Effective Classroom Practice Research Articles

Visual Materials in Classroom Teaching Learning: A Case Study on Nonformal Primary School

The evolution of technology and the paradigm shift triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic have reshaped educational practices, transitioning from conventional to digital mechanisms. The integration of digital learning resources has introduced a new dimension to the classroom environment. This paper aims to investigate the practicality of utilizing existing visual learning materials in non-formal educational settings. The case study focuses on non-formal primary schools operated by the JAAGO Foundation in Dhaka, serving as a representative sample. Data for this study were gathered through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and observation notes from teachers, learners, and experts in the sampled non-formal primary schools. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze and present the collected data. The findings of the study underscore significant positive effects of employing visual learning materials in non-formal primary classrooms. These effects manifest in the areas of motivation enhancement, assessment of prior knowledge, and promotion of active participation, particularly among disadvantaged learners. The study also highlights the effectiveness of visual materials in facilitating clear comprehension, fostering creativity and imagination, enhancing critical thinking skills, and promoting digital literacy as essential 21st-century skills. Moreover, the research reveals that visual learning materials play a crucial role in achieving desired learning outcomes, aligning with both learners' psychology and pedagogical perspectives. However, the study identifies key challenges hindering the effective use of visual materials in non-formal classrooms, including infrastructural inconveniences such as poor projection systems, noisy sound systems, and inadequate seating arrangements for students. In light of these findings, the study recommends the implementation of professional training sessions for educators and emphasizes the need for school authorities to take responsibility in addressing identified challenges. By doing so, the study advocates for the creation of an environment conducive to effective classroom practices utilizing visual materials in non-formal educational settings. Teacher’s World: Journal of Education and Research, 49 (2),37-51

Exploring experiences that foster recognition in engineering across race and gender

AbstractBackgroundStudents' recognition beliefs have emerged as one of the most important components of engineering role identity development for early‐career undergraduate students. Recognition beliefs are students' perceptions of how meaningful others, such as peers, instructors, and family, see them as engineers. However, little work has investigated the experiences that facilitate recognition beliefs, particularly across the intersections of race, ethnicity, and gender. Investigation of these experiences provides ways to understand how recognition may be supported in engineering environments and how White and masculine norms in engineering can shape marginalized students' experiences.PurposeWe examined how specific experiences theorized to promote recognition are related to recognition beliefs for students at the intersections of race, ethnicity, and gender. Based on self‐reported demographics, we created 10 groups, including Asian, Black, Latino and Hispanic, Indigenous, and White cisgender men and Asian, Black, Latinè/x/a/o and Hispanic, Indigenous, and White ciswomen, trans, and non‐binary individuals. This article describes the patterns within each intersectional group rather than drawing comparisons across the groups, which can perpetuate raced and gendered stereotypes.MethodsThe data came from a survey distributed in Fall 2017 (n = 2316). Ten multiple regression models were used to understand the recognition experiences that influenced students' recognition beliefs by intersectional group.ResultsThere is no one‐size‐fits‐all approach to developing students' recognition beliefs. For example, family members referring to the student as an engineer are positively related to recognition beliefs for Asian, Black, Latino and Hispanic, and White cisgender men. Friends seeing Asian and White marginalized gender students as an engineer is predictive of recognition beliefs. Other recognition experiences, such as receiving compliments from an engineering instructor or peer about their engineering design and contributions to the team, do not influence the recognition beliefs of these early‐career engineering students.ConclusionThis article emphasizes the need to draw on multiple experiences to support the equitable development of early‐career engineers across race, ethnicity, and gender, and reveals patterns for recognition that may support future scholarship on effective classroom practices for recognition.

