Classroom Practice Research Articles

Framework Of Art Pre-Service Teachers' Professional Abilities For Effective Teaching

The effectiveness of art education relies heavily on the professional abilities of pre-service teachers, necessitating a deep understanding and enhancement of these competencies. This study delves into the critical role of art teachers' professional competence in shaping the effectiveness of art education. The study's findings encompass the conceptual framework of professional abilities, its integration into pre-service art teacher education, and its impact on teaching effectiveness in art education. Utilizing a library research approach, this study examines a conceptual framework of professional abilities, including (a)pedagogical knowledge, (b)instructional design, (c)assessment practices, (d)classroom management and (e)professional development. Findings highlight the significance of enhancing professional abilities, such as pedagogical knowledge and instructional design, to improve teaching quality and enrich student learning experiences in art education. The implications of this framework include (a) art teacher education programs, (b) educational policy, and (c) classroom practice. Suggestions include (a)enhancing simulation-based learning, (b)establishing mentorship programs, (c)promoting reflective practice, (d)facilitating peer collaboration, and (e)incorporating technology and cultural responsiveness into art teacher education. Overall, this study underscores the importance of cultivating robust professional abilities among pre-service art teachers to elevate the quality of art education and foster meaningful student engagement and learning.

Names y nombres: Names as gateways to biliteracy in multilingual early childhood classrooms

This paper describes name-related literacy practices in a multilingual preschool classroom and their implications for emergent biliteracy. We draw on a translingual framework to understand children’s name-writing activities and how bilingual children’s early literacy interacts with, and at times disrupts, the written conventions of named languages. Drawing on fieldnotes, observations, and artifacts from a preschool classroom serving Spanish-English bilingual children, we examined how children and teachers used names as resources for early literacy learning. We found that names are (potential) gateways to letter-sound relationships across languages, that names teach that some features of writing are shared across languages and some are different, and finally that names differ from other kinds of words children encounter across languages. We discuss what those instances prompt us to (re)consider about name-related teaching and emergent biliteracy.

Understanding Underperformance in EFL Students: Factors Affecting the Comprehension of Writing Assignments

Abstract When it comes to effectively advancing the educational process by motivating students to become engaged with course material and exercise independent thought, assignments are essential. This paper focuses on how to help EFL students to read and understand correctly their academic assignments while emphasizing the importance of comprehension skills and critical thinking. The paper includes a structured approach that outlines a comprehensive framework for teaching EFL students how to read assignments effectively by integrating both theoretical insights and practical classroom applications. It also shows how correctly understanding an assignment facilitates students’ success and motivation development. The discussion sparked in this paper is supported by both theoretical insights and some practical examples.

“It is okay to be different” – Anti-bias practices of early childhood teachers in Saudi Arabia

Early education helping young children manage prejudiced attitudes towards themselves and others is urgent. Early childhood (EC) teachers in Saudi Arabia are making significant changes by applying an anti-bias approach to deal with such issues with young children. In the study reported on here we used a quantitative approach to explore anti-bias education, including an analysis of approaches to the cultural environment, which includes teaching practices and associated learning resources. Many teachers (n = 142) in the cities of Jeddah and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia contributed to this study by completing a questionnaire. Teachers’ classroom practices, such as role-play, pictures, books, toys, and materials in teaching children the concept of anti-bias, were deeply explored. The results of the study show that the greater the previous experience of teachers in teaching children from a culture different from their own, the greater the application of the concept of anti-bias in creating the classroom environment. There is a need for further studies on the extent to which anti-bias education is being implemented on a larger scale in primary schools in Saudi Arabia.

A case study of pre-service physical education teachers' classroom practice for convergence and multidisciplinary physical education classes: Graduate School of Education's Physical Education Theory Lecture

A case study of pre-service physical education teachers' classroom practice for convergence and multidisciplinary physical education classes: Graduate School of Education's Physical Education Theory Lecture

Centering community and care: Enacting the Torres’ rights of the learner to support middle grades students in building collective responsibility in learning mathematics

ABSTRACT In this paper, we propose a teaching approach centered on community and care, aimed at fostering a democratic classroom environment. We highlight the communal co-creation of the Rights of the Learner (RoTL) as the foundation for establishing a shared responsibility atmosphere. Our interpretation of the RoTL challenges traditional power dynamics, control structures, and authority in educational settings, advocating for an environment of mutual respect and collective learning. This approach promotes a more inclusive learning environment, where responsibility is distributed among all classroom members, enhancing unity and collective investment in the learning process. We provide concrete classroom practices to illustrate the enactment of the RoTL by offering a practical approach for integrating community and care to transform teaching and learning of mathematics into a democratic, inclusive, and equitable community for all learners.

