School Classrooms Research Articles

Effective and Engaging Active Learning in the Medical School Classroom: Lessons from Case-Based Collaborative Learning.

Large group collaborative teaching approaches are rapidly gaining popularity in undergraduate medical education. The case-based collaborative Learning (CBCL) pedagogy was instituted for pre-clerkship teaching at Harvard Medical School in 2015 with subsequent implementation at other medical schools. CBCL emphasizes inductive reasoning, integrates basic and clinical sciences, stimulates curiosity, and fosters teamwork. Given the ongoing educational evolution, guidance on designing and facilitating collaborative learning sessions, such as CBCL may benefit faculty in their instructional design efforts. This perspective article describes strategies to create effective collaborative sessions using CBCL as an example. We reviewed the literature and summarized ten years of experience in CBCL teaching through the lens of contemporary theories of teaching and learning. The recommendations are organized into three main domains: Instructional Design, Facilitation, and Professional Transformation, each aligned with the theoretical principles of CBCL. The recommendations provide a conceptual model to assist faculty in designing engaging and effective class materials and support students' professional transformation during collaborative learning sessions.

I may be doing this but i’m not aware of it: teachers’ familiarity with evidence-based practices supporting autistic children in Ireland

ABSTRACT Evidence-based practices (EBPs) are recognised as essential elements of learning and teaching programmes for autistic students in Irish primary school classrooms. Through these practices, teachers can feel confident that they are supporting autistic students using recognised and validated research. This paper reports on Irish teachers’ familiarity with eight identified EBPs, highlighted as effective for use in early years’ classrooms and schools, to support autistic students with social communication competence (SCC). Through a research survey, the perspectives of 382 teachers are captured and analysed using a mixed methods approach. The findings are discussed and theorised reflecting Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory, and the importance of teacher professional learning and conceptual understanding of the practices is highlighted. The paper focuses in on the theme of teacher familiarity with EBPs and discusses this exclusively.

Effect of window openings on indoor air quality and CO₂ concentration in classrooms: A Case Study of Primary School, Dhaka

Abstract. This study investigates the impact of window openings on indoor air quality (IAQ) and CO₂ levels in school classrooms in Dhaka, focusing on natural ventilation strategies to improve the learning environment. The importance of effective window design in controlling CO₂ concentrations and enhancing ventilation is critical, particularly in tropical climates like Dhaka's, where indoor air quality is often compromised due to inadequate ventilation. The study aims to explore the effect of window size and ventilation on CO₂ levels, comparing classrooms with different window configurations to identify the best strategies for improving IAQ. Over a period of two measurement campaigns, the study monitored CO₂ levels, indoor temperature, and relative humidity in two elementary schools, revealing that limited window openings, particularly when windows were 75% closed, resulted in significantly higher CO₂ concentrations. The analysis showed a direct correlation between reduced ventilation and increased CO₂ levels, with concentrations peaking at 2560 ppm, well above the recommended threshold of 1000 ppm. Factors like room design, occupancy density, and window placement contributed to variations in CO₂ levels across classrooms. The study emphasizes the need for optimized window openings to promote natural ventilation and reduce CO₂ concentrations, suggesting that opening windows beyond 50% can significantly improve IAQ. Regular monitoring, maintenance, and the implementation of effective ventilation strategies are essential to maintaining healthy indoor air quality in schools, ensuring a conducive learning environment for students. This research highlights the critical role of building design and ventilation systems in enhancing IAQ in educational settings.

A Collaborative Story Writing Project Using Google Docs and Face-to-Face Collaboration

The Google Docs application is part of Google Workspace for Education, a suite of cloud-based productivity and collaboration tools that are now ubiquitous in middle and high school classrooms. While there is an expanding body of research documenting the benefits of using Google Docs to support collaborative writing projects, there exists few qualitative studies detailing how cloud-based tools are integrated into courses that meet face-to-face on an ongoing basis. This case study explores how an experienced high school English teacher facilitated a collaborative writing project, in which students used Google Docs to co-write a story. The students were instructed to work on their stories asynchronously from home and synchronously during face-to-face classes. Data sources included field notes from class observations, reflections written by the teacher, semi-structured interviews with the teacher, focus group interviews with the students, and the shared Google Docs. This article describes affordances and constraints associated with the pedagogical supports provided during the collaborative writing process and offers recommendations for teachers who intend to use Google Docs to facilitate collaborative writing projects.

Efficacy of the Foodbot Factory digital curriculum-based nutrition education intervention in improving children’s nutrition knowledge, attitudes and behaviours in elementary school classrooms: protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial

IntroductionSchools are an important setting for supporting children’s development of food literacy, but minimal research has assessed which strategies are most suitable for school nutrition education. The Foodbot Factory intervention,...

