Groups Of Pupils Research Articles

Eye-Gaze Training Does Not Impact Performance on a Nonverbal Test of Reading Abilities for Children with Special Educational Needs

AbstractMany individuals in special education have difficulty with language, and little is known about their reading abilities due to challenges presented for assessment. A nonverbal word recognition test based was developed by Measuring the word recognition abilities of children who are (2019), which proved more sensitive than traditional reading tests. The current Experiment 1 replicated that result for children in special education, and noted that the modified reading test was especially sensitive for those who do not score well in traditional versions of reading and language assessments. However, removing the motor response required by the digitised response, in favour of using eye-tracking responses, did not aid assessment of reading performance. Experiment 2 tested the notion that it could be that participants unfamiliar with use of eye gaze tracking facilities may not respond well to such a test. Reading scores for two groups of pupils in special education were compared: a group who took part in ‘primer activities’ designed to encourage familiarity with eye gaze tracking, and a group who received no such intervention. There was no impact of eye gaze training on the results of the eye-gaze modulated modified nonverbal reading test, suggesting that manual responses are the most effective way of assessing word recognition.

THE EFFECT OF THE BYOD MODEL IN COMPARISON WITH THE TRADITIONAL USE OF ICT IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS

It is often today claimed in the media and literature that we are in a time of tremendous technological growth, with everything in society being modernised and the dominance of digital technologies on the horizon. In contrast, digital technologies can result in changes in society and greatly affect interpersonal relationships and communication between people. Digital technologies affect all generations, and especially children in primary school. It seems that the use of these devices in education could be beneficial for both parties, schools and pupils. Thanks to their flexibility there is the possibility of using different didactic approaches that directly respond to the specific learning styles and diverse needs of pupils, from the slowest to the most gifted. The aim of this paper is to describe the effect of the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) model in comparison to the traditional concept of digital technology in the higher primary school classroom. The aim of the research was to compare the effect of the BYOD model on teaching compared to the traditional use of digital technology using a questionnaire and a didactic test. The research was conducted in Czech Republic and utilized pupils smartphones and Ipads. For this finding, thematically identical teaching units were designed and implemented for two groups of pupils. The two experimental groups differed from each other only in the way they used digital technologies. This experiment was conducted in the context of teaching two tribal classes of children 11-12 years old. A total of 42 children participated in the research, of which 18 formed the research group and 24 formed the control group. The design of the thematic units was oriented to one of the modules of the computer science subject. Specifically, the lessons focused on hardware and software. The Nearpod web application was chosen for the BYOD model intervention in teaching, mainly because of its availability, accessibility and ease of orientation in the application. The research results suggest that the BYOD model may not always be effective; however, factors that caused or otherwise influenced this are discussed.

Promoting social-inclusion: Adapting and refining a school participation and connectedness intervention for neurodiverse children in UK primary schools

BackgroundEducation systems on an international basis have experienced an increase of neurodiverse students in mainstream schools. Such students can experience a deficit in school connectedness which restricts inclusive participation. In My Shoes is an intervention programme developed in Australia to support the inclusion of pupils with autism in primary school settings. This study aimed to adapt this programme for delivery in UK primary schools and widen it to encompass all neurodiverse pupils. MethodsFocus groups of key stakeholders (Pupils, Parents, Teachers and Senior Leaders) explored and shared perspectives on the In My Shoes programme with regard to adapting and refining it for delivery in UK primary schools. Focus group data were analysed using a thematic approach. ResultsFive themes emerged from the data focusing upon materials, curriculum, context, duration, and whole-school approach. Linking the intervention to the PSHE curriculum for delivery was a key finding. ConclusionsAll key stakeholder groups found the programme beneficial to school connectedness and participation. They contributed to adaptations necessary to widen intervention to encompass all neurodiverse children and for deployment in UK primary schools. The biggest endorsement came from the pupil groups that were most enthusiastic about the intervention, who demonstrated an understanding and a relation to the concepts of the programme. Following revisions to the materials and adaptations suggested by stakeholders, a small feasibility study will be conducted with neurodiverse pupils and their typically developing peers across mainstream year 4 and year 5 classrooms (age 8-10 year olds) in the UK.

