English Primary Schools Research Articles

An augmented reality-based system with sound effects for teaching english in primary school

An augmented reality-based system with sound effects for teaching english in primary school

Reconciling the Divides: A Dynamic Integrative Analysis of Variability and Commonality in (Pre)primary School English Development in Switzerland

The main goal of this paper is to suggest a combination of data analyses – notably generalized additive models, time-series clustering methodology, visual methods for significance testing and qualitative analyses – that relate to Complex Dynamic Systems Theory (CDST). To this end, we report on findings from a larger project conducted in a bilingual (pre)primary school in Switzerland, aiming to elucidate the complex ways that L2 English development emerges over time in 45 children who received German/English bilingual instruction over a period of eight years (age 5-12) in combination with emerging extracurricular exposure to English. The results reveal that increased extracurricular activities in English are particularly noticeable during periods of rapid development, but the effects seem temporally limited to the end stages of testing and strongly hinge on the cluster in question (i.e., learners with trajectorial similarities). We relate the findings to the “authenticity gap” between English inside and outside of school, as clusters who perceive a discrepancy between in- and out-of-school encounters with English also show rapid development that is characterized by increased English exposure during extracurricular activities. Methodological implications of adopting non-linear models, which can model complex dynamic relationships in order to better reconcile generalizability, variability, and individuality, are discussed.

A Pragmatic Study on Primary School English Textbooks in Mainland China

English pragmatic competence in primary schools of mainland China has received increasing attention and the related issues have become popular research topics, but most former studies are limited to classroom teaching and particularly few on English textbooks of primary school. This study makes a pragmatic evaluation on the current primary school English textbooks in mainland China by taking a set of popular textbooks as an example. Adopting Cooperative Principle as theoretical frame, it mainly investigates and analyzes the conversational interactions in the textbooks, and the statistics shows that the textbooks generally conform to Grice’s “idealized communication model”, but there still exist many “odd” utterances which violate the maxims of Cooperative Principle, especially the Q-maxim and the M-maxim, while do not produce any conversational implicature in Grice’s sense. It thus concludes the pragmatic features of the textbook as “low naturalness”, “singularity in type” and “weak culturality”. This study is expected to act as a move for further research in this domain and a call on further improving the pragmaticity of primary school English textbooks in mainland China.

The Effect of Using the Flipped Learning Strategy on Developing Primary Stage Fourth Graders' English Comprehension Skills in Kuwait

This paper focuses on investigating the flipped learning strategy’s effect on developing reading comprehension skills in English among 4thgrade primary pupils in the Kuwaiti capital schools. To achieve the study’s objective, the researcher redesigned 9 reading comprehension lessons from the 4th grade EFL textbook. The researcher used the quasi-experimental approach with an experimental and a control group to measure the effect of the flipped learning strategy on pupils’ achievement in English reading comprehension. To calculate the effect, a post-achievement test was used, and the study sample was intentionally selected. This is consisted of 50 male and female pupils from the basic stage. The data were analyzed statistically, and the results revealed statistically significant differences in favor of the experimental group. Based on the obtained results, the researcher recommended applying the flipped learning strategy in teaching English and related subjects in primary schools in Kuwait and holding training courses for English language teachers to design lessons that align with flipped learning. Further research can address the effect of AI tools in improving reading comprehension.

Impact of special educational needs provision on hospital utilisation, school attainment and absences for children in English primary schools stratified by gestational age at birth: A target trial emulation study protocol.