Evaluasi Kebijakan Kurikulum Merdeka dalam Pembelajaran Pendidikan Agama Islam di Sekolah Dasar Islam Amanah Ummah

This study aims to evaluate the implementation of the Kurikulum Merdeka (Independent Curriculum) in Islamic Education (Pendidikan Agama Islam, PAI) at SDI Amanah Ummah. The research uses a qualitative method with a case study approach to deeply explore the curriculum's effectiveness as well as the supporting and inhibiting factors in its application. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with teachers and the school principal, classroom observations, and analysis of curriculum-related documents. The findings indicate that the Kurikulum Merdeka provides teachers with flexibility to design more contextual and student-centered learning. The project-based approach in this curriculum helps students understand Islamic values in an applied manner. However, several challenges were identified, such as varying levels of teacher understanding, limited learning resources, and resistance from some parents toward the new methods being implemented. This study recommends enhancing teacher training, conducting more intensive outreach to parents, and optimizing the use of technology in learning as strategic steps to improve the implementation of the Kurikulum Merdeka at SDI Amanah Ummah.

Using Multimedia Instruction to Improve Science Vocabulary Knowledge: Investigating Impact of Three Formats

Many students entering middle school experience increased difficulty in acquiring academic content vocabulary, especially in science. Content Acquisition Podcasts for Students (CAP-S) were developed over a decade ago to help remediate this issue and provide structured multimedia instruction on academic content vocabulary to help improve the acquisition and application of terms. This study sought to expand the CAP-S research base by examining the impact of three different formats of CAP-S on the understanding, retention, and application of science vocabulary terms in rural inclusive middle school classrooms. Participants included 271 students, 11% of whom had Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), served in rural settings. The CAP-S formats included increasingly intensive levels of instructional components. One-way ANOVAs with corrected post-hoc comparisons to probe significant findings were completed. Findings underscore the general effectiveness of CAP-S in improving science vocabulary knowledge for students in rural settings and highlight the need for further research into specific instructional components that may be used to continue to improve upon the CAP-S format. Implications for educators include leveraging multimedia tools to support rural and other diverse learners and considering classroom context when implementing vocabulary instruction are discussed.

Guideline of Teaching Basketball Method for Secondary School Students in Xishan District, People’s republic of CHINA

Background and Aims: With the continuous reform of China's education system, the teaching method of sports games began to apply to the physical education classroom, sports games have a certain interest and can improve the interest of students to learn sports. The college basketball classroom teaching mode is too single, the students through the dribble, pitching, and picking up, easy to make students tired, and then lose interest in learning basketball. But in the secondary school basketball classroom using the sports game method can improve the initiative of students to learn, to improve the quality of teaching. The research aims to 1) study the current situation and problem of basketball teaching method by sports games for secondary school and 2) construct a basketball teaching method by sports games for secondary school Methodology: Research participation consists of 1) Basketball teachers in secondary schools, 29 people 2) Basketball coaches in secondary schools, 16 people, and 3) Basketball students in the secondary school, 302 people. The research process is as follows: Step 1 Review of Literature and Research 1) Literature review on basketball teaching 2) Physical Education Games 3) Theory of Reviews 4) Related Research, Step 2 Gather ideas and consult data to develop a conceptual framework, Step 3 Develop the conceptual framework, Step 4 Construct research instrument, Step 5 Collect data by Delphi technic, Step 6 Analyze and interpret data, Step 7 Confirm teaching method, and Step 8 Summarize and report research results. Result: 1. Current situation and problems of basketball teaching method include: 1) limited student participation, 2) insufficient skill training, 3) traditional teaching, 4. students lack critical thinking and problem solving 5) Reduced opportunities for teamwork and communication, 6) Students have minimal independence 2. Methods for teaching basketball by sports games include 1) Using small games 2) Games with modified rules 3) Skill-specific games 4) Being challenging 5) Practicing similar to real competition situations 6) Playing in tournaments 7) Coaching by teammates 8) Game analysis Conclusion: Teaching basketball through sports games in the secondary school classroom has an important role, it can improve students' interest in learning basketball, and enrich the teaching content. Sports teachers in the basketball teaching process, use the sports game as an auxiliary means of training, the teacher can base the teaching content on creating some interesting games to mobilize students to participate in basketball practice enthusiasm. Keywords: Teaching Basketball Method; Sports Game; Secondary School

The Role of Students and Teachers in The Lifecycle of Classrooms in Primary Schools in Indonesia

