@article {1318,
	title = {SUBJECT PANELS AS SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION FOR TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT},
	journal = {Problems of Education in the 21st Century},
	volume = {78},
	year = {2020},
	month = {October/2020},
	pages = {Continuous},
	type = {Original article},
	chapter = {799-814},
	abstract = {For centuries, teacher professional development has largely been done by external experts who advise teachers on how to improve classroom practice and learner performance. This research explores a relatively unchartered idea of history subject panels/clusters as an innovation meant to break away from orthodox teacher professional development spearheaded by external experts. The research adopts a qualitative case study design. One history subject panel was case studied to examine how teachers initiated and sustained improvements in classroom practice and learner performance. Eight history teachers, who were active participants in the panel, were purposively sampled out of 25 teachers who constituted the history subject panel. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews, document analysis and focus group discussion. Symbolic interactionism was used as the theoretical lens to gain deeper insights into how teachers socialised and shared ideas in the subject panel. Results indicated that the history subject panel was involved in the induction of new history teachers into the profession and the creation of learning communities for history students; practices hitherto undocumented in existing literature on subject panels and teacher networks. Results also showed that the activities of the history subject panel improved teachers{\textquoteright} classroom practice. The implications of this research are that teacher-led subject panels need to be nurtured and supported so that teacher-driven continuous professional development can be enacted across all the subjects offered in the school curriculum. Subject panels can reduce schools{\textquoteright} dependency on external experts for teacher professional development, making teachers the proverbial doctors who can heal themselves.},
	keywords = {history subject panels/clusters, qualitative case study, student learning communities, sustainable innovation, teacher induction, teacher professional development},
	issn = {1822-7864},
	doi = {https://doi.org/10.33225/pec/20.78.799},
	url = {http://oaji.net/articles/2020/457-1600951961.pdf},
	author = {Godwin Mumhure and Loyiso C. Jita and Godsend T. Chimbi}
}
@article {1206,
	title = {ASSESSMENT OF SCIENCE TEACHERS{\textquoteright} CAREER SATISFACTION AND SCHOOL ORGANISATIONAL CLIMATE IN ENHANCING JOB PERFORMANCE IN RURAL LEARNING ECOLOGIES},
	journal = {Problems of Education in the 21st Century},
	volume = {77},
	year = {2019},
	month = {April/2019},
	pages = {Continuous},
	type = {Original article},
	chapter = {254-269},
	abstract = {Science teachers{\textquoteright} career satisfaction and organisational climate, which influence their job performances, are very important. This research examined the extent to which science teachers{\textquoteright} career satisfaction and organisational climate are related to their job performances in rural learning ecologies. Within a survey and correlational research design of a quantitative type, 250 science teachers were selected in Ondo State, Nigeria using a purposive sampling technique. Data were collected using an adapted questionnaire on science teachers{\textquoteright} career satisfaction, school organisational climate and job performance. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse data. The results showed that 65.2\% of the science teachers in rural learning ecologies were satisfied with their careers while 34.8\% were dissatisfied with their careers. It was discovered that a combination of career satisfaction and organisational climate significantly influenced their job performances. It was found that the teachers{\textquoteright} career satisfaction had a significant positive effect on their job performances while school organisational climate had a significant negative effect on their job performances. In light of the results, it can be concluded that science teachers{\textquoteright} career satisfaction is the most effective significant contribution to their job performances. Further, it can be inferred that the school organisational climate does not significantly predict job performance in rural learning ecologies. To this end, results of the current research have some implications worth considering for the employers of science teachers, principals of schools and other stakeholders in creating a healthy school organisational climate and demonstrate good leadership behaviour in order to achieve improvement in the job performance of science teachers in rural learning ecologies. },
	keywords = {rural learning ecologies, school organisational climate, science education, teachers{\textquoteright} career satisfaction, teachers{\textquoteright} job performance},