One third of children in English primary schools have additional learning support called special educational needs (SEN) provision, but children born preterm are more likely to have SEN than those born at term. We aim to assess the impact of SEN provision on health and education outcomes in children grouped by gestational age at birth. We will analyse linked administrative data for England using the Education and Child Health Insights from Linked Data (ECHILD) database. A target trial emulation approach will be used to specify data extraction from ECHILD, comparisons of interest and our analysis plan. Our target population is all children enrolled in year one of state-funded primary school in England who were born in an NHS hospital in England between 2003 and 2008, grouped by gestational age at birth (extremely preterm (24-<28 weeks), very preterm (28-<32 weeks), moderately preterm (32-<34 weeks), late preterm (34-<37 weeks) and full term (37-<42 weeks). The intervention of interest will comprise categories of SEN provision (including none) during year one (age five/six). The outcomes of interest are rates of unplanned hospital utilisation, educational attainment, and absences by the end of primary school education (year six, age 11). We will triangulate results from complementary estimation methods including the naïve estimator, multivariable regression, g-formula, inverse probability weighting, inverse probability weighting with regression adjustment and instrumental variables, along with a variety for a variety of causal contrasts (average treatment effect, overall, and on the treated/not treated). We have existing research ethics approval for analyses of the ECHILD database described in this protocol. We will disseminate our findings to diverse audiences (academics, relevant government departments, service users and providers) through seminars, peer-reviewed publications, short briefing reports and infographics for non-academics (published on the study website).

An experimental comparison of additional training in phoneme awareness, letter-sound knowledge and decoding for struggling beginner readers.

Despite evidence that synthetic phonics teaching has increased reading attainments, a sizable minority of children struggle to acquire phonics skills and teachers lack clear principles for deciding what types of additional support are most beneficial. Synthetic phonics teaches children to read using a decoding strategy to translate letters into sounds and blend them (e.g., c-a-t = "k - ae - t" = "cat"). To use a decoding strategy, children require letter-sound knowledge (LSK) and the ability to blend sound units (phonological awareness; PA). Training on PA has been shown to benefit struggling beginning readers. However, teachers in English primary schools do not routinely check PA. Instead, struggling beginner readers usually receive additional LSK support. Until now, there has been no systematic comparison of the effectiveness of training on each component of the decoding process. Should additional support for struggling readers focus on improving PA, or on supplementary LSK and/or decoding instruction? We aim to increase understanding of the roles of LSK and PA in children's acquisition of phonics skills and uncover which types of additional training are most likely to be effective for struggling beginner readers. We will compare training on each of these components, using a carefully controlled experimental design. We will identify reception-age children at risk of reading difficulties (target n = 225) and randomly allocate them to either PA, LSK or decoding (DEC) training. We will test whether training type influences post-test performance on word reading and whether any effects depend on participants' pre-test PA and/or LSK. Two hundred and twenty-two participants completed the training. Planned analyses showed no effects of condition on word reading. However, exploratory analyses indicated that the advantage of trained over untrained words was significantly greater for the PA and DEC conditions. There was also a significantly greater improvement in PA for the DEC condition. Overall, our findings suggest a potential advantage of training that includes blending skills, particularly when decoding words that had been included in training. Future research is needed to develop a programme of training on blending skills combined with direct vocabulary instruction for struggling beginner readers.

A Study on the Application of Picture Book Teaching in Elementary School English Teaching

Under the influence of the double reduction policy and new curriculum standards, the total number of classes has been reduced and the language competence has been put in great emphasis, English teaching is facing new challenges. This paper uses the literature research method and survey research method, choosing some primary school English teachers as the research target, to investigate the current picture book teaching situation and existing problems, according to that, several countermeasures are given. The research results suggest that many teachers are willing to choose picture books teaching in primary school English classrooms. However, there still exist problems such as a lack of innovation ability and a lack of thinking about the content of picture books. This paper proposes some countermeasures, such as regular teacher training and exchange meetings, and timely adjustment of English teaching classroom planning.

