The government has imposed social restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, affecting the education sector, including the early childhood school. Distance education offers different methods from the conventional methods, as the students are expected to gain the same skills, including critical thinking skills. Therefore, teachers must provide distance learning innovations using relevant learning media, such as multimedia-based learning. This research aims to assess the efficacy of multimedia learning in early childhood distance learning. This research is a quantitative model with a quasi-experimental pretest and posttest design. The data collection technique utilized questionnaires given to 30 samples of early childhood children. The data were statistically analyzed using SPSS software. The results confirmed that multimedia-based learning for distance learning could develop critical thinking skills in early childhood children during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of this study offer exploration of learning strategies to improve children’s critical thinking.

This research aims to determine second-year university students’ understanding in interpreting and representing fractions. A set of fraction tests was given to students through two direct learning interventions. An unstructured interview was used as an instrument to obtain explanations and confirmations from the purposive participants. A total of 112 student teachers of primary teacher education program at two private universities in Indonesia were involved in this research. A qualitative method with a holistic type case study design was used in this research. The results indicate that a significant percentage of the participants could not correctly interpret and represent fractions. In terms of interpretation, it is found how language could obscure the misunderstanding of fractions. Then, the idea of a fraction as part of a whole is the most widely used in giving meaning to a fraction compared to the other four interpretations, but with limited understanding. Regarding data representation, many participants failed to provide a meaningful illustration showing the improper fraction and mix number compared to the proper fraction. Improvement of fraction teaching at universities - particularly in primary teacher education programs - is needed so that students get the opportunity to develop and improve their knowledge profoundly. We discuss implications for teaching fractions.

This study was conducted following the initial stage of the transition to distance education necessitated by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and meeting the various challenges that came with it. At this point, countries and teachers have gained experience in preparing and delivering online education. Therefore, the study aimed to identify the beliefs of primary school mathematics teachers about teaching in synchronous virtual classrooms. It adopted a mixed methods approach, following a convergent parallel design. The overall study sample comprised 410 male and female teachers. A questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data across three dimensions (teaching efficiency, employing the philosophy of active learning, mathematical achievement). There were 31 items (verified for validity and reliability) comprising statements measured using a five-point Likert scale, together with open-ended options for further elaboration. In total, 130 teachers completed the questionnaire. Interviews were conducted with 10 teachers to collect qualitative data. The results show means in the range 3–5.75 for agreement with statements concerning the beliefs of mathematics teachers about teaching in virtual classrooms in the following order of importance: teaching competence; mathematical achievement; employing the philosophy of active learning. The study also found no statistically significant differences attributable to the variables of gender, qualification, or teaching experience, and also that many factors are considered to affect teaching in synchronous virtual classrooms related to the teacher, the family, and the student.

Algebraic knowledge transfer is considered an important skill in problem-solving. Using algebraic knowledge transfer, students can connect concepts using common procedural similarities. This quasi-experimental study investigates the influence of algebraic knowledge in solving problems in a chemistry context by using analogical transformations. The impact of structured steps that students need to take during the process of solving stoichiometric problems was explicitly analyzed. A total of 108 eighth-grade students participated in the study. Of the overall number of students, half of them were included in the experimental classes, whereas the other half were part of the control classes. Before and after the intervention, contextual problems were administered twice to all the student participants. The study results indicate that the students of the experimental classes exposed to structured steps in solving algebraic problems and the procedural transformations scored better results in solving problems in mathematics for chemistry compared to their peers who did not receive such instruction. Nevertheless, the result shows that although the intervention was carried out in mathematics classes, its effect was more significant on students' achievements in chemistry. The findings and their practical implications are discussed at the end of the study.