The Role of Students and Teachers in The Lifecycle of Classrooms in Primary Schools in Indonesia

The effectiveness of ChatGPT in assisting high school students in programming learning: evidence from a quasi-experimental research

ABSTRACT Programming education gains importance in high schools as the digital age progresses. However, the openness and adaptability of programming languages present unique challenges for instructional practices compared to other subjects. While traditional instructional tools offer limited support, ChatGPT, a groundbreaking Generative Artificial Intelligence, has shown impressive capabilities in natural language processing and knowledge generation. This study explored whether ChatGPT can transcend existing limitations and improve programming education through a quasi-experimental approach with post-hoc interviews in high school classrooms. A total of 153 students participated, and the results from MANCOVA and ANCOVA analyses revealed that students using ChatGPT reported lower levels of flow experience, self-efficacy, and learning achievement compared to those utilizing conventional methods. Post-hoc interviews further revealed that students felt ChatGPT's effectiveness in facilitating their programming learning fell short of their initial expectations. These findings highlight the need to carefully consider the complexity of programming learning tasks and students' cognitive, affective, and interactive dimensions when integrating AI technologies into education. We discuss the implications and provide thorough pedagogical strategies, specifically the guidance–practice–transformation (G–P–T) mode, to maximize the potential of AI tools and support high school programming education, emphasizing the balance of technological innovation with learning best practices.

Supportive teachers, active students: Is teacher support a promising key to engaging students with and without migration backgrounds?

Students with and without migration backgrounds differ in terms of their achievement. One approach to reducing the gap between the two groups may be through equal participation in classroom discourse. Here, supportive teaching behavior can be particularly important for promoting student participation. Especially teacher support after a student has made a mistake, the so-called error culture in the classroom, could pave the way for students to become active participants. In this study, we analyzed whether error culture as a facet of teacher support could be a promising key to engaging students with and without migration backgrounds. To investigate the generalizability of the process across different subjects, we examined video data from 20 eighth-grade classrooms of academic-track secondary schools in both German Language Arts and Mathematics (N = 387 students). The results from nested hierarchical linear models indicate that error culture is related to student participation in German Language Arts but not in Mathematics. Interestingly, students with and without migration backgrounds did not differ in terms of their participation in classroom discourse. Furthermore, teachers’ positive error culture supported students’ participation irrespective of their migration background. Therefore, we encourage teachers to continue to pay attention to their error culture as this seems relevant for all students in the classroom.

Facilitating Student argumentation around socioscientific issues through productive discourse and negotiation toward consensus

ABSTRACT Controversial topics that arise in science classrooms, especially those of social relevance (e.g. the climate crisis), provide opportunities to help students learn about and discuss contradictory ideas they may encounter in their everyday experiences. Such topics may also be challenging to teach, but scaffolding may facilitate effective instruction. We describe 1 type of instructional scaffolding, the Model-Evidence Link (MEL) activity, that supports students’ reasoning when evaluating connections between lines of evidence and competing explanations about phenomena. We have developed and tested these activities in middle and high school classrooms, and empirical studies have shown that they help shift students’ thinking toward a more scientific stance via group discourse and collaborative argumentation. We developed a Negotiation Framework for productive discourse to facilitate students’ conversations toward consensus. This Negotiation Framework may be particularly effective in supporting argumentation and learning about topics in which scientific explanations compete with popular, but nonscientific, alternatives.

The Effects of Using Augmented Reality on Phoneme and Word Reading for First Grade Students With Autism and Developmental Delays

This study was to determine the effectiveness of augmented reality on phoneme and word reading for three first-grade students with developmental delays and autism in a self-contained elementary school classroom. Effectiveness of the intervention was evaluated with a multiple probe across word sets research design. An augmented reality iPad app was used to overlay video models for the process of reading decoding over a printed sheet for each word. The printed sheet contained triggers for separate videos showing reading of each individual phoneme, blending all phonemes together slowly, reading the word aloud, and defining the word. All participants increased their ability to read phonemes and words. Our findings have implications for teachers who want to use interactive technology to teach reading skills to young students with autism and developmental delay.

