English Education System Research Articles

Research on the Integration Path and Practice of AI Intelligent Technology and English Distance Education

Abstract This paper introduces AI intelligence technology in English distance education and establishes a learning analytics model that includes information collection and acquisition, data storage, cleaning, integration, analysis, visualization, and action. Each component corresponds to a series of specific technologies and processes, and generates information such as learner portrait modeling profiling learning behaviors, using data mining to provide personalized learning solutions for learning. The assessment system is constructed from three perspectives: contextual, cognitive, and technological, which ensures accurate teaching for the personalized needs of English learners. It has been verified that the contextual interaction effect on students’ performance accounts for 78% of the total sample in the English distance education system after applying AI intelligent technology. Students in the experimental class showed positive interest in the distance education system 47.44±7.15, which was significantly higher than that of the control class 29.65±8.21. This integration model provides a new development direction for English distance education, and also provides strong support for personalized teaching and continuous optimization of the educational process.

Incorporating World Englishes into Middle and High Schools in Korea: Teachers’ Awareness and Attitudes

The worldwide utility and status of English have given it enormous cachet in Korea. English education has been heavily emphasized in Korean middle and high schools as a means to foster a globally-oriented, linguistic diversity-aware citizenry. Yet the predominant model for language learners in Korea remains an idealized speaker of British or American English – the so-called ‘native speaker’ model. A World Englishes (WE)-informed model of English language teaching would be more in line with the Ministry of Education's stated vision, but uptake of this paradigm has been slow in Korean schools. We therefore investigate the perceptions and attitudes of Korean middle and high school English language teachers about the place of WE in Korea's English education system. Specifically: (a) What are Korean English teachers’ perceptions towards WE?; and (b) What challenges and barriers do they perceive in integrating WE into Korea's English education system? Survey data from 106 Korean middle and high school English teachers, supported by a subset of eight interviews, show that the sample view English as a global mode of communication among all its users, though they often view the ‘native’ varieties of English as more prestigious than those from other countries. They acknowledge the desirability of incorporating a WE-informed paradigm into Korea's English education system, but the varieties which they advocate are all from Anglophone countries. They also identify numerous challenges to implementing WE in Korea's classrooms. One is the need for teachers to prepare their students for high-stakes examinations which are uniformly constructed around British and American English. Another is the perceived community pressure to emphasize American English in their teaching. Finally, the absence of any WE-informed teacher education resources limit their knowledge about WE and how to teach it to students.

Canary in the mine: what white working-class underachievement reveals about processes of marginalisation in English secondary education

ABSTRACT This paper argues that processes of marginalisation experienced by white working-class students provide insight into systemic problems with the English education system. White British students eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) are a low attaining group. This research investigates factors affecting their engagement and achievement. Fieldwork in three comprehensive secondary schools in a London borough used qualitative methods to gather data on the perspectives of staff, students and parents. Using Bourdieu’s conceptual tools to guide the analysis, the study found that performance pressure and funding cuts can result in an institutional habitus which privileges academic attainment, side-lines the social and emotional aspects of learning and misrecognises working-class capitals. Such habitus fosters pedagogic practices which reduce levels of felt safety and limit opportunities to actively engage and exercise agency in the classroom. These conditions often make fragile the learner identity of white working-class students (and others) and prompt disengagement from school.

Ofsted: The case for reform

This article proposes reform of the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted). It considers the purpose of inspection in English schools and describes the previous system of inspection based on Her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools (HMI). The question of how effective Ofsted is – in comparison to similar countries – is then addressed. The creation of Ofsted is described and its strengths acknowledged before discussion of the frequent criticisms it has attracted. Whether or not the English education system actually needs rigorous inspection is considered and the conclusion reached is that inspection is desirable, but not the current Ofsted model. The remainder of the article outlines the principles that could underpin a more positive model of inspection and the most pressing issues for reform. It ends with the recognition that, since schooling will be subject to change in a modern technology-driven world, models of inspection also need to be flexible.

Walking the line: Does crossing a high stakes exam threshold matter for labour market outcomes?

ObjectivesThis paper offers new insight into the link between success in high stakes exams and subsequent education and labour market outcomes. It is the first study to look holistically at the impact of crossing an important high stakes threshold on both academic and vocational education choices and ultimately labour market outcomes.
 MethodIt does so by comparing those either side of a formerly important threshold in the English education system at the end of compulsory schooling (achieving five general certificate of secondary education A* to C passes) which was commonly regarded as the minimum benchmark for continuing into post-compulsory education.
 ResultsI find that crossing this threshold led to an 6.3-6.7 percentage point increase in the proportion of men and women (respectively) going on to take academic qualifications, with little change in the proportion taking vocational qualifications, leading to a net increase in those staying on after compulsory schooling. Women's daily earnings in 2017-18 (11-13 years after leaving compulsory schooling) were 3.1 percentage points higher for those just crossing the threshold, but men's early labour market outcomes were unchanged.
 ConclusionThe results for men can be explained by low returns to academic qualifications for marginal learners. The findings for women do not disappear after accounting for subsequent education choices, suggesting that crossing the threshold may play a signalling role for employers as well as education institutions.