Mathematics teachers’ instructional strategies lack in-depth knowledge of algebraic systems and hold misconceptions about solving two algebraic equations simultaneously. This study aimed to gain an in-depth analysis of teachers’ knowledge and perceptions about the promotion of conceptual learning and effective teaching of algebraic equations. The main question was, ‘How do junior secondary school mathematics teachers manifest their pedagogical practices when teaching algebraic equations? This article reports on a qualitative, underpinned by the knowledge quartet model study, that sought to explore how junior secondary school teachers’ pedagogical practices manifested in the teaching of algebraic equations. Data were collected from observations, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis of two mathematics teachers purposely selected from two schools. The collected data were analysed using a statistical analysis software called Atlas-ti. (Version 8) and triangulated through thematic analysis. The study revealed that teachers’ choices of representations, examples, and tasks used did not expose learners to hands-on activities that promote understanding and making connections from the underlying algebraic equation concepts. The study proposed Penta-Knowledge Collaborative Planning and Reflective Teaching and Learning Models to enable teachers to collaborate with their peers from the planning stage to lesson delivery reflecting on good practices and strategies for teaching algebraic equations.

Diagnostic tests are generally two or three-tier and based on classical test theory. In this research, the Four-Tier Diagnostic Test (FTDT) was developed based on modern test theory to determine understanding of physics levels: scientific conception (SC), lack of knowledge (LK), misconception (MSC), false negatives (FN), and false positives (FP). The goals of the FTDT are to (a) find FTDT constructs, (b) test the quality of the FTDT, and (c) describe students' conceptual understanding of physics. The development process was conducted in the planning, testing, and measurement phases. The FTDT consists of four-layer multiple-choice with 100 items tested on 700 high school students in Yogyakarta. According to the partial credit models (PCM), the student's responses are in the form of eight categories of polytomous data. The results of the study show that (a) FTDT is built on the aspects of translation, interpretation, extrapolation, and explanation, with each aspect consisting of 25 items with five anchor items; (b) FTDT is valid with an Aiken's V value in the range of 0.85-0.94, and the items fit PCM with Infit Mean Square (INFIT MNSQ) of 0.77-1.30, item difficulty index of 0.12-0.38, and the reliability coefficient of Cronbach's alpha FTDT is 0.9; (c) the percentage of conceptual understanding of physics from large to small is LK type 2 (LK2), FP, LK type 1 (LK1), FN, LK type 3 (LK3), SC, LK type 4 (LK4), and MSC. The percentage sequence of MSC based on the successive material is momentum, Newton's law, particle dynamics, harmonic motion, work, and energy. In addition, failure to understand the concept sequentially is due to Newton's law, particle dynamics, work and energy, momentum, and harmonic motion.

Many students have misconceptions about mathematics, so preservice teachers should be developing the skills to notice mathematical misconceptions. This qualitative study analyzed preservice teachers' skills in noticing student misconceptions about algebra, according to three aspects of noticing found in the literature: attending, interpreting and responding. Participants in this study were seven preservice teachers from one university in the capital of Aceh province, Indonesia, who were in their eighth semester and had participated in teaching practicums. Data was collected through questionnaires and interviews, which were analyzed descriptively. The results revealed the preservice teachers had varying levels of skill for the three aspects of noticing. Overall, the seven preservice teachers' noticing skills were fair, but many needed further development of their skills in interpreting and responding in particular. This university’s mathematics teacher education program should design appropriate assessment for preservice teachers’ noticing skills, as well as design and implement learning activities targeted at the varying needs of individual preservice teachers regarding noticing student misconceptions, in order to improve their overall teaching skills.

Research on conceptual understanding is one of the first steps in designing materials to improve learning. Literature reports that students have difficulties analyzing and describing phenomena in electric circuits. This report contributes to students' conceptual difficulties regarding simple electrical circuits by systematically analyzing an open conceptual test answered by 531 first-year engineering students. We found students' reasoning that has not yet been reported in the literature as misconceptions or difficulties. To deepen our understanding of students' difficulties, we chose five students by convenience to interview. We present evidence that there are two main contributions to the taxonomy in this study: the Series Circuit Misconception, which is when students convey that the current through bulbs is the same because they are in series, using that as a mnemonic ignoring any change in the circuit; and the Inverse Parallel Circuit Misconception, that is when students mention that the resistance of the circuit decreases when disconnecting bulbs in parallel, neither are reported in the literature. The results of this study have implications for physics education research in electric circuits and educational practice in the classroom.