SOCIOLINGUISTIC PROFILE RESEARCH PAPER

This research paper explores the sociolinguistic profiles of learners in a sixth-grade classroom, focusing on the intersections between language, society, and individual characteristics. The study investigates the linguistic diversity within a group of Uzbek and Russian pupils learning English as a foreign language, highlighting the role of factors such as language background, socioeconomic status, and cultural identity in shaping their learning experiences. Two distinct learner subgroups are identified: one group of bilingual Russian-speaking students from urban, educated backgrounds, and another group of Uzbek-speaking students from monolingual, low socioeconomic backgrounds. Through analysis of these subgroups, the paper examines the influence of sociocultural dynamics on language learning behaviors and challenges. The study provides pedagogical and assessment implications, aiming to offer educators insights into adapting instructional techniques to accommodate the diverse needs and backgrounds of their students. By addressing these sociolinguistic dimensions, this paper contributes to understanding how language variety and social context affect language education and the notion of pedagogical implications and assessment implications are discussed.

På vei mot et flerspråklig skolebibliotek

Towards a Multilingual School Library The new curriculum for primary schools in Norway underlines that knowledge of several languages is a resource both in school and society, and that the pupils should experience this through their education. In this article we investigate the school library as a multilingual arena, based on a study with a linguistically and culturally diverse pupil group. The material contains observation data from library activities, such as book talks and reading aloud, a semi-structured interview with the school librarian, and photo documentation of the school library room. We base the analysis on an overall perspective on the school library as a schoolscape (Brown). Hence we are interested in the linguistic-visual interior of the school library, as well as the literary and pedagogical activities that take place there. The article investigates how language diversity emerges both in the school library’s semiotic landscape and in various reading activities. Overall, the analysis shows that linguistic diversity appears to be valued on a general level, but that the specific languages of the pupil and teacher groups are represented to a lesser degree in the schoolscape. The analysis also identifies a number of framework factors, including at system levels, such as access to multilingual literature, which clearly hinder the school librarian’s work in developing the library’s multilingual collection.

Salgo de casa? Salgo a casa? Salgo la casa? Analysis of the crosslinguistic influence on preposition use in motion verb constructions by multilingual German learners of Spanish

The use of prepositions is one of the most difficult grammar topics for Spanish learners. The high frequency prepositions ‘a’ (‘to, at, on’), ‘de’ (‘from, of’) and ‘en’ (‘in, on, into’) are often confused or omitted, especially in motion verb constructions (e.g., Campillos Llanos, 2014). This can be due to their polysemous character and the low salience. In addition, crosslinguistic influence (Jarvis and Pavlenko, 2008) from the first language as well as additional acquired foreign language(s) play a significant role.In order to analyse the complexity of interlanguage phenomena in the construction [motion verb + a/de/en + noun] to improve acquisition in Spanish classes, it is necessary to study authentic learner data. In this paper, I will discuss the results of an explorative pilot study on crosslinguistic influence carried out at a German grammar school in the federal state Baden-Württemberg in order to find out after which verbs of motion these prepositions are omitted or confused, how often this occurs, and which languages might influence it. The results of two groups of pupils at beginner level with the mean age of 14,03 are compared: The first group (n = 21) learns Spanish as the third foreign language, in addition to English and French, while the second group (n = 16) learns Spanish as the second foreign language after English. Both groups learn the named foreign languages in an instructed setting at school.The pilot study reveals that the prepositions ‘a’ and ‘de’ are much more often confused or omitted in the construction types [llegar/volver/venir + a + noun] (‘arrive/come back/come + to/in + noun’) and [salir/ir + de + noun] (‘leave/go + noun’) compared to [ir + a + noun] (‘go to + noun’). A possible explanation is positive and negative intra- and interlingual transfer of equivalent constructions from different languages. These results form a hypothesis basis that a systematic application of Pedagogical Construction Grammar (Boas, 2022; De Knop and Gilquin, 2016) and multilingual didactics (Fäcke and Meiβner, 2019; García et al., 2020) in Spanish classes to teach these polysemous prepositions could probably be helpful to avoid errors.

