Classroom Tasks Research Articles

Self-Regulation and Economic Stress in Children of Hispanic Immigrants and Their Peers: Better Regulation at a Cost?

ABSTRACTResearch Findings: Although there is a well-established relationship between economic stress and children’s self-regulation, few studies have examined this relationship in children of Hispanic immigrants (COHIs), a rapidly growing population. In a sample of preschool children (N = 165), we examined whether economic stress predicted teacher evaluations of children’s self-regulation, whether economic stress predicted children’s physiological reactivity (via cortisol levels), and whether economic stress had a similar effect on self-regulation and children’s cortisol for COHI versus nonimmigrant children. Greater economic stress was associated with poorer child self-regulation and heightened physiological reactivity across a challenging classroom task for the sample as a whole. However, when we examined children by group, greater economic stress was associated with poorer teacher-reported self-regulation for nonimmigrant children only. In contrast, greater economic stress was related to greater cortisol reactivity across a challenge task for COHIs but not for nonimmigrants. Practice or Policy: Results demonstrate the importance of considering physiological indices of self-regulation (heightened stress physiology), in addition to traditional external indices (teacher report), when assessing self-regulation or risk more generally among preschool samples that are diverse in terms of ethnicity, economic risk, and parents’ nativity.

Diving deep into digital literacy: emerging methods for research

Literacy studies approaches have tended to adopt a position which enables ethnographic explorations of a wide range of ‘literacies’. An important issue arising is the new challenge required for researchers to capture, manage, and analyse data that highlight the unique character of practices around texts in digital environments. Such inquiries, we argue, require multiple elements of data to be captured and analysed as part of effective literacy ethnographies. These include such things as the unfolding of digital texts, the activities around them, and features of the surrounding social and material environment. This paper addresses these methodological issues drawing from three educationally focused studies, and reporting their experiences and insights within uniquely different contexts. We deal with the issue of adopting new digital methods for literacy research through the notion of a ‘deep dive’ to explore educational tasks in classrooms. Through a discussion of how we approached the capture and analysis of our data, we present methods to better understand digital literacies in education. We then outline challenges posed by our methods, how they can be used more broadly for researching interaction in digital environments, and how they augment transdisciplinary debates and trends in research methods.

Crafting Instructions Collaboratively: Student Questions and Dual Addressivity in Classroom Task Instructions

This study examines classroom task instructions—phases traditionally associated with noninteractional objectives and operations—and reveals their composition as interactionally complex and cocrafted. Analyses of video sequences of task instructional activity from three different secondary school lessons show that student questions routinely contribute to making task instructions followable. In this environment, student questions set up tensions between the demand to respond to the individual and responsibility to uphold the general instructional agenda. Data show that, as addressees of student questions, instructors take great care to meet both individual and collective accountabilities. To meet obligation to the addressee and exploit the instructional benefit of the question for the cohort, dual addressivity—targeting two or more addressees in response to a student question—proves a crucial method for achieving such principled practice. Educationally, it appears vital to recognize student instructed action as integral to task-related learning.

The many faces of agency

This forum article is a response to the article by Alandeom W. Oliveira, Patterson Rogers, Cassie F. Quigley, Denis Sambursky, Kimberly Barss, and Seema Rivera, The article explores agency from the perspective of both personal action and an understanding of causality within environmental systems, and it explores environmental read-alouds as pedagogical events to enhance elementary school students’ climate literacy and activism. In my response I attempt to sharpen the idea of agency through the literatures on (1) prevention education and (2) the dynamics of classroom task systems.

Using Gambling Simulators to Foster Awareness About Gambling Risks: A Focus on Emotions

Stemming from an interest in developing suitable didactical tasks to prevent gambling abuse during the school years, this article explores the use of an Android app that simulates the outcomes of a well-known Italian instant lottery. Some features that characterize the phenomenon of gambling abuse are sketchily recalled, the Android app is presented and an example from a classroom task is discussed. We conclude that the simulator contributes to developing statistical literacy, as traditional random generators do, and also exploits emotional reactions, such as shock, which allow curiosity to emerge and pave the way towards deeper understanding.