The Impact of ChatGPT on the Interaction Between Teachers and Students in Primary and Middle School English Classes: Taking Problems-Based Learning as an Example

With the increasing science and technological development, Artificial Intelligence is used in many relevant areas in the modern epoch. In the field of education, ChatGPT has realized the combination of innovative teaching methods, such as Problem-Based Learning (PBL) teaching methods. This teaching method has changed the role of students and teachers, improved the inherent relationship between teachers and students, and made the classroom more active. The combination of ChatGPT and PBL teaching methods breaks the traditional classroom model. It integrates artificial intelligence into the PBL classroom so that the roles of teachers and students have changed and the education system is perfect. Teachers and students have richer learning resources, and the communication between teachers and students is smoother. But at the same time, there are still some problems and topics in integrating artificial intelligence and PBL education classrooms. To promote the further application of ChatGPT in PBL classrooms, people must continue to actively explore the field of education, discover coping strategies, and improve their abilities. Based on the existing research, the essay will discuss how ChatGPT affects the interaction between teachers and students in the classroom under the PBL teaching method and what problems still exist.

Exploration of Primary School English Innovative Homework Design Strategies in the Context of “Double Reduction” From a Multi-Dimensional Perspective

The General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council have issued the Opinions on Further Reducing the Burden of Homework and Off-Campus Training for Students in Compulsory Education, proposing ways to comprehensively reduce the excessive academic burden on students and make homework assignments more scientific and reasonable. Since the promulgation and implementation of the Double Reduction policy, schools and educators have been exploring new modes of homework management, so it is urgent and necessary to conduct related research. This study proposes strategies for optimizing the after-school English homework in the upper elementary grades in multiple subjects from multiple perspectives. Schools should strengthen guidance management training and clarify teachers’ responsibilities; teachers should improve their homework management skills in three aspects: awareness, homework design forms, and homework evaluation; students should improve their homework self-management awareness and ability; and parents should do a good job at home of monitoring and motivating their children.

Inclusion and exclusion of teaching assistants as members of the teaching team. Enhancing school cohesion

ABSTRACT This article explores how teaching assistants (TA) are included and excluded in English primary schools; at times integrated fully whilst at others functioning on the periphery. Through interviews and observations TAs provided examples of their inclusion and exclusion from staff meetings, training, planning and time to talk. TAs across four schools were approached and completed questionnaires. A sample of TAs was observed and interviewed, alongside interviews with line managers. Findings suggest that TA inclusion as part of the pedagogical team is improving, driven at times by TA agency, but also inhibited by the power interplay that exists in schools. It concludes that TAs should be fully involved in pedagogical process if they are expected to lead learning.

Examining the impact of a universal social and emotional learning intervention (Passport) on internalising symptoms and other outcomes among children, compared to the usual school curriculum: study protocol for a school-based cluster randomised trial

BackgroundSchool-based universal social and emotional learning (SEL) interventions implemented during the transition to adolescence may be efficacious in preventing the development of mental health difficulties. This protocol describes a two-arm parallel cluster randomised controlled trial to investigate the impact of a universal SEL intervention (Passport, compared to usual provision) on internalising symptoms (primary outcome), emotion regulation, well-being, loneliness, social support, bullying, academic attainment, and health-related quality of life in English primary school pupils aged 9–11 years. A developer-led trial demonstrated the feasibility, acceptability, and utility of Passport; this will be the first independent trial.MethodsSixty primary schools will be recruited across the Greater Manchester city region and surrounding areas, involving 2400 pupils aged 8–9 at baseline. Schools will be allocated to the intervention arm to implement Passport over 18 weekly sessions or to the control arm to implement the usual school curriculum. Random allocation will be at school level following completion of baseline measures, with minimisation to ensure balance across trial arms in school size and free school meal eligibility. Measures will be collected at baseline, post-intervention (12 months post-baseline), and at 12 months follow-up (24 months post-baseline). The primary outcome analysis (intervention effects on internalising symptoms at post-intervention) will comprise a two-level (school, child) hierarchical linear model, following the intention-to-treat principle. Additional analyses will be undertaken to assess intervention effects on secondary outcomes, maintenance effects for all outcomes, intervention compliance moderator effects, subgroup moderator effects, and mechanisms underpinning intervention effects on the primary outcome. A mixed-methods implementation and process evaluation will examine factors that influence implementation, and a health economic evaluation will assess the cost-effectiveness of the intervention.DiscussionFindings will provide educators with crucial knowledge of whether and how increasing emotion regulation through a universal intervention impacts internalising symptoms and a range of related outcomes. Findings will also inform policy related to the promotion of mental health among children and young people. If the intervention is found to be efficacious in reducing internalising symptoms and is also cost-effective, it may offer high potential as a preventative intervention for widespread implementation.Trial registrationISRCTN12875599; registered on 24 November 2022