Becoming Linguistically and Culturally Responsive Educators: Teacher Candidates’ Perspective Shifts in an Introductory Linguistics Course

ABSTRACT Many teacher education programs aim to address the acute need for culturally and linguistically responsive educators by fostering linguistic consciousness and awareness of language learner populations. This mixed-methods study explores how elementary education teacher candidates’ perspectives shift through critical reflection and dialogue about English learners’ education and equitable classroom practices. Using a transformative learning framework, our findings illustrate that collaborative learning tasks as well as peers’ and multilingual graduate teaching assistants’ experiences play a disorienting role in challenging monolingual and bilingual teacher candidates’ beliefs about language acquisition, bilingualism, and English learners’ education. We discuss implications for teacher language awareness and instructional practices in ESL endorsement courses.

Aligning Beliefs with Action: A Study of Esl Teachers' Beliefs on Fostering Learner Autonomy

Learner autonomy, where students take charge of their learning, is a growing focus in language education. However, research suggests a gap exists between teachers' belief in learner autonomy and their actual classroom practices. This study, conducted at a public Malaysian university, investigates this disconnect by exploring how ESL teachers perceive learner autonomy and how those beliefs translate into action. Using a mixed methods approach, the research first employed surveys to examine the correlation between teachers' beliefs and their reported use of autonomy-fostering practices. In-depth interviews then provided richer insights into the experiences and challenges teachers face in implementing such practices. The findings revealed a positive correlation - teachers with stronger beliefs were more likely to report using autonomy-fostering methods. However, interviews highlighted the complexities of implementing learner autonomy, revealing both potential benefits and practical challenges. This study underscores the need for targeted professional development programs that bridge the gap between teachers' beliefs and effective classroom strategies. By equipping teachers with practical tools and addressing implementation challenges, such programs can empower them to cultivate truly autonomous learners.

Facilitating collaborative inquiry into practice around artifacts of mathematics teaching

AbstractAlthough there has been increasing attention to the importance of teacher agency in professional development, there has been little attention to what it takes to facilitate collaborative work that both centers teachers’ assets and expertise and leads to productive learning. This paper presents a framework for focused and responsive facilitation of productive discourse around instructional practice in teacher learning communities. Drawing on a situative perspective, we trace the development of six novice teacher leaders as they were mentored to lead online collaborative lesson design groups focused on analyzing artifacts of K-8 mathematics instruction in a large urban district in the US. Our framework articulates how leaders facilitated the discussions in ways that both built on teacher knowledge, experiences, and contributions while also focusing on professional learning goals. Our analysis also shows how rich learning opportunities were co-constructed and sustained by the mentors, teacher leaders, and participants in each group over time. Through narrative descriptions of one group, we show how the teacher participants began to take on some of the facilitation practices themselves as they apprenticed into the practices of the community. This approach to professional learning positions teachers’ experience and knowledge as important assets while supporting them to try out and reflect on new classroom practices.

Exploring English Teachers’ Cooperative Practices in Teaching Writing Skills

Cooperative language learning (CLL) is considered one of the communicative approaches in which students participate in collaborative learning activities in actual classroom settings. This research aims to examine English instructors’ cooperative practices in instructing writing skills. I employed the narrative inquiry to explore the teaching and learning stories of teachers through their lived stories. This research study seeks to add to the discourse of cooperative practices in English language classrooms to enhance the writing skills of learners in the context of Nepal. Four English instructors from four public secondary schools in Rupandehi district were purposefully selected as participants for this study. The in-depth unstructured interview was used as a tool for collecting data. I adopted social constructivism as a theoretical framework. This study uncovered that the teacher participants used CLL activities such as think-pair-share and group work activities to energize, optimize and enhance students’ writing skills. Moreover, CLL increases learners’ insights and confidence by enhancing their creativity and critical thinking ability in writing through teamwork and makes them more responsible and accountable for learning themselves through their active engagement in various cooperative activities. The study reveals teacher participants’ effective practices of cooperative language learning in generating and creating fresh information to offer a solution to the assigned writing tasks and make learning successful. Teamwork, group work and think-pair-share activities contribute to the learners’ success in writing skills.