This study aimed to compare and examine the effectiveness of interactive STEM learning and paper-and-pencil STEM learning in terms of mathematical literacy skills of elementary school students. This research is of a quasi-experimental type with a non-equivalent pretest-posttest control group design. Sampling was carried out on the elementary school populations in Bengkulu and South Sumatra Provinces in two stages. In the first stage, schools in rural and urban areas were selected, and in the second, classes in each school were randomly selected. The selected sample consisted of fifth-grade students of the Public Elementary School of Terawas, Musi Rawas, with an experimental class A (n = 20) and an experimental class B (n = 19), as well as fifth-grade students of the Public Elementary School of Bengkulu City, with an experimental class A (n = 25) and an experimental class B (n = 22). Data collection was conducted using mathematical literacy skills tests in reference to the PISA and Minimum Competency Assessment (level 1–3). Data analysis was performed using descriptive and inferential statistics; it employed an independent t-test for the comparative testing and an N-gain test for testing the effectiveness of STEM learning. The results showed that there were differences in math literacy skills between interactive STEM and paper-and-pencil STEM for students in urban schools, but not significantly different for students in rural schools. General STEM learning was effective in increasing the literacy of elementary school students, and interactive STEM in particular demonstrated the highest level of effectiveness in the urban school.

The purpose of this research is to strengthen pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in designing laboratory activities based on small-scale chemistry approaches. This research is action research involving 60 trainee teachers with stages that include (a) Reflect; (b) Plan; (c) Act; (d) Observe; (e) Reflect (2nd); (f) Plan (2nd). Qualitative data were collected through (a) Questionnaires reflecting on experiences in practicing chemistry learning and responses to the importance of learning, (b) a Portfolio of chemistry practicum design, (c) documentation of the process of carrying out design, implementation, and practicum evaluation activities, (d) field notes, (e) reflection sheet, and (f) Portfolio of follow-up plans. The data is displayed through the R computation system with data pre-processing stages in the teacher's reflection text which includes basic cleaning, case folding, normalization, stemming, and deleting meaningless words. Display data in the form of word clouds, frequency expression diagrams, and tabulations. Descriptive narratives are used to analyze the documentation obtained in the action process. The teacher group demonstrated performance in implementing small-scale practicum activities. Teachers are increasingly skilled in modifying conventional laboratory equipment, minimizing the amount of chemical use, minimizing waste disposal, and increasing efficiency in the duration of practicum implementation. The follow-up plan for this activity includes quality improvement in aspects of (a) skill in using laboratory equipment, (b) understanding of chemical concepts, (c) equipment availability, materials, and work procedures, and (d) implementation of chemistry practicum.

During COVID-19 in Athens, Greece, 535 general education and 170 special education teachers were tested for computer use self-efficacy, ICT competence, and computer attitudes. Demographic and occupational factors impacted computer attitudes and computer use self-efficacy. The GCAS and GCSES showed that general and special education teachers liked computers. Teachers were computer-savvy and confident. Computer attitudes boosted computer use self-efficacy. Computer self-efficacy is strongly linked with computer attitudes, subscales of confidence and affection and moderately linked with cognitions about computers. Age, position, and ICT training substantially influenced computer attitudes and computer use self-efficacy. ICT-trained teachers had improved their attitudes and computer use self-efficacy. Computer self-efficacy and attitudes about computers did not change for special education teachers, but computer confidence increased. Except for those under 25, younger teachers demonstrated higher computer self-efficacy than older ones.

Mathematical confidence and critical thinking are essential in preparing preservice teachers. Thus, this study explored the perceived confidence and critical thinking levels in mathematics of elementary and secondary preservice teachers. A descriptive-correlational-comparative research design was employed, with a sample of 107 randomly selected preservice teachers enrolled in the Bachelor in Elementary and Secondary Education programs of a state university in West Philippines. The study used arithmetic mean, standard deviation, Spearman’s rank-order correlation, and independent samples t-test to analyze and draw conclusions from the data. The findings revealed that the preservice teachers have high confidence and critical thinking skills. Their program significantly correlates with their perceived critical thinking and confidence level. Besides, the preservice teachers’ confidence levels and perceived critical thinking skills significantly correlate. Further analysis found significant confidence and critical thinking differences favoring the secondary over the elementary preservice teachers. These findings provide insights that would benefit mathematics educators in providing priority programs to enhance the preparation of future math teachers.

