Innovative Methods in Teaching in Secondary Education

A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2019) | Viewed by 35771

Special Issue Editor

Scientific Responsible of Teacher Education Programme, Department of Informatics, School of Information Sciences and Technology, Athens University of Economics and Business, 104 34 Athens, Greece
Interests: art-based education; project-based learning; cultural heritage and education; social entrepreneurship; experimental; collaborative and innovative way of learning
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Times rapidly change, and students’ need to learn, in different and more engaging ways than in the past, has made new, sophisticated methods of teaching emerge. Traditional, old methods of teaching have been proven to be obsolete and, often, unfriendly to students. This new reality must be addressed in secondary schools in order to comply with students’ needs and personal preferences.

The present Special Issue embraces research papers and case studies that focus on innovative methods in teaching in secondary education. These could be experiential learning methods, methods of teaching with the aid of new technologies, teaching through art, active learning and teaching through students’ field research, among others.

These innovative methods are discussed in terms of effectiveness and in terms of the transformational impact they might have on students’ views, attitudes and behaviours, as well as on students’ way of learning. In this way, the present Special Issue contributes to the existing literature by enriching it with the latest innovative methods and by presenting the best practices in teaching in secondary education.

Dr. Vasiliki Brinia
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • innovative methods in teaching
  • active learning
  • teaching through art
  • new technologies in teaching
  • field research in teaching
  • students’ involvement in teaching

Published Papers (5 papers)