A Digital Teaching Platform to Further and Assess Use of Evidence-based Practices

Advances in online learning have benefited rural special education teacher preparation programs through increased recruitment, access, and collaboration. This paper describes how additional challenges, such as monitoring teacher candidate use of evidence-based practices, can be addressed through a digital teaching platform. Project REACH online is a freely available website developed under a grant from the U. S. Department of Education. The platform includes information on 67 evidence-based practices and six formative assessments aligned with professional standards. The assessments, designed to further and measure teacher candidate skills, mirror daily classroom tasks, such as planning before instruction and reflection after instruction on the impact on student learning. Assessments are aligned with Common Core Learning Standards and include tasks, such as applying Universal Design for Learning to instructional plans, field-testing reports, and annotating student work. Faculty benefit from the constant stream of formative assessment data at their fingertips. For teacher candidates, the platform provides a vehicle for learning and tracking progress toward goals through surveys, feedback requests, and digital badges. The platform increases interactions among teacher candidates, graduates, and faculty and extends collaboration to content experts and school partners. Preliminary research suggests that teacher candidates report variance in efficacy for teaching students with disabilities related to their program, general or special education. Data may be helpful in revising courses and program sequences to foster greater teacher efficacy and abilities to use evidence-based practices to ensure all students in inclusive settings learn.

English-for-Teaching: rethinking teacher proficiency in the classroom

The expansion of English teaching in state education systems places increasing demands on English language teachers and how they are trained. A major thrust of these efforts has focused on improving teachers’ English language proficiency. This expectation is manifested in policy and pedagogical directives that teachers ‘teach English in English’. We argue for a reconceptualization of teacher language proficiency, not as general English proficiency but as a specialized subset of language skills required to prepare and teach lessons. This concept of English-for-Teaching as a bounded form of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) for the classroom builds on what teachers know about teaching, while introducing and confirming specific classroom language. This article describes how the construct was developed and then describes sample classroom tasks and the language needed to enact them in three major areas: managing the classroom, understanding and communicating lesson content, and assessing students and giving feedback.

Early Literacy Assessment: Development and Validation of a Model

Abstract This research addresses the influence of autonomous writing productions of students at the early childhood education level. Its aim was to determine to what extent the early introduction of this type of writing improves the quality of the written productions. With a sample of 48 4-year-old students from two schools, following a quasi-experimental design (pretest and post-test), written discourses related to a given classroom task were assessed. In the experimental group multidimensional and autonomous writing strategies were used, while in the control group the writing was approached via explicit instructional practices. The results indicate that students in the experimental group show a greater development at all levels in the written text. Also, it has been shown that the learning of the textual superstructure precedes learning of other levels of the language, as providing the written discourse with a communicative purpose encourages the development of the textual macro and microstructure.

An Argument Performance Task in a Virtual Classroom for Enhancing Graduate Students’ Analytical Reasoning

An analytical reasoning ability was taken into action in a virtual classroom with a performance task (PT).The performance task activity which focuses on argument was designed based on a logical fallacy, aroused by scenario accompanied with library of related evidences. A virtual classroom simulated a non-graphic learning interaction using Learning Activity Management System. Learners studied in fallacy class and then moved to an individual study mode with selected evidences in order to discuss about argument topics. Finally, learners moved into double-learning that allows discussion of two learners for assessment and conclusion. Using a virtual environment increase an extensive scope of document library that can be different kinds of digital archives

Does personal social media usage affect efficiency and well-being?

Personal social media usage is pervasive in both personal and professional lives. Practitioner articles and news stories have commented on the addicting and distracting nature of social media. Previous empirical research has established the negative effects of distractions on primary tasks. To date, little research has looked at the potentially distracting nature of social media and the negative effects that can arise from usage. This research addresses this gap by investigating the effects of personal social media usage on task performance. To extend this research, I also examined the effects that the personal social media usage has on individuals’ technostress and happiness levels. I tested these effects by creating a classroom task environment and measuring subjects’ usage of social media and their task performance. From this, it was found that higher amounts of personal social media usage led to lower performance on the task, as well as higher levels of technostress and lower happiness. These results are consistent across different levels of attentional control and multitasking computer self-efficacy. These results suggest that the personal usage of social media during professional (vs. personal or play) times can lead to negative consequences and is worthy of further study.