Strategies and Implementation of Exploring the Integration of Artificial Intelligence in Ideological and Political Education

The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) technology heralds significant transformations in education, especially in ideological and political education, where traditional teaching methods are being reassessed due to mounting challenges. This paper embarks on a mission to investigate how AI technology can revolutionize the delivery of political science courses by adopting a “human-computer collaboration” model. The central aim is to enhance the effectiveness and quality of teaching while stimulating students' critical thinking skills. It delves into the landscape and potential applications of AI technology in this field, emphasizing the role of intelligent teaching assistants in augmenting teachers' capabilities for lesson planning and delivery. This study not only outlines the design and implementation of AI tools but also emphasizes their potential to foster a more engaging and intelligent learning environment. By doing so, it contributes to the discourse on leveraging AI to advance teaching platforms and classroom practices, thereby enhancing the educational experience.

An analysis of reviews related to grammar teaching and learning in Die Unterrichtspraxis/Teaching German (2000–2023)

AbstractTeaching and learning grammar has been a cornerstone of many German language courses. This article analyzes reviews of teaching and learning materials related to grammar, which were published in Die Unterrichtspraxis/Teaching German between 2000 and 2023, discussing general trajectories and highlighting works that remain relevant today. The article contributes to the journal's special issue on Form by providing an opportunity to reflect on and discuss the relevance of grammar‐related resources in German studies. It also reminds readers of instructional materials that focus on the grammatical form of language and that continue to be useful due to their theoretical insight, pedagogical advice, and/or practical classroom examples.

The effect of ADHD-type behaviours on language skills development in the classroom context from the perspective of Polish EFL teachers

This study investigated the effect of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) on language skills development in English as a foreign language (EFL) from the teacher perspective. The focus was the ADHD effect on the learning of the individual with the condition and their classmates. The participants were 51 pre-school, primary and secondary school teachers in Poland. Data were collected using an online questionnaire with closed- and open-ended questions. The findings suggest various effects of ADHD on skills development in the EFL context. Statistical analysis also found a more significant impact of ADHD-type behaviours on the EFL learning of the classmates of the individual with ADHD and in upper grades of primary school and secondary school. The findings are discussed in the context of foreign language school curricula and inclusive classroom practices.

Teacher practices regarding teaching presence in Vietnamese tertiary online distance education programmes

This study explored how teachers adapt their agentic teaching practices in the context of online distance education programmes in Vietnam. A single-institution case study design was used to collect data through online individual semistructured interviews that were conducted via Zoom with five teachers from a variety of disciplines who had been teaching in online distance education programmes at the Centre for E-Learning at a Vietnamese higher education institution. Data analysis highlighted the role of teachers’ agentic teaching presence in the pedagogy used in online distance education programmes. Specifically, the teachers exhibited acceptance of an approach to organising their practice that involved adherence to course outlines that had previously been designed and approved without questioning and modifications. However, the results further revealed the agentic direct instruction strategies used by teachers in terms of the varied delivery of course content, student feedback and assessments, which exhibited a stronger emphasis on facilitating online classroom discourse and interactions via various channels with the goal of enhancing students’ learning support, experience, and engagement. The findings of this research thereby affirm the pivotal role played by teaching presence in the setting investigated in this research in particular as well as in the context of online distance education in general. The study highlights the need for further interconnections to be established to link multiple aspects of social, cognitive and teaching presence to the practices that teachers use to enhance students’ engagement and learning experience. The study also has pedagogical implications with regard to teaching in online distance education programmes that pertain not only to teachers’ classroom practices but also to their professional development.

A qualitative evaluation study of introducing game-based learning methods during pre-service teachers’ Internship

This study presents the results of a qualitative evaluation of how pre-service teachers incorporate games into their classroom practices during internships. Two Game-Based Learning (GBL) methods, namely the PCaRD model and the GameChangers approach, were introduced to assist pre-service teachers in delivering game-based learning activities effectively within disciplines such as English and Sports, as part of their university course requirements. Data was collected from 48 pre-service teachers, highlighting the perceived benefits of both methods in teaching with games and emphasizing their complementarity. Essential competencies identified included prior gaming experience, training in game creation, digital skills, and understanding of student behavior and reactions. Main challenges encountered included time constraints, classroom equipment deficiencies, class management issues, pupil behavior, and aligning games with the curriculum.