Professional learning of prospective elementary school teachers in supervised training

Abstract Professional learning has garnered considerable attention from researchers, as it forms a fundamental aspect of teachers’ professional development. Such learning encompasses a range of essential elements, including acquiring knowledge about curriculum content, teaching methods, core values, attitudes intrinsic to the teaching profession, and the nuances of professional culture. Notably, supervised training stands as a significant context for the professional learning of prospective teachers, offering direct exposure to the teaching profession and opportunities for critical reflection on theoretical and practical experiences. In this study, we undertake an investigation of the professional learning experiences of prospective teachers within the Early Years of Elementary Education, employing a qualitative and interpretative approach. To achieve this objective, we conducted in-depth research with ten female students enrolled in an Education Undergraduate Program at the Federal University of the Fronteira Sul, Erechim Campus. Our focus was on examining their learning encounters during supervised training. The empirical data for the study encompassed narratives shared by the ten interns during sessions dedicated to teaching in Elementary School, alongside textual productions prepared by the students throughout their training. The analysis of the gathered data has revealed noteworthy learning outcomes concerning teaching in various dimensions. Firstly, it shed light on the process of lesson planning, characterized by its reflective nature, theoretical underpinnings, and comprehensive approach to devising learning pathways for students. Secondly, the investigation illuminated the development of teaching skills, an intricate fusion of multiple elements that collectively facilitate effective classroom practices. Lastly, the study elucidated the dynamics of the school environment, perceived as an interactive, dynamic, pluralistic, and adaptable context conducive to the realization of successful teaching endeavors.

Aprendizagens profissionais de acadêmicos de licenciatura em pedagogia em estágio supervisionado

Abstract Professional learning has garnered considerable attention from researchers, as it forms a fundamental aspect of teachers’ professional development. Such learning encompasses a range of essential elements, including acquiring knowledge about curriculum content, teaching methods, core values, attitudes intrinsic to the teaching profession, and the nuances of professional culture. Notably, supervised training stands as a significant context for the professional learning of prospective teachers, offering direct exposure to the teaching profession and opportunities for critical reflection on theoretical and practical experiences. In this study, we undertake an investigation of the professional learning experiences of prospective teachers within the Early Years of Elementary Education, employing a qualitative and interpretative approach. To achieve this objective, we conducted in-depth research 3 with ten female students enrolled in an Education Undergraduate Program at the Federal University of the Fronteira Sul, Erechim Campus. Our focus was on examining their learning encounters during supervised training. The empirical data for the study encompassed narratives shared by the ten interns during sessions dedicated to teaching in Elementary School, alongside textual productions prepared by the students throughout their training. The analysis of the gathered data has revealed noteworthy learning outcomes concerning teaching in various dimensions. Firstly, it shed light on the process of lesson planning, characterized by its reflective nature, theoretical underpinnings, and comprehensive approach to devising learning pathways for students. Secondly, the investigation illuminated the development of teaching skills, an intricate fusion of multiple elements that collectively facilitate effective classroom practices. Lastly, the study elucidated the dynamics of the school environment, perceived as an interactive, dynamic, pluralistic, and adaptable context conducive to the realization of successful teaching endeavors.

The views of Irish primary teachers towards the in‐class versus the withdrawal models of support when working with children with dyslexia

AbstractThis article focuses on the perspectives of primary school teachers on the current provision for students with dyslexia in the mainstream classroom. Five themes emerged from this research and these were (1) Diagnosis, (2) Inclusion, (3) Effective classroom practice, (4) Difficulties encountered in the classroom and (5) Teacher education. The focus of this article is on the theme of Inclusion. The data collected explores the perspectives of twelve primary teachers towards the in‐class versus withdrawal models to support children with dyslexia in the mainstream classroom. As the concept of inclusive education has evolved in recent years, the objective of this research was to identify the most effective means of addressing the needs of the dyslexic student in the mainstream classroom. The insights provided by the teachers signify the need for in‐class support, as much as possible, to support inclusion for students with dyslexia in the mainstream classroom.

From broad principles to content-specific decisions: pre-service physics teachers’ views on the usefulness of practical work

ABSTRACT Practical work is widely seen as an integral part of school science. Research and teacher guidance have tended to consider practical work in science, rather than in individual science subjects or topics. This study used a questionnaire of selected- and open-response items to probe the views and reasoning of a sample of 43 pre-service teachers in England about the considerations that influence their use of practical work. Responses indicated a strongly positive view of the value of practical work to support a range of learning outcomes. A majority of respondents thought that the usefulness of practical work varies across topics due to differences in what can be directly observed and in potential to challenge learners’ ideas. Responses showed awareness of the key role of practical work in linking observations and ideas, but also highlighted challenges in applying broad principles about practical work to content-specific examples and a limited awareness of the range of possible types of practical activity. The study supports the view that researchers and advocates of practical work should engage with issues at a smaller grain size than hitherto in order to gain a better understanding of teachers’ decision-making and enable more effective classroom practices.