Development of IoT smart cities and optimization of English education systems based on 5G networks

Development of IoT smart cities and optimization of English education systems based on 5G networks

Conducting school-based health surveys with secondary schools in England: advice and recommendations from school staff, local authority professionals, and wider key stakeholders, a qualitative study

BackgroundImproving the health and well-being of young people is a public health priority. Schools present an ideal setting to implement strategies to improve young people’s health and well-being. A key strategy involves conducting surveys to assess student health needs, inform interventions, and monitor health over time. Conducting research in schools is, however, challenging. Schools can find it difficult to participate and adhere to research processes, even when they are keen to be involved in research, because of competing priorities (e.g., attendance and educational achievement), as well as time and resource constraints. There is a lack of literature on the perspectives of school staff and other key stakeholders working in young people’s health on how best to work with schools to conduct health research, and in particular, health surveys.MethodsParticipants (n = 26) included members of staff from 11 secondary schools (covering students aged 11–16 years), 5 local authority professionals, and 10 wider key stakeholders in young people's health and well-being (e.g., a school governor, a national government member), based in South West England. Participants took part in semi-structured interviews that were conducted either over the phone or via an online platform. Data were analysed using the Framework Method.ResultsThree main themes were identified: Recruitment and Retention, Practicalities of Data Collection in Schools, and Collaboration from Design to Dissemination. It is important to acknowledge the role of local authorities and academy trusts in the English education system, and work closely with these when conducting school-based health surveys. School staff prefer to be contacted about research via email and in the summer term, following exams. Researchers should contact a member of staff involved in student health/well-being, as well as senior leadership, during recruitment. Data collection during the start and end of the school year is undesirable. Research should be collaborative with school staff and young people, consistent with school priorities and values, and flexible and tailored to school timetables and resources.ConclusionsOverall the findings demonstrate that survey-based research methods should be school-led and tailored to each school.

The 2010–15 coalition government and the legacy of free schools in England

Free schools were a flagship policy of the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition (2010–15), aligned with the broader academisation programme, yet both consolidating and transcending New Labour’s educational narrative between 1997 and 2010. Driven by political ‘modernisers’ such as Prime Minister David Cameron and his Education Secretary Michael Gove, these schools were framed as an innovative and revitalised educational policy approach, aspiring to eclipse previous ‘failed’ policies of both left and right. They proposed greater autonomy and liberation from statist bureaucracy, incorporating non-state bodies as providers, while remaining within the broader state educational structure. Primarily exported from Scandinavia as ‘all-ability’ schools, and with a distinctive autonomous and communitarian element, yet analysis and measurement of the impact of free schools both internationally and domestically has since been mixed. The article seeks (with the benefit of added hindsight and perspective) to focus on the circumstances in which this policy was implemented from 2010, assessing various challenges it faced within a coalition government environment, while ultimately analysing its overall impact on the English educational system in subsequent years.

The Practicum and its Effects on the Development of Korean Pre-service English Teachers’ Perceptions of Teaching Speaking

There has been a gradual change in Korean English curricula and education systems over recent decades to enhance the ability to communicate in English confidently in an increasingly globalized society. The Korean government has been initiating new policies in English curricula to improve the quality of English education in state schools; accordingly, English teacher education has also been intensified, with more attention to teaching speaking. Therefore, there is a need to investigate the impact of teacher preparation on classroom practice through empirical research considering Korean educational contexts. This study explores pre-service English teachers’ learning through initial teaching practice in the area of teaching speaking in Korea, which has seen major policy changes in recent years but has had limited empirical investigation. Two pre-service English teachers’ perceptions and practices of teaching speaking are examined, from the perspectives of influences on, and changes in their cognition. Data include classroom observations, semi-structured interviews in sequence, documents, and qualitative questionnaires. The overall findings show limited impact of the practicum on their cognition development, and incongruence between their cognitions and practices of teaching speaking due to the gap between theory and practice. Implications for improvements are discussed, as well as suggestions for further study.