Do-It-Our-Way or Do-It-Yourself?

Providing learner control opportunities, such as making individual choices and using preferred learning styles, is a difficult task in the tertiary ESP classroom. Curricular courses can be supplemented with integrative CALL experiences in Personal Learning Environments (PLEs) to overcome classroom constraints. ESP course design in these environments should, however, focus on key aspects which allow learners greater degrees of control. The current study investigates whether content sequencing, pace of learning and access to learning support can be designed to facilitate higher learner control, and whether learners take advantage of these options. For this purpose, it analyses the design of an ESP course implemented in a PLE for pre-intermediate ESP learners studying at a university in Italy. A preliminary investigation on participants' learning styles and navigation behaviour confirms that students chose to exercise high control over content sequencing, pace of learning and access to learning support, thanks to the design options allowed.

Exploring Strategic Thinking Skills in Process Oriented Task in ESL Classroom

English is used as the medium of instructions in most universities and colleges in Malaysia. Being a second language most students find it difficult to improve on the language specially to write report for process oriented task. Hence this paper draw on a research on using strategic thinking skills component to help improve in language learning and also process based oriented task. A researcher-developed taxonomy was design to address language problems in writing class of 56 students. Motivated Strategies Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) adapted to current context was used to measure the learning strategies, motivation and learning awareness in the pre and post treatment to seek students’ interest and motivation in language learning. Result showed that the taxonomy did improved on both language learning and process oriented task.

Design and Redesign of a Multimodal Classroom Task – Implications for Teaching and Learning

Digital technologies are increasingly implemented in Swedish schools, which impact on education in the contemporary classroom. Screen-based practice opens up for new forms and multiplicity of representations, taking into account that language in a globalized society is more than reading and writing skills. This paper presents a case study of technology-mediated instruction at the primary-school level including an analysis of the designed task and how the teacher orchestrated the digital resources during three introductory classes. The aim was also to explore the pupils’ redesigning of advertising films based on teacher’s instructions and available digital resources. Sequences of a learning trajectory were video recorded and analysed from a multimodal perspective with a focus on the designed task and the processes of how pupils orchestrate meaning through their selection and configuration of available designs. The findings show a distinction between the selection of design elements in the teacher’s orchestration of the laptop resources during instruction and the pupils’ redesigning of the task. Pupils’ work developed from the linguistic design provided by the teacher towards visual design and the use of images as the central mode of expression in the process of creating advertising films. The findings also indicate a lack of orientation towards subject content due to the teacher’s primary focus on introducing the software.

More foundations of effective teaching

Continuing his series on the basics of effective teaching, Matt Bromley discusses how to create good routines and habits to ensure that everyday classroom tasks run smoothly and efficiently

Exploring Vocabulary: Language in Action

Exploring Vocabulary, similar to the other books in the Routledge Introductions to Applied Linguistics series, is intended for those with or without practical experience. It is particularly useful for advanced undergraduates, graduates, postgraduates, and/or practitioner teachers returning to academic study. In line with Brumfit (1995), the organization of the book is problem oriented; unlike the more common development from theory to practice, it is structured from practice to theory. Aside from the Introduction and Conclusions, the other five chapters (2–6) move from Problems, Intervention, and then to Theory. According to Gardner, there is now more knowledge on vocabulary, particularly on what to teach and the many tools to do the task, hence another volume on vocabulary. (Recent publications in the field include Chacón-Beltrán, Abello-Contesse, and Torreblanca-López (2010) and Jiménez Catalán (2014), to mention only two.) However, this volume by Gardner is different since it is more practice- and task-oriented. More particularly, the book aims ‘to build your awareness of the vocabulary tasks facing our English Language Learners (ELLs) and to provide foundational concepts for dealing with these tasks in your various classrooms and tutoring experiences’ (p. 1).