	issn = {1822-7864},
	doi = {https://doi.org/10.33225/pec/19.77.254},
	url = {http://oaji.net/articles/2019/457-1556863871.pdf},
	author = {Yinusa A. Faremi and Loyiso C. Jita}
}
@article {1189,
	title = {MAJOR PERSONALITY TRAITS INFLUENCING ENVIRONMENTAL KNOWLEDGE: A CASE OF URBAN LEARNING ECOLOGIES},
	journal = {Problems of Education in the 21st Century},
	volume = {77},
	year = {2019},
	month = {February/2019},
	pages = {Continuous},
	type = {Original article},
	chapter = {39-54},
	abstract = {The grim actualities of modern societies have shifted the attention of human beings from civil wars and beggary to environmental issues such as pollution and climate change. The subtle shifts in environmental balance that are observable from global warming, water scarcity, and poor harvest resulting from erratic rainfall distributions across different countries of the world has led to global campaigns in order to promote positive environment behavioural change. Several change agents have advocated the use of mitigation practices such as using emerging western and indigenous technologies and renewable energies, they have overlooked the major personality traits that will implement the proposed changes. Hence, this research explores the influence of major personality traits on students{\textquoteright} environmental knowledge in urban learning spaces. The social cognitive theory was used to untangle the conforming and non-conforming environmental behaviours of students in urban learning spaces. The research adopts a {\textquoteright}field-based{\textquoteright} MO to gather data from four hundred and sixty-two students that were randomly selected from thirteen secondary schools in urban centres in Nigeria. Research instruments such as the NEO Five-Factor Inventory and Environmental Knowledge Test were adapted to collect data from the selected students. The quantitative data were subjected to multiple regression analysis. Results showed that there was a significant influence of the major personality factors on students{\textquoteright} environmental knowledge (R= 0.297). The research recommends that teachers should include these major personality traits in the environmental education programme of their schools.},
	keywords = {environmental education, environmental knowledge, field-based research, major personality traits, students, urban learning spaces},
	issn = {1822-7864},
	doi = {https://doi.org/10.33225/pec/19.77.39},
	url = {http://oaji.net/articles/2019/457-1550425039.pdf},
	author = {Olugbenga Adedayo Ige and Loyiso C. Jita and Thuthukile Jita}
}
@article {1249,
	title = {SOUTH AFRICAN TEACHERS{\textquoteright} MATHEMATICAL KNOWLEDGE: REFLECTIONS FROM SHORT LEARNING INTERVENTION PROGRAMME (SLIP)},
	journal = {Problems of Education in the 21st Century},
	volume = {77},
	year = {2019},
	month = {December/2019},
	pages = {Continuous},
	type = {Original article},
	chapter = {705-721},
	abstract = {This qualitative research reports the results of a short learning intervention programme conducted by South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) Chair in Science and Mathematics Education to enhance the mathematical knowledge of teachers in some South African schools. The short learning programme comprised the fostering of teachers{\textquoteright} mathematical knowledge and the formation of lesson study groups to apply the knowledge gained from the intervention programme in different schools in the country. The sample comprised 53 male and 72 female Mathematics teachers who were nominated from several school districts in the country. The participants were trained using Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching (MKT) which included the topics of probability/ratio and proportion (grades 1-9). The MKT consisted of these sets of expertise: Common Content Knowledge (CCK), Specialised Content Knowledge (SCK), Knowledge of Contents and Students (KCS), and Knowledge of Content and Teaching (KCT). The lesson study groups applied the knowledge acquired from the short learning intervention programme to engage in group activities, lesson studies, and to report the major challenges in doing the lesson studies. This model research comprised three stages: the first stage involved active participation in the workshops that took place at the University of the Free State; the teachers that attended the training workshops implemented the knowledge gained in the respective schools in their districts in the second stage; and the third stage  involved the compilation and submission of a Portfolio of Evidence (PoE) by the teachers that participated in the training workshops.},
	keywords = {mathematical knowledge, short learning intervention programme, South African teachers},
	issn = {1822-7864},
	doi = {https://doi.org/10.33225/pec/19.77.705},
	url = {http://oaji.net/articles/2019/457-1575642364.pdf},
	author = {Loyiso C. Jita and Olugbenga Adedayo Ige}
}