ESL Teachers’ Views on the Implementation of CEFR in Reading Skill

One of the most essential elements of learning English is the ability to read fluently. Mastering reading skills among ESL (English as a Second Language) learners is important in this global environment as it helps to widen their vocabulary acquisition and gradually helps them to enhance their other language skills. Although there is a large volume of published studies describing the implementation of CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference) in the English education system, these studies have not dealt with the implementation of CEFR specifically in reading skill. Thus, this study aims to find out more about ESL teachers’ views on the implementation of CEFR in reading skill. Besides that, the findings of the study will be able to identify the current arising issues or challenges in the teaching of reading skill. Data for this study was gathered through an online survey which was participated by 42 primary ESL teachers from Negeri Sembilan. The findings revealed that primary ESL teachers have mixed views on the implementation of CEFR in reading skill in terms of applicability. Although, the findings suggest that CEFR improves ESL learners’ reading skills, the results revealed that there is a need to adapt and modify CEFR related reading texts to fit in the Malaysian context with a local touch. Thus, the findings of this study provide useful information for other researchers who are interested in analysing the need of adapting the CEFR textbooks and reading texts to be in line with the Malaysian context.

Design and application of VR-based college English game teaching

With the deepening of international exchanges, colleges and universities have higher and higher requirements for the quality of English teaching. In order to improve the quality of English teaching in colleges and universities, the research proposes to design and construct an English game education and teaching system based on virtual reality technology. First, the modern VR technology is used to build the initial English game teaching system, and then the HMM-DNN algorithm is introduced to improve the virtual system. In the process, the CMUShinx speech recognition platform is used to build a robot control command speech recognition system, in order to obtain a good voice acoustic model and achieve correct speech recognition in the virtual environment. Finally, the performance analysis of the built system is carried out to verify the feasibility of the system model. The results show that the step response coefficient of the model built by the research institute can be kept within 1 M for a long time; When the speech type is White and Cafe1, the correct recognition rate of the constructed model for English speech is as high as 98 % and 95 %, and is always higher than other algorithms; In the comparison of the accuracy of students' oral speech recognition scores by different models, the lowest error of the research model is 2.23 %, which is significantly smaller than the other models. The above results indicate that the overall teaching effect of the system built by the research institute is stable, and it has high feasibility for college students' English teaching, which helps to further improve students' interest and ability in English learning, and is of great significance for college English talent training.

Development of Distance Learning in the Context of Covid-19

According to a UNESCO report, the main factor in the disruption of the education system in the 21st century was the quarantine measures of the COVID-19 pandemic, which directly affected the education of more than 220 million students in the world (UNESCO, 2021). Thus, the purpose of the study is to assess the level of education of the graduates of higher education in Great Britain from May - November 2021 during quarantine measures. The achievement of the set goal was implemented through a survey of 1157 students from various higher education institutions in Great Britain, which was conducted in May and November 2021. This made it possible to identify certain regularities and trends in the adaptation of the English system of higher education to new conditions of the study. Thus, self-study and distance learning under the supervision of teachers became the determining method of education, which in percentage terms reached 55%, and at the same time, the level of group work in studying previously presented lecture material decreased by 36% (from 76% to 40%) due to technical difficulties and physical stay students in different parts of the country. However, the overwhelming majority of students remained motivated to study and showed adaptation to the new online educational environment. Overall, the study highlights the importance of developing and supporting distance learning in the future, which can become an additional tool to ensure access to education worldwide.

Why isn’t the addressing of intersectional discrimination and disadvantage a key leadership priority in English schools?

This paper explores current accountability mechanisms for the leadership of equality, equity, diversity and inclusion in addressing intersectional discrimination faced by pupils in English schools. I draw on the work of Kimberlé Crenshaw and Patricia Hill Collins in the critical framing of intersectional discrimination and the work of UK-based academics, notably David Gillborn, in examining the impact of intersectional discrimination on pupils in the English education system. I argue that an intersectional approach can deepen understanding and acknowledge the complexities of human identity and therefore offer more sophisticated support systems for pupils. The dangers of diluting the recognition of the impact of singular, shared identity attributes are considered in the context of power hierarchies at the points of intersection and balanced against the recognition that a focus on single characteristics and a totalising view of identity may reduce understanding which can then limit equity action for equality.

The policy and practice of mathematics mastery: The effects of neoliberalism and neoconservatism on curriculum reform

AbstractThis paper explores how the twin processes of neoliberalism and neoconservatism work together on, and through, curricula and their associated pedagogies. It bridges the gap between policy and classroom practice, focusing on the particular example of the school subject of mathematics and the notion of mastery, operationalised in the English education system as Teaching for Mastery (TfM). From this context, it develops a theoretical argument using Dean's analytics of government as part of a broader Foucauldian frame, to analyse how TfM is constructed as a particular policy truth. It then shifts the analysis from a wide, social one to the individual classroom level using a psychological argument to critique TfM in its own terms, examining the onto‐epistemological nature of mathematics as a subject. In doing so, it explores ways in which mastery might be problematic in classrooms, even whilst appearing to offer a solution at policy level to long‐standing problems in English schooling. The aim is not to suggest that TfM has nothing to offer, but to point to ways in which it draws on the psychology of teaching and learning in a very particular manner, inscribing pupils with very specific mathematical subjectivities. By providing this insight into how neoliberal policy positions play out at practitioner level via curricula and pedagogies, the paper raises questions which are philosophical, political, and ethical, regarding the potential effect of TfM on teachers' and pupils' experiences of mathematics in schools, including implications for equity of this experience amongst the latter.

