Journal of Elementary Education

Reading Multimodal General Geography Textbook in Secondary School Classes

Marianna Gergely — 2024-06-24

The discussion deals with the reading of multimodal texts by determining the student's ability to interpret content, expressed pictorially and verbally, while simultaneously understanding information from both semiotic resources. When reading multimodal texts, the student usually focuses on the verbal resource, and the pictorial one is considered marginal.

We conducted research to understand: the dynamic in students’ meaning extraction from the textbook; their ability to understand the text; their greater attention to one resource or to both resources. The research proves that these students comprehend the information by focusing on the text, while the pictorial is interpreted as an addition.

Development and Contemporary Understanding of Work-Based Learning

Morana Koludrović — 2024-06-24

Serious criticism of didactic intellectualism in the past resulted in a range of pedagogical approaches to Work-based Learning as a response to this issue. A comparative overview of the development of work-based learning over time is presented in this article. Additionally, a temporal approach to work-based and workplace learning is explored. We see the change of WBL from being one part of individual pedagogical approaches to becoming part of policy recommendations. Finally, a discussion of the didactic features of contemporary Work-based Learning clearly positions it as a didactic model. The paper stresses the importance of WBL as a didactic model that is appropriate in all student-centred classrooms, regardless of the level of education.

Recommendation Systems, Parents, and Preschool Children: The Story Behind Digital Technology

Lorena Mihelač — 2024-06-24

A survey was conducted in November 2023, involving 554 Slovenian parents and their preschool-aged children. The survey aimed to investigate the following: (i) the way parents and their preschool-aged children employ social media and digital technology; (ii) the parents’ comprehension of the term “information bubbles”, and (iii) the parents’ awareness of recommendation systems. Parental and child digital technology patterns and behaviours are correlated, according to the findings. The results suggest that most parents have a restricted understanding of the operational mechanisms of recommendation systems and how they contribute to the construction of “information bubbles.”

Views of Elementary School Teachers and Slovenian Language Teachers on Interpretive Reading

Tomaž Petek — 2024-06-24

The basis for modern planning of literature teaching is communication teaching. In the present study, we assumed that interpretive reading by the teacher plays a central role in the recommended model of school interpretation of literary texts for the development of student reading ability. We investigated the views of elementary school teachers and Slovenian language teachers on interpretive reading. A survey of 110 teachers revealed, among other things, that most consider appropriate interpretive reading in the classroom to be very important and that knowledge about it should be further developed. There was no difference between elementary school teachers and Slovenian language teachers in terms of knowledge about interpretive reading.

Enhancing Technology Competence among Primary Students through STEAM Lessons Applying the Design Thinking Process

Hoai-Nam Nguyen — 2024-06-24

This study seeks to evaluate the impact of integrating elements of arts and humanities education into the topic of STEAM on the formation and development of students’ competence. The paper suggests a procedure for teaching STEAM subjects using design thinking approaches. Then, technology-related lessons were covered in practical pedagogical activities for grade 3 pupils at three primary schools in Hai Phong, Vietnam. The findings demonstrate that the suggested STEAM subject teaching methodology is workable and helps students develop eight distinctive behavioural markers of technical competence. As a result, this study offers primary school instructors a strategy for implementing STEAM instruction.

Motor efficiency in Relation to Body Weight Status and Gender in Preschool Children

Miran Muhič — 2024-06-24

Deficits in motor skills and function are associated with overweight and obesity in children. This study aimed to investigate the development of motor efficiency in 3-4-year-old children over seven months and to identify possible gender and body weight status differences in motor efficiency. In the study, there were 45 children (21 girls, 24 boys), the mean age of whom was 39 months. Analysis of the results of testing for differences in motor efficiency according to body weight status and movement components showed no statistically significant differences (p>0.05) between healthy weight and overweight children.

Metacognitive Skills of Pupils in Primary Mathematics Education

Eva Nováková — 2024-06-24

In educational theory and research, metacognition is increasingly seen as an important predictor of successful learning – it is the key to learning and academic achievement. The study investigates "off-line" metacognition (i.e. the level of prediction and the level of self-evaluation) in relation to the solving of mathematical problems by primary school pupils. The research was carried out on a group of 311 pupils of 16 classes of primary schools. We used the test consisting of five tasks, which also included questions aimed at finding out the level of pupils' prediction and their level of self-evaluation. We processed the obtained data with the intentions of a quantitative methodological approach. It follows from the research findings that students who were successful in solving the tasks achieved a higher level of prediction and self-assessment than students who were not successful.