ROAR-CAT: Rapid Online Assessment of Reading ability with Computerized Adaptive Testing

The Rapid Online Assessment of Reading (ROAR) is a web-based lexical decision task that measures single-word reading abilities in children and adults without a proctor. Here we study whether item response theory (IRT) and computerized adaptive testing (CAT) can be used to create a more efficient online measure of word recognition. To construct an item bank, we first analyzed data taken from four groups of students (N = 1960) who differed in age, socioeconomic status, and language-based learning disabilities. The majority of item parameters were highly consistent across groups (r = .78–.94), and six items that functioned differently across groups were removed. Next, we implemented a JavaScript CAT algorithm and conducted a validation experiment with 485 students in grades 1–8 who were randomly assigned to complete trials of all items in the item bank in either (a) a random order or (b) a CAT order. We found that, to achieve reliability of 0.9, CAT improved test efficiency by 40%: 75 CAT items produced the same standard error of measurement as 125 items in a random order. Subsequent validation in 32 public school classrooms showed that an approximately 3-min ROAR-CAT can achieve high correlations (r = .89 for first grade, r = .73 for second grade) with alternative 5–15-min individually proctored oral reading assessments. Our findings suggest that ROAR-CAT is a promising tool for efficiently and accurately measuring single-word reading ability. Furthermore, our development process serves as a model for creating adaptive online assessments that bridge research and practice.

Implementation of a Low-Cost, Real-Time Assessment System for Primary School Classrooms

The integration of technology in educational surroundings has evolved from a supplemental enhancement to an essential element of modern education. In response to this shift, there is a growing need for cost-effective tools that can increase student engagement and streamline the assessment process for primary students. This study presents the design and implementation of a low-cost, real-time assessment system tailored specifically for primary school classrooms. Utilizing Arduino-based receivers and student-operated remote controllers, the system provides an affordable and scalable alternative to traditional student response systems. Field tests were conducted with 26 students aged 9 to 10 in a public primary school, where the system's effectiveness was evaluated through teacher observations and student feedback. Results indicate that the system significantly increased student participation, focus, and enjoyment during assessments compared to traditional paper-based methods. Despite some challenges, the system demonstrates great potential as a practical tool for resource-constrained educational environments, with future development focusing on addressing scalability and technical limitations.

Exploring family models and SDG number five in picture books. Dialogical alternatives for secondary education

IntroductionThis contribution addresses the controversy that often surrounds the educational treatment of new family models. The literature, as a medium of fiction based on reality, reflects social changes, including the organization of families. Promoting gender equality—Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number five (United Nations)—is closely linked to understanding these new family structures. In this context, picture books—powerful literary resources that combine images and words—should be used to expose students to new realities and raise awareness of diversity, thereby fostering tolerance and respect.MethodThis study analyzes several picture books, including classics like King and King and more recent titles like Well done Mummy. The analysis will focus on their format and content to determine their suitability for secondary school classrooms, discuss family models, and raise awareness, potentially changing attitudes. Following the analysis, we explore how to incorporate these books into educational sequences, highlighting the use of dialogical discussions to promote critical thinking.ResultsThe results of this contribution will include a list of suggested picture books, an evaluation of their suitability, and proposed didactic strategies.DiscussionThese aspects will strengthen the classroom treatment of this controversial topic, helping students grow holistically through axiological aspects and the development of SDG number five: gender equality. Additionally, this study will confirm the relevance of using picture books in the classroom within the context of liquid modernity, where audiovisual elements are key motivators for students.

How to Avoid Students’ Slacking off in the Information Technology Classroom in Rural High Schools?

How to Avoid Students’ Slacking off in the Information Technology Classroom in Rural High Schools?

Experiences of Learners with Visual Impairment in the Mainstream Secondary School Classrooms in Malawi: A Case Study of Mzimba District

Malawi has historically prioritized specialized education for visual and hearing impairments, neglecting minor learning difficulties. Aligning with international declarations, Malawi became a signatory in 1990 and 1994, committing to inclusive education. In 2007 and 2012, the government revised primary and secondary curricula to include learners with special needs in mainstream classrooms. Despite revisions, outcomes for visually impaired learners in mainstream secondary schools are unknown. This study in Malawi's Mzimba district explores challenges faced by visually impaired students in implementing the revised curriculum. Guided by the Ecosystem framework, schools are viewed as dynamic ecosystems. Qualitative research method which employed a case study design was used. The participants were ten visually impaired students, two special needs teachers, and two mainstream teachers. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, document review and classroom observation. The results of the study reveal challenges. Issues include insufficient materials, inadequate teacher support, an unfriendly environment, and a lack of teacher training. Thematic content analysis identifies these challenges, leading to recommendations for mitigation and broader implications.

Optimizing School Classroom Facades to Control Airborne Diseases Transmission through Human Centric-CFD Framework

Optimizing School Classroom Facades to Control Airborne Diseases Transmission through Human Centric-CFD Framework

Teachers' Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Ease of Use of Technology in Primary School Classrooms in Bangladesh

Teachers' Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Ease of Use of Technology in Primary School Classrooms in Bangladesh