Effect of problem-based learning on Ugandan secondary school physics classroom practices: an observational study

Background: Regular class observations are common ways of monitoring what happens inside classrooms during the teaching and learning processes. From the start of 2020, the Ugandan Education System introduced a new curriculum focusing on active learning methods which foster learner-centered approaches, including Problem-Based Learning (PBL). However, this new curriculum is now only emphasized in the lower classes (grades eight and nine), and teachers of the upper classes are still at liberty to use methods of their choice. This study documented the effect of problem-based learning on Ugandan secondary school physics classroom practices using a Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP). Methods: The study followed a quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental design employing cross-sectional survey techniques. The study was carried in 19 secondary schools, both government and private, in Mitooma District, southwestern Uganda. The participants were 419 13th-grade physics students of 2020/2021 school year together with 22 teachers. Professional training in implementing and assessing PBL lessons were offered to some teachers (experimental group), who were compared to those who did not receive the training (control group). The standard and validated international RTOP was used to observe 152 physics lessons. Microsoft Excel 2016 was used to compute descriptive analysis, while IBM SPSS 25 was used to compute inferential statistics. Results: The results indicated that teachers in the experimental group effectively taught their classes using PBL and learners were more active compared to the control group. Female teachers showed a statistically significant difference compared to their male teachers in reformed teaching of physics, while no significance was found between government and private schools. Conclusion: Giving teachers professional training is key to effective classroom practices. We recommend teachers to use PBL in teaching, policymakers train teachers on its implementations, and researchers investigate its effect on other subjects with RTOP or other standard observation protocols.

STEM education in early primary years: Teachers’ views and confidence

Pre-school and first years of primary school provide the basis for future learning in STEM, and teachers’ views-confidence are important for effective classroom practices. This study investigated teachers’ views and confidence in implementing STEM education in early primary years. The participants were 140 Greek teachers who completed an online 35-item questionnaire. Teachers expressed positive-strong perceptions and confidence in implementing STEM education in early primary years. Over 80% of the sample expressed agreement in that they feel comfortable-confident when they facilitate inquiry-based learning activities within mathematics or science topics. The practical obstacles of resources-material and time to explore STEM topics and implement learning activities were reported. The findings have implications for educational policy and practice.

Supporting teachers’ effective classroom and behavior management: what do teachers tell us?

Elementary teachers (N = 160) from two districts responded to survey questions about inservice professional development and administrator feedback and support for implementing research-based, effective classroom and behavior management (C/BM) strategies. Results indicated slightly more than half (55%) of teachers reported their participation in formal, inservice professional development activities improved their ability to implement research-based C/BM strategies. A higher percentage (77%) of teachers reported they receive adequate feedback from their current school supervisor (e.g., principal, curriculum/instructional coach) on their use of C/BM. Teachers’ reported specific ways for school and district administrators to better prepare and support them for challenges related to C/BM. Implications are provided for improving inservice professional development and administrator feedback to promote teachers’ use of effective classroom and behavior management practices.

THEMATIC INVESTIGATION AS CURRICULAR DYNAMICS: DEVELOPING THE PROPOSAL IN THE CLASSROOM

This is a qualitative study, based on the theoretical perspective by Paulo Freire and the assumptions of the Science-Technology-Society (STS) approach and the Latin American Thought in Science, Technology and Society (LAT-STS), considering the perspective of the social context of students as a starting point for their learning. From this perspective, we investigate how a curricular configuration based on Freirean assumptions and CTS/PLACTS productions may contribute to the knowledge building by students in the school environment from an effective work in the classroom. The objective of this investigation is to get a better contextualize the knowledge, involving students in order to promote their critical positioning and the creation of a more democratic society, in which students can express themselves in view of the advances in Science-Technology (ST), regarding issues that imply changes in their world. Thus, we addressed the theme of the implementation and operation of a Hydroelectric Power Plant. Therefore, we investigated an effective classroom practice, which involved teachers of Science and Geography and 9th-grade students from a municipal public school in the same location as the power plant. The corpus for analysis consists of journals kept by the students and the researcher used during practice. Methodologically, we adopt the Discursive Textual Analysis. The results are presented in three categories: Resignifying knowledge through 'demystification'; The critical social-environmental development of students in relation to the theme: from limit situations to untested feasibility; Learning assessment: the understanding and lines of thought from the perspective of students. Hence, connecting the critical-reflective classroom practice to curricular development.