21st-century learning requires teachers and students to integrate literacy skills, scientific literacy, mathematics, reading, writing, and technology in the learning process. Students must have initiative, discipline, responsibility, confidence, motivation for independent learning, and the ability to think critically about the problems presented. This study aims to determine students' autonomous knowledge and critical thinking abilities (CTA) using mobile learning technology (MLT). This research is a quantitative study involving 83 students from four junior high schools in the city of Mataram. The data collection for independent learning and students' CTA was carried out by giving tests and non-tests to students. The test conducted was a written test in the form of a description of 10 questions covering indicators of CTA. The non-test was conducted by giving a student learning independence questionnaire with as many as 15 statements, including five indicators of learning independence. This quantitative research data analysis uses the Rash modeling application with the help of Ministep software. The analysis results show that the learning independence of male and female students in the four junior high schools obtained a percentage of 77.38% in the “good” category. Each indicator of learning independence accepts a percentage above 70%, which is in the excellent category. Meanwhile, the CTA of male and female students from the four junior high schools obtained 75.28% in the “good” category. Each indicator of CTA also gets a percentage of more than 70%, meaning that each indicator is in a good category.

The aim of this exploratory case study is to investigate the impact of the pandemic as an unexpected situational variable on university instructors’ perceptions and attitudes towards technology integration, as well as their foresight about the future of education in post Covid-19 era. The data for the study came from autobiographies, narratives, and opinionnaires. The findings revealed that the degree of familiarity with educational technology and eagerness to integrate technology into education made a difference in academicians’ adaptation to the new mode of delivery. As for their predictions for the future, an increase in the use of educational technology not only in teaching, but also in testing and assessment is expected. Participants also emphasized a need to enhance the infrastructure to avoid any further technical issues and offer continuous development opportunities for teachers and students to become familiar with new technologies.

The objective of this study is to create a tool for evaluating teachers’ effectiveness in boarding schools. Planning and preparation stages, instrument testing, and measurements were used in this study to implement research on the creation of the Mardapi model instrument. In order to generate instrument items, the planning and preparation stage tasks included a literature assessment of teacher performance appraisal manuals. Data were gathered utilizing documentation approaches, and descriptive and qualitative analysis was performed. Six specialists validated the built instruments, which were subsequently put through limited testing at two boarding schools and extensive trials at nine boarding schools in Surakarta residency area. The Aiken formula was used to examine the expert’s evaluation data, and confirmatory factor analysis was used to analyze the test results. The results of this study indicate that the instrument for assessing teacher performance in boarding schools meets the validity criteria. This is indicated by the existence of loading factor values ranging from .51 to .72 (>.4) and t-sign values ranging from 4.75 to 9.25 (>1.96) and meeting the requirements of a fit model since Chi-square = 1307.95 < 2524 (2*df), p-value = .17956 (>.05), and RSMEA value = .014 (<.08). The instrument items are reliable assessment packages, and this is shown by the reliability value of omega .967 > .70. Because there is a guarantee of validity and reliability, the test can be used to further assess teacher performance in boarding schools.

Technology integration into learning is essential to supporting educational reform. On the other hand, the relationship between self-regulation (SR), technology integration self-efficacy (TISE), and technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) has yet to be thoroughly studied. This study investigated preservice elementary teachers and the connection between SR, TISE, and TPACK. A quantitative approach and a survey-based approach were both utilized in the research project. The research was carried out at one of Indonesia's universities, and the data collected were from 224 preservice elementary teachers in their fourth year through a questionnaire. According to the findings, preservice elementary teachers' SR, TISE, and TPACK levels were above average. Preservice elementary teachers scored the highest on planning capability (PC), monitoring and controlling skills (MC/CC), and making others use computer technologies self-efficacy (MUCTSE). In contrast, they scored the lowest on information and communication technology (ICT). Besides that, SR and TISE positively and significantly affected pre-service teacher TPACK. In light of the findings, it is of the utmost importance to enhance the competency of preservice elementary teachers in using technology to integrate learning.

