Journal of Education in Black Sea Region

Developing critical thinking skills in higher education institutions

2026-03-15T12:58:33+04:00

In the modern era, there exists a demand for qualified job candidates who possess the 21st century/transferable/soft skills. One of the most required soft skills on the labour market is critical thinking, which implies such high cognitive skills as judgment, evidence, analysis, and argumentation. Critical thinking means thinking purposefully, and it can be developed through time. Developing critical thinking at universities became a very popular concern in recent years, because the tertiary education system prepares employees for the future labour market and employers are seeking those candidates who have different soft skills, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, resilience, communication and many other soft skills. The goal of the current study was to reveal whether the purposeful application of methods that develop critical thinking in the classroom is effective with regard to developing critical thinking skills in students. The experimental method was chosen for the research. Pre- and post-questionnaires were used in the experimental and control groups. 52 students from the strategic management course participated in the study. It was concluded that purposeful teaching with activities that develop critical thinking has a positive effect on developing critical thinking skills. The article can be useful for university administration representatives, such as program heads, deans and all those specialists who create university programs, courses, and curricula.

Research on Attitudes toward the Implementation of the STEM Approach in General Education Schools of Georgia

2026-03-15T13:04:51+04:00

The article presents the methodology and results of the research conducted by Iakob Gogebashvili Telavi State University within the framework of the grant project “STEM Concept for the Development of Teacher Preparation Educational University Programs”, funded under the project “Innovation, Inclusion and Quality Project – Georgia I2Q (WB)”. The target group consists of the principals of pilot schools selected within the project, as well as teachers of natural sciences, mathematics, and technology, and students of the combined bachelor’s and master’s program of primary education teacher preparation. Within the framework of the research, the readiness of the pilot schools to implement the STEM approach was examined from human, methodological, and material perspectives. As part of this process, qualitative research (focus group interviews) was conducted with in-service and pre-service teachers, as well as with school principals. After processing the interviews, the data were analysed according to the following codes: knowledge and experience; cognitive and emotional reactions; intrinsic motivation; openness to new experiences; material resources; administrative support; social and cultural influence; and expectations for professional development. The research confirmed the researchers’ assumption regarding the need to implement the STEM approach in schools as a foundation for strengthening interest in the natural sciences. As a result of the research, it was found that, despite the scarcity of knowledge and experience, the attitude toward STEM education in schools is clearly positive. Schools recognise the importance of STEM education as a necessary condition for introducing an innovative teaching format in the modern educational environment. The research results revealed that the participants possess high motivation and readiness to implement STEM approaches in practice; however, several factors hinder this process: insufficient material and technical resources, a shortage of instructional materials, a lack of methodological and administrative support, and limited experience. Despite this, a clear openness to innovation is evident, along with a desire for collaboration with the university and for raising awareness regarding the integration of STEM education into formal education. The readiness of school principals, in-service teachers, and pre-service teachers to implement STEM represents a positive trend that requires systemic support at both the state and institutional levels.

Analysis of Parental Engagement in Inclusive Classroom from Teachers' Lenses

2026-03-15T13:10:34+04:00

This study deals with the understanding and experience of teachers in urban primary schools in Georgia and England regarding the parental engagement in the inclusive education of students with Special Educational Needs (SEN). The research is based on semi-structured interviews with ten teachers who are in two different national contexts and uses a qualitative, cross-national case study design and reflexive thematic analysis to find the similarities, differences, and common issues of the two countries. According to the results, both teachers in Georgia and those in England find parental involvement not only important but also a necessary condition for including all students in the classroom effectively. The most prevalent challenges of the parental capacity remain the parental stigma, a lack of special educational needs awareness in Georgia, emotional burnout, and bureaucratic complexity in England. The collaborative work is also affected by system-level barriers, which are of various types, such as the lack of specialist support and unclear procedures in Georgia, long assessment waiting lists, and SENCos who are overloaded with work in England. However, despite these, both sets of environments indicate constant contradiction between what the policies say should be done and what is actually done. According to the research findings, effective participation of parents in the education of their children comes with the need for long-term commitment and systemic investment, which entails things such as more provision of specialists, targeted parent education, clearer communication structures, and reforms that would ease the burden of work on teachers. These findings stress the importance of context-tailored strategies to promote the synergy between home and school and the enrichment of learning experiences in the case of SEN students.