Beyond the Walls: Establishing Classroom Expectations in a Virtual Classroom

Classroom expectations are clearly defined explanations of behavioral and classroom performance that help create a consistent and safe learning environment. The value of setting classroom expectations has been researched for nearly 60 years and researchers have consistently found that teachers who explicitly teach expectations have students who are: on-task at higher rates, have more prosocial behaviors with peers, and overall are more academically successful than children who have not been systematically taught classroom expectations. Setting expectations is a way to define appropriate classroom behavior and to build consistency and structure among students. As result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many classrooms around the globe are experiencing higher rates of behavioral challenges than pre-pandemic levels. Costello et al. determined that during a typical school trajectory, approximately 20% of children experience some social–emotional and behavioral (SEB) concern. There are predictions that these rates will double or triple after the COVID-19 pandemi. Educators are mandated to implement evidenced-based practices and therefore, should further explore the implementation of setting expectations while their students are engaged in virtual learning, hybrid learning, and/or returning to the brick-and-mortar classroom amidst the pandemic. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate that systematically teaching expectations to all students in a virtual setting is an innovative and effective teacher classroom practice that can then be carried into the brick-and-mortar classroom as students return to in-person learning.

Analysis of Mathematics Lesson Planning Framed by the Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge

<p style="text-align: justify;">Lesson planning is considered to be an important and efficient tool for effective teaching and learning process. Preparations of effective lesson plan requires teachers to be competent in the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). This study investigated how the mathematics teachers’ PCK impact their competences on designing effective lesson plans. Twelve in-service mathematics teachers from public secondary schools in Unguja-Island (Zanzibar) of Tanzania were involved. The data were collected using the reviewing of the teachers’ mathematics lesson plan documents and teachers’ interview. The data were analyzed in both quantitative and qualitative mode based on the lesson plan framework guideline (LPFG) and the criteria for better planning of the sections jointly with PCK abilities indicators. The percentage average of occurrence of the sections in the teachers’ designed lesson plan (DLP) and the percentage of occurrence of different category within the sections of the DLP in relation to the criteria were determined. Also, the challenges faced by the teachers in their DLP were identified. The result of the analysis revealed that the PCK competences of mathematics teachers are not good enough to impact their DLP, as some of their designing lesson plan sections were occurred inconsistently. Also, the implementation of PCK competences for effective mathematics teaching found to be at developing stage, as some criteria related to it were not clearly observed in their DLP. The study recommends the demand of in-service training for mathematics teachers on the implementation of teachers’ competences particularly PCK in the lesson plan designing for effective classroom practices.</p>

Partners in learning: ‘An exploration of multi-cultural faculty and Emirati students' perspectives of university learning experiences’

Numerous articles have been published referring to differences in the way expatriate faculty members at universities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and their Emirati students perceive the customs and nature of teaching and learning. Faculty members and students come to class from two varying educational and often cultural backgrounds. As the UAE is a dynamic, young country that is rapidly changing with a diverse residency population, it is necessary to frequently research how Emirati students currently perceive effective classroom practices in order to best support their needs. A possible model to adopt and adapt is culturally relevant and responsive pedagogy. This qualitative study explores perspectives of learning held by local Emirati students and expatriate faculty members at a public university in the UAE. Ten Emirati students and ten faculty members describe their views through interviews. Findings centered around disconnection and misapprehension between faculty members and students in several regards: culture, motivation, concepts of teaching and learning and student needs. Recommendations include developing training on implementing culturally relevant pedagogy by showing faculty how to view teaching and learning through the lens of the student and check their own preconceived notions. It allows for students to have power over their own learning by implementing strategies relevant to their own cultural and background norms. Limitations and suggestions for future studies are also provided.