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23 pages, 326 KiB  
Article
Process Drama in Civic Education: Balancing Student Input and Learning Outcomes in a Playful Format
by Eva Hallgren and Eva Österlind
Educ. Sci. 2019, 9(3), 231; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci9030231 - 31 Aug 2019
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 6539
Abstract
The purpose is to investigate process drama for teaching civics, mainly democracy and migration. Process drama implies students and teacher to take on roles, to explore a subject content collectively. The study is based on a secondary school educational initiative where a drama [...] Read more.
The purpose is to investigate process drama for teaching civics, mainly democracy and migration. Process drama implies students and teacher to take on roles, to explore a subject content collectively. The study is based on a secondary school educational initiative where a drama pedagogue was invited to address civics through process drama. Four civic lessons were video recorded and analyzed through an activity theory framework. From this perspective, process drama can be understood as two activities with different motives/objects, the educational and the fictional, where the fictional activity should have a playful format. The results show that the dialogical approach used by the drama pedagogue created a democratic opportunity and also established the playful format. The students’ engagement was notably high. However, it was obvious there were no challenging or probing questions being asked by the drama pedagogue or the civics teacher, neither in nor out of role. As a consequence, the full learning potential of process drama in civics education could not be achieved. We suggest a co-teaching approach between civic teachers and drama pedagogues, to overcome challenges in using process drama in civic education for learning objectives to be attained. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Methods in Teaching in Secondary Education)
11 pages, 198 KiB  
Article
The Contribution of Experiential Learning to the Development of Cognitive and Social Skills in Secondary Education: A Case Study
by Gianna Voukelatou
Educ. Sci. 2019, 9(2), 127; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci9020127 - 08 Jun 2019
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 8323
Abstract
This paper is an attempt to approach the concept of experiential learning and describes the implementation of the project teaching method in a secondary school in Athens. In the framework of this study, we carried out qualitative research using the method of in-depth [...] Read more.
This paper is an attempt to approach the concept of experiential learning and describes the implementation of the project teaching method in a secondary school in Athens. In the framework of this study, we carried out qualitative research using the method of in-depth interview. We aimed at recording the views, perceptions, feelings and attitudes of 20 students that participated in the project “Traditional dances from different parts of Greece.” The results showed the significant impact of experiential learning on acquiring knowledge and developing social skills and students’ attitudes, while contributing to the promotion of cultural heritage and the values of tradition. This is an original research study that depicts experiential learning in teaching as well as analyzing the teaching method of the project in combination with other different experiential/energetic educational techniques. In general, trainers and scientists of pedagogy and school psychology can use the results to design and implement educational programs in schools of all educational levels based on the experiential teaching method of learning. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Methods in Teaching in Secondary Education)
11 pages, 523 KiB  
Article
Developing and Piloting a Pedagogy for Teaching Innovation, Collaboration, and Co-Creation in Secondary Education Based on Design Thinking, Digital Transformation, and Entrepreneurship
by Athanassios Androutsos and Vasiliki Brinia
Educ. Sci. 2019, 9(2), 113; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci9020113 - 23 May 2019
Cited by 38 | Viewed by 11442
Abstract
In Secondary Education, students need innovative skills and competences that the current education system does not sufficiently offer. Also, educators need pedagogical support to develop teaching to respond to 21st century skills requirements. In order to achieve these goals, an experimental culture of [...] Read more.
In Secondary Education, students need innovative skills and competences that the current education system does not sufficiently offer. Also, educators need pedagogical support to develop teaching to respond to 21st century skills requirements. In order to achieve these goals, an experimental culture of learning needs to be implemented in practice. The aim of this paper is to introduce and pilot a pedagogy for teaching innovation, collaboration, and co-creation in secondary education. The proposed pedagogy is based on a designerly way of thinking, digital competences, and entrepreneurial spirit, together with an experimental culture of creating, making, and collaborating in order to improve students’ innovative, co-creative and collaborative way of thinking and making. The main finding is that the proposed pedagogy enhanced innovative, collaborative and co-creative student competences. Moreover, digital and entrepreneurial skills gave the ability to the students to create new valuable products and services. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Methods in Teaching in Secondary Education)
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11 pages, 2029 KiB  
Article
Enhancing Student Motivation in Secondary School Mathematics Courses: A Methodological Approach
by Diego Vergara, María Luz Fernández and Miguel Lorenzo
Educ. Sci. 2019, 9(2), 83; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci9020083 - 16 Apr 2019
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 5434
Abstract
In this paper, a teaching experience carried out within the framework of the subject of mathematics is presented. This subject is taught at several levels in secondary schools. In addition to some specific content related with mathematics (percentages, fractions, graphics, and bank interest), [...] Read more.
In this paper, a teaching experience carried out within the framework of the subject of mathematics is presented. This subject is taught at several levels in secondary schools. In addition to some specific content related with mathematics (percentages, fractions, graphics, and bank interest), the methodology is designed in order to enhance the development of transversal skills (e.g., oral exposition, poster design and presentation, the analysis of social inequalities, etc.). Survey results based on the responses from over 110 students across four consecutive years, as well as the teacher’s self-assessment, indicate that the proposed methodology enhanced the students’ motivation and was helpful for developing mathematical content in a more pleasant way than in a conventional class based on a master class and problem-solving class. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Methods in Teaching in Secondary Education)
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18 pages, 263 KiB  
Concept Paper
The Introduction of the Flexible Zone Programs in the Greek Educational System: Teachers’ Perspectives
by Vasiliki Brinia and Vasiliki-Nektaria Sarantopoulou
Educ. Sci. 2019, 9(2), 109; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci9020109 - 20 May 2019
Viewed by 3138
Abstract
The present paper aims at presenting the introduction of the Flexible Zone program in the context of the Greek Educational system, an innovative, modern teaching program. More specifically, Greek teachers’ views on the implementation process, the legislative framework, and the roles of the [...] Read more.
The present paper aims at presenting the introduction of the Flexible Zone program in the context of the Greek Educational system, an innovative, modern teaching program. More specifically, Greek teachers’ views on the implementation process, the legislative framework, and the roles of the school head teacher and the school counselor, as well as the difficulties tackled regarding the Flexible Zone programs are thoroughly explored through this study. In order to investigate and better interpret the findings, quantitative research was adopted with questionnaires from 135 teachers having been collected, numbered, coded, and analyzed. Topics such as the importance of in-school seminars and training sessions related to Flexible Zone programs, the significance of the head teacher, school counselor, and the school activities supervisor’s contribution, the development of the school equipment and infrastructure, as well as the overall cooperation have emerged from the findings. The present study can offer valuable insights regarding the innovative program of Flexible Zone to the international academic community and policy makers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Methods in Teaching in Secondary Education)
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