Nigerian Social Studies In-Service Teachers' Perceived Challenges of Using the Flipped Classroom Method (FCM) of Teaching and the Needed Coping Strategies

2026-03-15T13:14:08+04:00

This study investigates the challenges Nigerian Social Studies in-service teachers face in implementing the flipped classroom method and explores strategies for overcoming these barriers. The flipped classroom approach shifts instructional content delivery outside the classroom, reserving class time for active learning, and has gained global traction for enhancing student engagement. However, in Nigeria, integrating this model is hindered by inadequate technological infrastructure, unreliable internet connectivity, insufficient teacher training, and cultural preferences for teacher-centred instruction. Using a mixed-methods design, data were collected from a survey of 100 in-service teachers and interviews with 20 pre-service teachers participating in a government-sponsored professional development workshop. Results show that 63% of respondents have little or no exposure to the flipped classroom method, citing challenges such as limited access to digital tools, resource constraints, difficulty motivating students, and assessment complexities. Despite these obstacles, most teachers expressed readiness for ongoing professional development and a willingness to adopt innovative methodologies. Statistical analysis showed a significant link between teacher exposure to the flipped classroom approach and improvements in student engagement and academic achievement. The findings highlight the urgent need for systemic support, continuous training, and improved access to educational technology. The study recommends focused institutional investment in professional development, collaborative teaching practices, and integrating flipped classroom skills into national teacher preparation policies to support effective adoption and scaling in Nigerian schools

Utilization Impact of Zoom Application on Teaching and Learning Among Tertiary Institutions Students in Lagos State, Nigeria

2026-03-15T13:20:34+04:00

The rise of digital education and increasing reliance on virtual platforms especially during and after COVID- 19 pandemic, zoom as emerged as prominent tool for delivering remote education. Therefore, this study explores the utilization impact of zoom application on teaching and learning among tertiary institutions students in Lagos State. It looks at how higher education institutions use Zoom in their teaching and assesses how it affects learning outcomes, student engagement, and teaching effectiveness. For the study, four research questions and four research hypotheses were developed. The study used a Google Forms questionnaire and was a descriptive survey. One hundred respondents from all departments and faculties at Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH) were chosen using simple random selection. Experts in educational technology validated the tool, and Cronbach's alpha was used to determine its dependability index, which came out at 0.81. The research questions were answered using mean and bar charts, and the research hypotheses were tested using ANOVA.Findings reveal that there is no significant impact between the level of zoom utilization and the categorical variables of awareness, benefits and challenges based on gender. It was recommended that tertiary institutions should prioritize improving infrastructure, such as providing reliable internet access and devices,and to facilitate seamless use of zoom and other online platforms. A blended learning model integrating in-person and virtual methods can also enhance teaching and learning experiences. Keywords: Utilization, effectiveness, zoom application, teaching and learning, tertiary institution

Cooperative Mastery Learning as an Instructional Strategy for Sustaining Students' Retention of learned content in Biology

2026-03-15T13:25:00+04:00

The study investigated Cooperative Mastery Learning as an Instructional Strategy for sustaining students’ retention of learned content in Biology in Lagos State secondary schools, Nigeria. The research design adopted Solomon’s four groups, a non-randomised pre-test, post-test, control group quasi-experimental design. The population comprised all senior secondary 2 students offering biology in public senior secondary schools, Lagos State. The sample comprised one hundred and sixty-three (163) senior secondary 2 students offering biology, drawn from four selected public senior secondary schools in Educational District II in Lagos State. Modified Biology Achievement Test (BAT) with a 0.90 reliability index was used for data collection. The result showed a significant effect of the instructional strategy on students’ retention in senior secondary biology F(3, 147) = 21.653, p < 0.05). However, result showed no significant effect of peer relations on students’ retention of Biology content (F(1, 150) = 0.562, p > 0.05). In addition, the interaction effect of instructional strategy and peer relation was not significant on the students’ retention of Biology content (F(3, 147) = 1.057, p > 0.05). The study hence concluded that cooperative mastery learning led to students’ knowledge retention in biology, and it 55.3% of the variance in students’ retention scores. It was recommended that teachers should adopt the use of cooperative mastery learning to improve students’ retention in Biology

Students’ and Teachers’ Perception of School Climate: A Correlational Analysis

2026-03-15T13:29:05+04:00

The success of the learning outcome is highly related to the learning environment. This is because the learning environment significantly influences students’ academic achievement, attitude, and motivation. The study investigated the relationship between students’ and teachers’ perception of school climate in public secondary schools in Ijebu Ode, Ogun state Nigeria. The study used a survey research design. The population for the study comprised all teachers and students in Ijebu Ode public senior secondary schools, Ogun State, Nigeria. The sample consists of 186 teachers and 488 student respondents. Simple random sampling techniques were used to select twenty teachers and fifty students from fifteen secondary schools. Data was collected using the Students and Teachers' Perception of School Climate Questionnaire. Data collected was analysed using frequency count, mean, standard deviation and pearson product moment correlation. Result showed that students have a slightly positive perception of school climate (52.9%). It also showed that teachers have a positive perception of school climate (100%). In addition, it was found that there is no significant relationship between students’ and teachers’ perception (r = .118, P > 0.05) of school climate in public secondary schools in Ijebu Ode, Ogun state. It was concluded that there is no relationship between students’ and teachers’ perception of school climate in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, Nigeria. It is recommended that teachers should be more tolerant of students to have a positive school climate