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between teacher professional development, quality of lecture design, student engagement, teacher technical skills, pedagogical content knowledge and teacher satisfaction in using Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Powered Facilitator for designing lectures. The study used a non-random sample technique, and 208 participants answered a survey via Google Form after one semester, using a 5-point Likert scale to rate their responses. The structural equation model was used to analyze the data, and six factors were included in the study. The study confirmed hypotheses that teacher professional development, quality of lecture design, student engagement, and pedagogical content knowledge have a positive effect on teacher satisfaction. However, the study also revealed that teacher technical skills have a negative effect on teacher satisfaction, and pedagogical content knowledge has no significant effect. The proposed conceptual model explained 55.7% of the variance in teacher satisfaction Theoretical and practical implications were also discussed. These findings provide insights into the factors that contribute to teacher satisfaction in utilizing AI-Powered Facilitator for designing lectures and could inform the development of effective teacher training programs.

This study investigated pre-service biology teachers' (PSBTs’) technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) development. A TPACK-based technology integration course (TPACK-BTIC) was implemented. The study employed a convergent parallel mixed-methods approach. A TPACK survey questionnaire and interview schedule were used to collect data from 50 PSBTs. The quantitative data were analysed by computing means, standard deviations, and dependent samples t-tests, while qualitative data were analysed using deductive thematic analysis based on the TPACK domains. Findings indicate that the intervention positively affected PSBTs’ TPACK development with significant improvements in technological knowledge (TK), technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK), technological content knowledge (TCK) and overall technological pedagogical content knowledge domains. In contrast, pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and pedagogical knowledge domains showed no statistically significant improvements. PSBTs’ engagement in microteaching lesson study, reflection on using technology, and collaboratively designing lesson plans improved PSBTs’ TPACK domains. The study recommends that teacher training institutions consider implementing content-based technology integration courses that engage pre-service teachers in microteaching lesson study, reflecting on technology use and collaborative designing of curriculum materials that involve using technology to support their TPACK development.

Teachers' learning styles are a crucial part of the learning process as they determine how teachers' brains capture and integrate information linked with the senses. Kurnia, identified as an auditory teacher, was expected to capture written information in a provided numeracy problem. Nevertheless, she prefers to capture visual information, like tables or figures, and utilize them to develop thought-provoking questions. Thus, this study intends to investigate her reasons and the factors affecting Kurnia's decision to utilize visual information as a reference in developing questions. This research adopts a qualitative design covering a case study. Kurnia was selected from 32 teachers from 28 schools; roughly 43% were from public schools, and 57% from private schools. Kurnia placed more emphasis on pictorial information before proposing questions, which was caused by situational factors: the subject matter, the grade level, the student's engagement in the class, the teacher's experience, the teaching experience, and the diversity of students' learning styles. This article recommends that teachers recognize their learning styles to know their strengths and weaknesses in teaching mathematics, and that they convey understandable information utilizing effective instructional methods that represent each learning style of students in the classroom.

This study investigates the impact of external variables, technological pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) self-efficacy, and facilitating conditions on teacher adoption of online teaching technology during the COVID-19 pandemic. It employs explanatory research to characterize the effect of external variables on the variables of the technology acceptance model. 240 high school teachers filled out Google Forms survey questionnaires for six research variables and analyzed by the SmartPLS program. The result indicates that attitude and perceived usefulness significantly and positively influence behavioral intention. Perceived usefulness and ease of use have a strong positive effect on attitude. Furthermore, perceived ease of use has a considerable effect on perceived usefulness. Perceived usefulness and ease of use are not significantly influenced by external variables. Facilitating conditions significantly positively affect behavioral intention, whereas TPACK self-efficacy negatively affects behavioral intention.