ВПЛИВ ІННОВАЦІЙНИХ ПІДХОДІВ НА ФІЗИЧНИЙ РОЗВИТОК ШКОЛЯРІВ З ВАДАМИ СЛУХУ В ПРОЦЕСІ АДАПТИВНОГО ФІЗИЧНОГОВИХОВАННЯ

Introduction. Correcting the physical development of students with hearing impairments requires an individual approach and the use of specialized methods and tools. Each student with hearing loss may have unique needs and capabilities. Therefore, it is important to create individualized physical education programs that take into account the specific limitations and capabilities of each student. It is important to develop and implement innovative approaches for children with hearing impairments that would have an impact on the physical development of schoolchildren along with the correctional and health-improving orientation of the entire process of adaptive physical education. The purpose of the study is to substantiate and implement an innovative methodology of adaptive physical culture for the correction of physical development of children with hearing impairments in the process of adaptive physical education. Research methods: theoretical analysis and generalisation of scientific literature data, sociological research methods, somatometric and physiometric research methods, methods of mathematical statistics. Results. The developed algorithm consisted of comparing two groups of 15-year- old schoolchildren with hearing impairment (boys (n=14), girls (n=12)) (control and experimental groups). Difference of content of classes in two groups of pupils was in means and methodical approaches to solution of correctional tasks in the process of physical education. In the first group, all training sessions were conducted in accordance with the physical education programme. In the second group, the methodology of correction of physical development included the following forms of training: exercises of different structure and focus to improve physical development indicators; increasing the level of functional capabilities of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems; balancing the psycho-emotional state (correctional games, tourist training skills, various types of health and recreational physical activity, improving the development of fine motor skills, exercises aimed at correcting and lagging behind in physical development), as well as an innovative program developed taking into account the needs and capabilities of children with hearing impairments. The innovative programme contained interactive exercises, included video tutorials with subtitles, games and tasks that can stimulate physical development, coordination and joint interaction.Conclusions. As a result, the implementation of the proposed methodology is confirmed by positive changes in the level of physical activity, improvement of general health and correction of physical development in the process of adaptive physical education of schoolchildren with hearing impairments.

Effect of Fishbowl Technique on Pupils' Literary Awareness

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of Fishbowl Technique on EFL Iraqi preparatory pupils’ literary awareness. This study hypothesizes that there is no significant difference in the level of literary awareness between the experimental and control groups. The study uses a Non-Randomized Experimental Group Design and includes a sample of 60 students from the fifth scientific stage at Al-Hikma School for Girls in Al-Alam town in Saladdin, Iraq. Thirty students are in the experimental group Section A and thirty students are in the control group Section B. The study took place over a two-month period, with the researcher instructing two groups of pupils during the academic year 2024-2023. Various statistical methods, including weighted mean and percentile mean, were utilized to assess the pupils' awareness. The analysis of the data showed that teaching pupils using the Fishbowl technique was effective in improving their literary awareness. The findings led to conclusions, recommendations, and suggestions for future research.

Praxeological tales as an innovative media product for fostering successful personalities in primary school pupils

This study aims to substantiate the technology of forming a successful personality in primary school pupils through implementing media education, focusing on using praxeological tales. The research methods include theoretical analysis of literary sources, modelling, and empirical techniques such as observation, questionnaires, surveys, and experiments. The results show that praxeological tales, which reflect the basic rules and factors of achieving success, can be an effective, innovative media product in shaping successful pupils. The proposed technology model incorporates praxeological tales and other media education tools and techniques. An experimental study involving control and experimental groups of primary school pupils demonstrated that the percentage of children with a high level of successful personality development increased from 9.6% to 23.1% in the experimental groups. In contrast, the percentage of low levels decreased from 42.3% to 20.2%. The findings suggest that forming successful personalities in primary school through media education using praxeological tales can help increase pupils' media literacy, develop key life competencies, and prepare children for future self-realisation.

Tanodás és nem tanodás gyerekek szociális kompetenciáinak összevetése kérdőíves, megfigyeléses és narratív módszertannal

In school settings, there are often not enough opportunities to develop children's social competencies besides developing their cognitive abilities. But there is a need for this kind of support, especially in disadvantaged areas and for minority children. Study-hall programs function to compensate for this deficiency. We compared matched groups of primary school pupils in two municipalities in the Northern part of Hungary. One group participated in a study hall program, while the other did not. We measured social competencies. Impulsivity and aggression were measured with questionnaires, while communication and future vision were approached qualitatively. Children attending Study-hall programs like to go there, and most of them listed playing activities among the best programs. Our results show that children from the study hall program have better communication skills and a more realistic vision of the future, and based on their self-report, they feel more like they belong to the majority society than their peers from the school without a study hall program. We conclude that study halls can mitigate disadvantages coming from low socio-economic status.