The Research on the Present Situation and Countermeasures of Primary School English Teaching Design Under “the New Curriculum Standard”

The Research on the Present Situation and Countermeasures of Primary School English Teaching Design Under “the New Curriculum Standard”

Exploring the Organic Integration of Games and English Education in Upper Primary School

Game-based teaching is a proven teaching method, and it has received widespread attention in recent years. However, its promotion and application has not been as successful as it should be. Another major aspect here, in addition to the basic principles and game play that need to be met by game-based teaching itself, is that it is constrained by objective conditions. Based on an analysis of the current constraints on games, this study presents the ideological underpinnings of game-based teaching and proposes some specific game scenarios that are consistent with the principles of game-based teaching. These scenarios are analyzed and the necessity and correctness of implementing game-based teaching in the upper primary English classroom is concluded. The findings of the article show that the integration of games with English language education in the upper primary school is effective. The article also provides an outlook on how games can be integrated with the teaching of English in upper primary schools and looks at future trends.

The Use of Alternative Assessment (Observation) and Student Learning Outcomes In English Classrooms: How Do They Correlate?

&lt;div class="WordSection1"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Using alternative assessments such as observation is one of the various types of evaluation that teachers can apply during the learning process. Each teacher is expected to monitor students while they are studying English in primary schools. This study aims to determine whether there is a relationship between the uses of observation assessments with student learning outcomes. This research focused on 31 fourth graders enrolled in an Islamic elementary school. This research was a correlational study using the observation of evaluation of learning outcomes of alternative English topics for students. In this research, SPSS 25th Version was used to determine the validity or effect. Based on the calculation results, the r count is 0.820 according to the t table with a 5% significance criterion of 0.355; thus, Ha is allowed because r arithmetic is more significant than the r table. According to the research findings, using alternative evaluations in observation substantially give an impact for the academic results of elementary school students in English courses.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

Integrating Chinese Traditional Culture into Rural Primary School English Teaching: A Multimodal Approach

Language is the carrier of culture, and culture can be inherited and developed through language. Chinese traditional culture has profound cultural details and important educational value. Therefore, promoting the integration of Chinese traditional culture into English teaching has become a necessary trend of educational development. The combination of Chinese traditional culture education and English teaching can not only improve students’ second language learning, but also deepen their understanding of traditional culture and evoke their love for national culture. However, there is a certain lack of traditional culture education in primary school English teaching, especially in rural areas. In order to solve the phenomenon of “Chinese Cultural Aphasia” and better help students understand and learn traditional culture, teachers can realize the effective penetration of the elements of Chinese traditional culture in rural primary school English teaching based on the multimodal perspective, thus further implementing the educational concept of cultural education.

Regulating Discourse: How Children With and Without SEND Internalize the Evaluative Framework of Adults

This study presents a Bakhtinian analysis of discourse among children with Special Educational Needs and Disorders (SEND) in two elementary classrooms, delving into the complicated interaction of voices and perspectives within their communication. The research investigates how the evaluation of peers provides a contextual backdrop for the voices of children with SEND. Conducted as a longitudinal investigation in an English primary school, data were collected over a three-month period to disclose communication dynamics. Notably, the discourse analysis reveals the use of “hybrid constructions” by students, wherein they skillfully blend adult values with their own viewpoints when discussing peers, thus navigating their positioning vis-à-vis institutional norms and their peers. The central question, “Who is taking the lead in the conversation?” undrapes a rich interchange of voices within each dialog excerpt. This interaction encompasses the speaker’s own voice and resonates with reflections of institutional discourse. Importantly, the analysis elucidates how diverse pedagogic discourses contribute to shaping social relationships between teachers and students, as well as amongst the students themselves. By capturing these multifaceted interactions, this study reveals a paramount conduit through which institutional values are communicated and internalized within the discourse of children with SEND. This focused exploration contributes to a nuanced understanding of how children assimilate external voices while communicating and how they forge connections with peers facing unique learning challenges.

Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Primary School English Teaching Reform in Japan

In Japan, following several other English language education policy reforms, English language instruction was formally introduced to the elementary school curriculum as a subject in 2020. This change affects not only elementary school pupils but, perhaps more drastically, elementary school teachers, who are now required to teach English as a subject in their role as homeroom teachers. This paper reports on a study of Japanese teachers of English enrolled in in-service training workshops, and examines the degree to which the teachers feel prepared to implement the new curriculum, the challenges they may face in their classrooms, and the degree to which they feel these workshops help prepare them to implement the curriculum changes. The findings suggest that while many of the participants perceived that there was a necessity for the policy changes, they recognized how their agency may be constrained due to a variety of factors at the micro- and macro-level. A concerted effort at the level of policy planning, teacher training, and curriculum design is needed to help teachers develop their professional identities to enable the necessary changes.

Disciplinary dialogues: Exploring the association between classroom dialogue and learning outcomes within and between subjects in English primary schools

There is a large literature on the types of classroom dialogue that are theorised to be productive for learning; however, there is very little evidence for whether these forms of dialogue are more common, applicable or impactful in certain subjects. This mixed-methods study explored how dialogue unfolds in different curriculum contexts. Classroom dialogue was examined through naturalistic observations of English, mathematics and science lessons involving children aged 10–11 in primary schools in England. The Cambridge Dialogue Analysis Scheme (Vrikki, Wheatley, Howe, Hennessy, & Mercer, 2019) was used to investigate the frequency of key dialogue features in 72 lessons. Statistical analysis identified that reasoned dialogue is more frequent in mathematics and both English and mathematics have a proclivity towards more elaborated dialogue (clarifying/building on ideas) in comparison to science. Furthermore, relationships between student attainment and subject dialogues were examined in 63 lessons through multi-level modelling, revealing that elaboration of own and others' ideas (in conjunction with reference to the wider context) in English was associated with student attainment in reading and spelling, punctuation and grammar. No other significant associations between subject dialogues and student attainment emerged. The findings have highlighted that teacher professional development on dialogue should be sensitive to the disciplinary context.

Practice and Reflection on Integrated Teaching of Picture Books and Main Textbooks in Primary School English

In the teaching of English subjects in primary schools, picture books are the eyes and expansion of relatively small contents. The combination of English picture books and teaching materials can effectively innovate the teaching methods of English education, better adapt to the rules of students' language knowledge, fully stimulate students' interest in English learning, and enable students to feel the happiness brought by English learning. It plays an important role in promoting the reform of English teaching. In order to better explore the methods and strategies of integrated teaching of picture books and main textbooks in primary school English, this study will conduct in-depth and detailed analysis on the significance and existing problems of integrated teaching of picture books and main textbooks in primary school English, and explore how to effectively integrate picture books and textbooks in combination with teaching examples in primary school English. In order to promote students' language ability, thinking quality and other aspects of the core quality of English.

A Comparative Study on the Design of Reading Teaching Activities for Novice and Experienced Primary School English Teachers: Based on the “View of English Learning Activities”

From the perspective of English learning activities, based on the three dimensions of the classification framework: learning and understanding activities, application and practice activities, transfer and innovation activities, this paper compares and analyzes the design of teaching activities in reading class between a novice teacher and an experienced teacher. Based on research results, this paper puts forward the following suggestions: 1. Teachers should pay attention to different types of activities and balance the proportion of different activities. 2. Teachers should focus on the use of transfer and innovation activities, and pay attention to the cultivation of students’ thinking quality. 3. Novice teachers should learn more from experienced teachers and attach importance to the connection and progression of activities.