Investigation of Prospective Preschool Teachers’ Attitudes towards Science Education and Learning Styles

The knowledge, skills and attitudes of prospective pre-school teacher towards science education enable more effective classroom practices and science teaching. Teaching scientific processes at an early age affects students’ attitudes towards science in the coming years. In this context, this study was designed to examine the relationship between prospective pre-school teachers’ attitudes towards science education and their learning styles. The study was designed as correlational survey model. The sample of this study consists of 193 (165 female, 28 male) prospective pre-school teachers studying in the first, second, third and fourth class of faculty of education of a state university. The data were collected using the “The Science Teaching Attitude Scale” developed by Thompson and Shringley (1986) and adapted into Turkish by Özkan, Tekkaya, and Çakıroğlu (2002) and “Kolb Learning Style Inventory” developed by Kolb (1984) and adapted into Turkish by Evin Gencel (2007) in the spring semester of the 2019-2020 academic year. Descriptive statistical analysis and predictive statistical analysis were used in the statistical calculations of the data obtained in the study. As a result of the study, it was found that there was no statistically significant difference in the attitudes of prospective teachers towards science education according to their learning styles. In addition, it was determined that prospective pre-school teachers developed positive attitude towards science education and had different learning styles. Based on the results, suggestions have been made regarding the organization of learning environments according to learning styles and the studies that will increase the attitude levels towards science education.

Hooked On Questioning How the Teacher-Librarian Can Change Questioning Practices In Their Schools

Questions are an essential tool used in all teaching situations. This paper summaries current research on the best ways to ask questions and suggests how teacher-librarians can use this knowledge to guide their teaching faculties towards more effective classroom practice. It provides a guide for planning questions to incorporate a range of thinking from the cognitive, creative, and affective domains and gives practical examples of the ways this might be achieved. Essential questions are briefly discussed and the need to support and encourage student questioning is demonstrated. Determined to bring about change, the teacher-librarians used videos, Power Point, web quests, Inspiration, and the school intranet in alerting their staff to the teaching and learning opportunities afforded by good questions. How this was does and the progress and pitfalls of their endeavours are outlined.

Strategies to Improve the Effectiveness of Classroom Teaching for Philosophy Teachers

The purpose of this study is to achieve two objectives. First, to compare the effectiveness of philosophy classes in two administrative classes of Liupanshui Normal University, and to explore the influence of the strategies used by the teachers in the two administrative classes in philosophy teaching on the students. Secondly, through the comparison and discussion of the first point, this paper puts forward the implementation strategies to improve the effectiveness of philosophy classroom, so that students can accept and absorb these knowledge points to the maximum extent to improve the teaching effect. Liupanshui Normal University is located in a remote mountain area of China, so students don't have enough knowledge and guidance in philosophy. Therefore, it is necessary to improve students' philosophical quality through effective classroom practice, so that they can better adapt to the society. Taking case study as the research method, this paper conducted observation, questionnaire survey, interview and literature analysis on philosophy teachers, students, parents, employers and school administrators. The results show that the effect of traditional teaching methods is not as good as audio-visual teaching tools, and the application of audio-visual materials in philosophy teaching has successfully endowed students with higher intellectual value and stimulated their creativity and innovative spirit. In addition, continuous improvement in teachers' emphasis on evaluation feedback, interaction and knowledge literature learning has a positive impact on students, as these strategies encourage them to use higher-level thinking skills.

Raspberry Pi based Intelligent Classroom Information and Management System using LBP Method

Educational organizations are gradually using multi prevention models to deal with tutorial requirements of pupils. The underpinning of those methods is that the execution of widespread practices premeditated to backing the tutorial requirements of the overwhelming widely held scholars. Investigators and experts are trying to valid measures to support teachers for effective classroom practices, which are sensitive to vary over time. Knowing the information about the classwork, students’ strength in a particular class, faculty details, passing the vital information to the students, alerting faculty with their classwork information, and automatic attendance system plays a key role in the smooth running of educational institutes or organizations. Particularly, in women colleges, passing the information about the ward to the parents and video surveillance is crucial. This paper aims at providing solutions for manual work to a great extent. The proposed system works using RaspberryPi 3 board with the display, face detection algorithm, face recognition using Local Binary Pattern method (LBP), GSM900, 4x4 Keyboard, mobile, and serial communication protocols. The new entrant to the campus will easily know about the college information and punctual working of the stakeholders in the campus. The unauthorized entry is detected using a webcam, and information is passed to the central unit for further action.