Research and Application of College English Education System Based on Speech Recognition Technology

In the reform and development of modern education, college English education, as an important discipline to cultivate talents, has many problems in practical education management, such as too much knowledge of specialized courses, too tedious homework, not enough time for independent learning and so on. According to the accumulated experience of college English education in recent years, how to create a high-quality teaching environment for college students, so that they can independently learn English knowledge at any time and any place to exercise their English expression ability, is the main problem of English education innovation in the new era. On the basis of understanding the composition of college English education system, this paper proposes to use speech recognition technology to set up a spoken English learning system, the purpose of which is to improve students' college English learning level and strengthen their ability to express themselves.

Research and Application of College English Education System Based on Speech Recognition Technology

In the reform and development of modern education, college English education, as an important discipline to cultivate talents, has many problems in practical education management, such as too much knowledge of specialized courses, too tedious homework, not enough time for independent learning and so on. According to the accumulated experience of college English education in recent years, how to create a high-quality teaching environment for college students, so that they can independently learn English knowledge at any time and any place to exercise their English expression ability, is the main problem of English education innovation in the new era. On the basis of understanding the composition of college English education system, this paper proposes to use speech recognition technology to set up a spoken English learning system, the purpose of which is to improve students' college English learning level and strengthen their ability to express themselves.

Research on College Students' Classroom Learning Based on Informatization to Promote English Education System in China

Research on College Students' Classroom Learning Based on Informatization to Promote English Education System in China

A Narrative Inquiry of Transnational Language Teachers’ Professional Identity Construction

ABSTRACT This study explores the professional identity construction of two transnational Chinese language teachers against a backdrop where multilingual and dynamic turns in language teaching and learning are taking place globally. Combining the complex dynamic system theory perspective with the multifaceted nature of language learning and teaching framework, and by adopting multiple sources of narrative data, it was found that both participants faced a downgrade in their professional identity due to the overpowering influence of English globally and locally, and the unequal transformation of cultural capital from the Chinese educational system to the English educational system also caused such a downgrade; the vulnerable identity of an ESL learner remained the most prominent aspect of their multifaceted teacher identity. As their English improved, they also made improvement in their career development, and it was the high-quality translanguaging practices enabled by the emergence of multilingual identities that empowered them to improve in their professions. The article ends with a call for actions to legitimize transnational language teachers’ professional identity from a translanguaging perspective and to build a balanced sustainable language ecology.

Application of Mobile Learning in Higher English Education Systems Using Cognitive Web Services

Students choose from various learning pathways and resources while using mobile learning, which creates a universal learning environment. Machine learning techniques developed to handle AI-related challenges are known as cognitive web services. Adaptive education methods and good knowledge path design can help achieve the goal of studying whenever. In addition, mobile learning devices' display capabilities are becoming a critical determinant of students' attention and time to proficiency. Getting the necessary mobile learning components is now a hot issue. Current mobile learning environments do not include cognitive learning services to be self-adaptive to improvise the standard of the intended service. Student Performance ratio 92.11%, Students' efficiency ratio 89.9, Professional teaching ratio 95.23%, Error rate 43.86%, English learning ratio 93.32%, Interactive ratio 92.5% and Learning flexibility ratio 94.86% are obtained as the experimental results for the suggested method, which proves that the system is more efficient.

Ideological and political study of college English courses under the guidance of ecological linguistics

With the development of The Times, the new curriculum reform is gradually promoted. Ideological and political course has become the key teaching goal in the current university curriculum, and also the teaching focus of the reform and innovation of the university curriculum system. As a public compulsory course for college students, college English course involves a large number of students and a long class hours. It is one of the main courses of development courses and ideological and political education. Ecological linguistics emphasizes the connection and connection between language and ecological environment, which has attracted the attention of the education industry in recent decades. As a language course, college English can be organically combined with ecological linguistics. Because language and its environment will interact, and language is the basis of social and cultural inheritance. Therefore, in order to improve the teaching level of college English, it is necessary to perfectly integrate ecological linguistics with ideological and politics of the course. However, in the current ideological and political teaching objectives of university courses, the integration of ecological linguistics has not been valued. According to the current background and the current classroom teaching mode of college English, this paper discusses the strategy of improving the ideological and political education level of college English courses under the guidance of ecological linguistics, in order to improve the current college English education system in China.