new sounds on their instruments, improvise, experiment, get familiar with music literature. Such attempts should not go unnoticed – an observant pedagogue will easily notice creative predispositions in their pupils. In this article, the author shares his pedagogical experiences gained while giving composition classes at the K. Szymanowski Comprehensive Primary and Secondary Music Schools in Wrocław. The idea of promoting the art of composition was fully implemented in the form of the School Composers’ Club, founded in the school year of 2016/2017, the activity of which is based on the author’s original school curriculum, a system of individualized education and various forms of young composers’ presentations. The Club’s activity assumes, on the one hand, preparing pupils to take up compositional studies and, on the other one, fostering their general musical development enriched with creative competences.


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