Improving Critical Thinking by Using Technology in the Learning Process

Improving Critical Thinking by Using Technology in the Learning Process

Indicators of health groups of pupils of general education organizations of the Russian Ministry of Defense (2010–2022)

BACKGROUND: Currently, there are 33 educational organizations of the Russian Ministry of Defense in Russia with a total staff of about 18 thousand students studying around the clock
 AIM: to assess the dynamics of the health status of students in educational institutions of the Russian Ministry of Defense for 12 years from 2010/2011 to 2021/2022 academic year.
 MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied reports on Form 13К/МЕД, prepared by employees of educational organizations of the Russian Ministry of Defense, and calculated the dynamics of the level of assessments of the health status of students. The article presents arithmetic averages and their errors; the development of health groups was assessed using time series analysis, for which a second-order polynomial series was used.
 RESULTS: In general educational institutions, there were 25.3 ± 0.9% of pupils with health group I, 60.7 ± 0.6% with group II, and 14.0 ± 1.2% with group III. In recent years, there has been a tendency to increase the number of pupils with health groups I and II and decrease with group III. These results indicated a properly organized educational process and optimization of medical support for students. The most positive dynamics of health status were observed in pupils aged 10–12 years, less pronounced — in pupils aged 16–18 years.
 CONCLUSIONS: In some educational organizations of the Russian Ministry of Defense during the period studied, there were not entirely favorable trends in the organization of medical support for students, which aims at more personalized work with students.

Facilitating agency in Norwegian pupils struggling to stay in school—An alternative approach to emancipatory education

In this article we discuss a Norwegian alternative educational program which aids pupils struggling to stay in school. The practice displays an unconventional but promising approach to emancipatory education by facilitating agency in struggling pupils. We begin by providing some context on the Norwegian educational system and the Nordic model of education. Thereafter, we clarify our perception of educational equality and its underlying conditions. We then apply the chordal triad of agency as a heuristic framework for the qualitative analysis of our data material, consisting of three individual interviews, a focus group interview (N=6) and a guided tour at the location of the educational practice. The gathered testimonies suggest great potential in the program's ability at facilitating agency in at-risk pupils aged 9–16, thereby reducing chances of school dropout and social exclusion. Based on respondents' reflections, we conclude with some discussion comparing the studied practice to the formal Norwegian education system and its shortcomings in accommodating for certain pupil groups struggling to adapt to traditional schooling.

Effectiveness of Physical Activities in Students’ Mental Health at Elementary Level

This study investigates the effectiveness of physical activities in improving the mental health of elementary students. Preliminary analysis reveals a significant positive correlation between participation in physical activities and various indicators of mental health, including self-esteem, emotional regulation, and social competence. Certain types of activities, such as team sports and outdoor play, appear particularly beneficial. The study underscores the importance of integrating physical activities into the school curriculum to support the overall well-being and academic success of elementary students. The research was exclusively of a quantitative type. The association between students' physical activity levels and their mental health at a particular moment in time was investigated using a correlation research methodology. The elementary school children enrolled in public schools in District Layyah made up the study's population. There were 37,820 kids in the target population overall, comprising students in Grades 6, 7, and 8. There were 37820 people in total, and 380 pupils were chosen at random to make up the sample. Indicators of mental health and levels of physical activity were measured using a survey questionnaire. Structured questionnaires were used to gather data from the chosen group of primary school pupils. Using the proper statistical techniques, such as inferential and descriptive statistics, the collected data was examined. The data were summarized using descriptive statistics including mean, standard deviation, and frequency distributions. Inferential statistics, such as correlation analysis, were used to investigate the connections between primary school kids' levels of physical exercise and their mental health outcomes. All statistical tests were conducted with a significance threshold of p < 0.05. To make it easier to grasp and analyze the results, the data analysis results were presented as tables and figures. Based on the findings, the research questions were answered and conclusions were made. This study is important because it offers guidance on how parents, legislators, and educators can help their children engage in physical activity. Evidence-based guidelines, treatments, and policies aimed at improving mental and physical well-being can be informed by the results.