Contextual resources supporting the co‐evolution of teachers' collective inquiry and classroom practice after the grant ended

Contextual resources supporting the co‐evolution of teachers' collective inquiry and classroom practice after the grant ended

The Belt and Road Initiative and Chinese Etiquette Education: Practice of Confucius Classrooms in Vocational Colleges

This paper focuses on the role of Confucius Classrooms in the context of the Belt and Road Initiative, with a key objective of fostering global perspectives and international competitiveness. It explores how Confucius Classrooms cultivate students' global perspectives and international competitiveness through cultural exchange courses, foreign language learning, and international exchange programs. The research findings indicate that cultural exchange courses enable students to gain in-depth understanding of different cultures and enhance their cross-cultural communication skills. These findings are of great significance in improving students' global perspectives and international competitiveness, providing valuable references and insights for educational institutions and educators.

Understanding meaning-making through technology use

Previous research has highlighted that technology implementation in schools may lead to increased complexity, as digital hardware and software offer a variety of possibilities for sign-making activities. Moreover, recent studies argue that since classroom practices are facilitated increasingly by screen-based activities, digital technology opens a multitude of ways to represent meaning, as an abundance of sign systems becomes available for communication through various digital visual user interfaces (DVUIs) (Jewitt, 2017). In addition, research indicates that technology implementation has a strong impact on school practice (Säljö, 2013) and that knowledge on how to take advantage of technology in learning settings from a more comprehensive perspective is needed (Bezemer & Kress, 2016). To gain a more comprehensive picture of technology use in educational environments, the main goal of the thesis is to explore the use of hardware and software by teachers and students in sign-making activities from a multimodal layer perspective. The main aim of this paper is, in particular, to discuss how multimodal methodology can be used to explain detailed aspects of technology use in networked learning (NL) settings. Concerning the various means used in school and their affordances in semiotic mediation (Norman, 2007; Wartofsky, 1979), all are considered in relation to the users and results of use. From a technology perspective, the multimodal layers, therefore, include things-to-things, things[1]to-human/human-to-things and human-to-human connections (Bonderup Dohn, Cranmer, Sime, de Laat and Ryberg, 2018; Goodyear, Carvalho & Bonderup Dohn, 2014) and focus on technologies, communication resources (i.e. sign systems), representations and activities. The technologies and their functions are therefore regarded as important. In addition, the multimodal layers relate to the semiotic properties of technology, how they inhere and prompt sign systems in different ways as interpreted by the actors and are reshaped into modes of representation in different activities. The conclusion is that multimodal methodology, particularly the multimodal layer approach, seems to be beneficial to unpack the relationships and connections between the means used and the actors in NL environments via its coherent approach. A greater understanding of the detailed aspects of technology use in teaching and learning may also be obtained if the existing multimodal layers are accounted for and connected. Insights can guide stakeholders on how to integrate technology in future practices and inform technology choices in relation to specific activities.

Student welfare through involvement and networked learning in primary teacher training

What makes students eager to learn? This is a fundamental question for every educator. After all, students who are motivated and involved in their studies are more likely to succeed (Affolter, Gerber, Grund, & Wagner, 2015) and simply 'pleasant to teach'. Student welfare is particularly relevant for primary teacher training colleges in the Netherlands, which struggle with dwindling student numbers, high variety in student population, and the risk of study delay or dropout (Dutch Inspectorate of Education, 2017). In order to enhance student engagement, teacher training colleges in different regions in the Netherlands - Doetinchem, Utrecht, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam - have formed teacher learning groups (TLGs) on various topics relevant for (pre-service) teachers, consisting of students of different years, teacher trainers, and in-service teachers. TLGs are increasingly acknowledged as a powerful means of enhancing learning and development. On the one hand, they offer students room for social learning and agency, stimulating their involvement and motivation (Vrieling-Teunter, Van den Beemt, & De Laat, 2019). On the other, they stimulate and facilitate in-service teachers’ professional development (Lieberman & Wood, 2003). As TLG participants work together to solve authentic problems (Laferrière, Lamon, & Chan, 2006), both pre-service and in-service teachers gain specific and concrete ideas that can be directly related to their own classroom practice (Guskey, 2002). TLGs can thus be seen as social action evolving around relationships, or ties. TLGs, as collections of ties, enable both collaborative and individual learning and knowledge sharing (Schreurs et al., 2014).

Redeveloping interactional practices in foreign language classrooms

Redeveloping interactional practices in foreign language classrooms