DEVELOPMENT OF EFL TEACHERS´ PEDAGOGICAL CONTENT KNOWLEDGE THROUGH ACTION RESEARCH IN A MASTER’S PROGRAM

This longitudinal, 2-year study explored the experience of a cohort of seven in-service teachers in an English Language Teaching master’s program as they carried out action research studies to determine the impact of the stages of the research process on the various components of their pedagogical content knowledge. The research design followed a qualitative multiple case study model. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews, written reflections, and participant observation journal notes. Main findings highlight the way specific components of the thesis linked to stages of the action research study contributed to developing certain types of knowledge integral to pedagogical content knowledge. Knowledge of the students was highly impacted by the needs analysis and the design and implementation of the intervention. In terms of pedagogical knowledge, building the state of the art and theoretical framework along with the intervention clarified and further developed knowledge of teaching methodologies and strategies. Subject matter knowledge was highly impacted by the theoretical framework and the socialization opportunities. Establishing the setting of the study contributed to further understand the constraints and affordances of their teaching contexts. Overall, this action research study became an insightful experience that helped participants promote effective classroom practices to address their students’ needs. Keywords: action research, longitudinal case study, master’s thesis, pedagogical content knowledge, second language teacher education.

Reframing the Responsiveness Challenge: A Framing-Anchored Explanatory Framework to Account for Irregularity in Novice Teachers’ Attention and Responsiveness to Student Thinking

Mathematics and science education researchers focused on teacher education emphasize attention and responsiveness to student thinking as central to effective classroom practice. Being responsive to student thinking involves attending to the substance of students’ ideas—the meaning students are making—and pursuing that thinking, adjusting the flow of instruction as needed. Yet, attention and responsiveness to student thinking is irregular and generally rare among novice teachers. In this theoretical paper, we argue that the irregularity of attention and responsiveness to student thinking, including variability within individual teachers’ practice, can be explained by a framework grounded in teachers’ localized framings of their classroom activity—their sense of “what is it that’s going on here.” Using analyses of classroom episodes across contexts and timescales to illustrate our claims, we demonstrate how a framing-anchored framework can coordinate and improve upon three common explanations for the irregularity of novice teachers’ attention and responsiveness to student thinking: underdeveloped skills and/or knowledge for attending and responding, “transmissionist” beliefs about learning, and institutional constraints (and teachers’ perceptions thereof). Building on this argument, we suggest that teacher educators can work with novice teachers’ framings of their classroom activities as a generative anchor for supporting attention and responsiveness to student thinking in classroom settings.

Modeling the nonlinear relationship between structure and process quality features in Chinese preschool classrooms

Early Child Education (ECE) quality encompasses a complex, nonlinear system that includes both structural quality elements, like child-teacher ratio, as well as process quality features, such as teacher-child interactions. This study employed an artificialintelligence technology entitled Back-Propagation Neural Network (BPNN) to model the nonlinear relationship between these ECE quality elements. Based on the Guangdong Preschool Rating and Monitoring System, eighteen structural quality indicators were identified and examined in relation to process quality as measured by the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS). In addition to examine the nonlinear relationship between structure and process quality elements, the study also utilized a Mean Impact Value (MIV) analysis to identify the relative importance of each structural indicator for predicting the teacher-child interaction quality. Results showed that all eighteen structural indicators predicted teacher-child interaction quality to some extent in the nonlinear model. Moreover, the MIV analysis identified classroom size, child-teacher ratio, and teacher certification as the three highest contributors to explaining teacher-child interaction quality, whereas indicators about the space and facility showed the weakest relationship. These findings offer new insights into how ECE classroom quality elements work together to support effective classroom practice.