The Link between Pronunciation Anxiety and Willingness to Communicate in the Foreign-Language Classroom: The Polish EFL Context

Abstract: Anxiety and L2 self-confidence have been suggested as vital determinants of willingness to communicate (WTC) in a foreign-language (FL) learning environment. Studies also demonstrate that it is a concern over pronunciation mistakes that is particularly likely to cause embarrassment and apprehension in FL students. Linking these two facts may lead to an explanation for why many post-puberty learners avoid participating in speaking tasks in the FL classroom. The present article reports the outcomes of a study adopting a mixed-methods approach, which showed that pronunciation anxiety (PA) – conceptualized as pronunciation self-perception, fear of negative evaluation, and beliefs concerning the pronunciation of the target language – is related to WTC (r = −.60 at p < .001). Moreover, results of t-tests suggested that high-PA learners have statistically lower degrees of WTC than their low-PA classmates. A link between the two constructs was further observed through the following situational variables: level of familiarity with interlocutor(s), group size, type of task, and target-language proficiency level. The quantitative data were supported by answers to open-ended questions.

Low- and High-Achieving Sixth-Grade Students’ Access to Participation during Mathematics Discourse

A descriptive, holistic, multiple-case methodology was applied to examine the nature of participation in discourse of two low- and two high-achieving grade 6 students while solving mathematical tasks in a standards-based classroom. Data collected via classroom observations and student interviews were analyzed through a multiple-cycle coding process that yielded the within-case themes of use of space, meaning-making, and peer and teacher interactions. This student-focused inquiry addressed a methodological gap in the extant empirical literature by employing video-recording as a means of eliciting student awareness and reflection, which notably revealed differences in participation between the two low-achieving students. When considering implications, the results illuminate needed additional classroom norms, issues related to relative differences in students’ abilities in heterogeneous groups, benefits of using video-recording as a means of promoting student reflection, and the important role of the teacher in maintaining equitable participation.

Metadiscourse in the classroom: A comparative analysis of EAP lessons and university lectures

This exploratory study investigates teachers' use of metadiscourse in EAP lessons and academic lectures. The analysis is based on two corpora of instructor contributions to classroom discourse: 18 EAP lessons from the L2CD corpus and 18 university lectures from the MICASE corpus. Based on Hyland's (2005) interpersonal model of metadiscourse, the two corpora were compared to examine the influence of pedagogical content and context on teachers' enactment of metadiscourse in the classroom. Findings of the comparative analysis suggest that these aspects of teaching and learning influence teachers' use of metadiscourse in significant ways. EAP teachers seem to be more concerned with explicitly framing the discourse primarily to set up classroom tasks and engendering greater student involvement and participation. On the other hand, university instructors' priority lies in establishing relationships between ideas in the unfolding arguments of lectures. Yet for some metadiscoursal features, the real-time spoken environment of the classroom appears to override pedagogical focus and approach. The paper concludes with a few pedagogical implications.

Peer Evaluation in CMC Learning Environment and Writing Skill

Peer evaluation and technology-based instruction as the various domains of language teaching perspectives might affect language development. Group work in a technology-based environment might be more successful when learners are involved in developing the assessment process particularly peer assessment. This study investigated the effectiveness of peer evaluation in technology-based language environment and its effects on English writing ability. To reach this goal, 70 Iranian learners were participated in English language writing context. They were divided into two groups, one group assigned to CMC (Computer-Mediated Communication) language learning context and the other assigned to a traditional learning environment. Both groups were encouraged to evaluate their classmates’ writing tasks. In addition, interviews were conducted with two learners. Comparing these two groups provides comprehensive guidelines for teachers as well as curriculum designers to set adjusted writing language environment for more effective and creative language teaching and learning. E-collaboration classroom tasks have high intrinsic motivation as well as significant effects on learners’ outcomes. Cooperative tasks specifically in technology-based environment lead learners to group working and consequently group learning. Computer-Mediated Communication is meaningful, especially in contexts in which teachers stimulate group work activities.

Students' Affective Reactions to Demonstrating Communicative Competence in EFL Classrooms

The present research investigated university students' affective reactions to communicatively oriented classroom tasks when they were required to engage themselves in classroom learning activities and demonstrate communicative competence in English. To gain some insight into students' affective reactions to communication in English, the researcher conducted interviews with the respective EFL respondents. Three main themes that transpired from data collected were found to have negatively affected students' engagements in communication-based classroom tasks: (1) lacking self-confidence; (2) saving face through reticence; and (3) feeling apprehensive about speaking and writing. Based on the findings, some instructional suggestions pertaining to treatment interventions were finally addressed. (Kyungnam University)