First Steps toward Becoming a Teacher: The Experience with the Degree in Primary Education in English

Patricia Olmos,Isabel Alvarez

doi:10.5296/elr.v3i2.12286

Abstract

During an academic year took place the experience of observing learning strategies through the development of discursive skills for academic writing with two core subjects in the Degree in Primary Education in English (DPEE). A total of N=219 students’ rubrics were analyzed. The methodology was based on two instances: The text-based and documentary data analysis resulted from two factors: (a) implementation of academic writing tasks that regulated the level of student guidance: semi-guided and autonomous in textual, discursive genres: argumentation, critical reflection, and (b) a rubric for students’ self-assessment. Results showed that the sample group lacked meta-cognition and had continuous deficiency in oral expression, consequently their progress fell somewhat short of expectations. However, the study resulted in facilitation of pupils’ discursive oral production in the first and second years for transfer of knowledge to subsequent academic years and in potential changes to the rubric.

Highlights

This study aimed (1) to improve students’ discursive writing skills during their first and second years in the Degree in Primary Education in English (DPEE) at the Faculty of Educational Sciences of the Autonomous University of Barcelona (In accordance with the 2014 ARMIF call, deployment of the Guideway strategy); (2) to demonstrate how such improvement can enhance students’ learning of subject matter
The methodology was based on two instances: The text-based and documentary data analysis resulted from two factors: (a) implementation of academic writing tasks that regulated the level of student guidance: semi-guided and autonomous in textual, discursive genres: argumentation, critical reflection, and (b) a rubric for students’ self-assessment
Results obtained from application of the Guideway strategy are very important, significant, and relevant for reaching its aims and, especially, for the progress student-participants achieved toward the Degree in Primary Education: Students acquired specific knowledge of subject matter, but they learned to adopt new resources, tools, and strategies for moving their learning forward

Summary

Introduction

This study aimed (1) to improve students’ discursive writing skills during their first and second years in the Degree in Primary Education in English (DPEE) at the Faculty of Educational Sciences of the Autonomous University of Barcelona (In accordance with the 2014 ARMIF call, deployment of the Guideway strategy); (2) to demonstrate how such improvement can enhance students’ learning of subject matter. Recent studies, focused on the development of writing in university foreign language courses (Byrnes, 2012; Knoch et al, 2015; Puebla, 2015; Yasuda, 2011), have contributed the data considered by this study; in other words, these studies show that when students received guidance in their academic writing, they used the newly learned terminology in their composition tasks Another question worth exploring is the extent to which students sustained this application and transfer over time. It must be stressed that, provided they receive adequate training teachers in various disciplines will likely award better final marks to their students, who perform better than they might otherwise (Knoch, Read & von Randow, 2007; Schafer et al, 2001)

Objectives

Methods

Conclusion