Judging a book by its cover? Investigating pre-service teacher's stereotypes towards pupils with special educational needs

Stereotypes about pupils with special educational needs are prevalent both in society and among pre- and in-service teachers. However, little is known about the specific stereotypes pre-service teachers associate with autistic pupils, pupils with Down syndrome, and pupils with dyslexia. We explored these in two studies. Study 1 (N=13) involved qualitative interviews to identify potential stereotype content. Study 2 (N=213) used these findings to create a questionnaire to quantify these stereotypes. We found distinct stereotypes associated with all three groups of pupils. For successful inclusion, teachers must recognize the uniqueness of each pupil, including those with different diagnoses.

Changes in Somatic Indicators, Body Posture and Health-Oriented Fitness among Younger School-Age Female Pupils

Background and Aim of Study: Currently, we are observing a worsening trend in the field of health-oriented fitness and postural health of the school population. The aim of the research was to compare and expand knowledge in the areas of monitoring somatic changes, indicators of health-oriented fitness, motor performance, and body posture among 10-year-old female school populations. Material and Methods: The sample consisted of ????n=292 female pupils, with n=150 from 2012 and n=142 from 2022 at the elementary school in Žilina (ZA), Slovakia. An ex post facto study was applied. Standardized methods of measurement and testing applicable for school practice were used to obtain data. Differences between groups of female pupils were examined using the Kruskal-Wallis H-test and the Mann-Whitney U-test. To determine the effect size and measure the difference in average values, Cohen's d and r were used. The differences found were evaluated at the (p<0.05) level of statistical significance. Results: When comparing the average body weight of female pupils from ZA in 2012 and 2022, we found a significant difference (p<0.05) (H=4.87, p=0.02733) in favor of female pupils from 2012. The same finding in favor of female pupils from 2012 was recorded when comparing the average body mass index (BMI) (H=4.8182, p=0.02816), as well as in evaluating the average health-oriented fitness using the Ruffier test (H=13.1965, p=0.00028). The Beep test was also used to evaluate the endurance abilities of female pupils, where current ZA female pupils in 2022 showed significantly worse results (H=5.752, p=0.01647). Similarly, we also observed significant (p<0.05) worse findings in overall body posture among female pupils from ZA in 2022. Conclusion: On the basis of our findings, we consider the current state of body weight, posture, health-oriented physical fitness and endurance skills in younger school-aged girls to be unsatisfactory and health-threatening. It is necessary to further deal with the stated facts and look for preventive measures. These findings indicate a declining and deteriorating trend in health-oriented fitness in relation to body weight, body posture, and endurance abilities.

Multimodal classroom interaction analysis using video-based methods of the pedagogical tactic of (un)grouping

ABSTRACT Grouping of people and/or things in school can involve challenging pedagogical problems and is a recurrent issue in research literature. Grouping of pupils sometimes aids learning, but detailed video-based analysis of how teachers (and pupils) group or ungroup (termed ‘(un)grouping’) in classrooms is rare. This multimodal classroom interaction analysis study builds on previous work by exploring how the Pedagogy Analysis Framework can help untangle complicated classroom interactions involving (un)grouping and identifies sixteen types of (un)grouping. The sample size is one class of thirty pupils (10-year-olds), their class teacher, and teaching assistant. Four research methods were used (lesson video analysis, teacher verbal protocols, pupil group verbal protocols, and individual teacher interviews). Six hours of data were video recorded (managed using NVivo). Data were analysed by two educational researchers, the class teacher, and two groups of pupils (three girls and three boys). The methodology is Straussian Grounded Theory. Data were recorded in 2019. We present how often participants (un)grouped during a lesson. We propose and use a grounded theory for (un)grouping which we call the ‘Exclusion, Segregation, Integration, and Inclusion (ESII) model’. Additionally, we discuss how misinformation and disinformation can complicate analysis of (un)grouping and examine different perspectives on (un)grouping.

The impact of a school ability banding system on white, working-class males

As part of a wider study into the educational attitudes and experiences of white, working-class male pupils in the north of England, this paper explored the ways that male pupils in years 10 and 11 navigated and experienced the six-level (A-F) academic banding system present in their British mainstream secondary school (Ayrefield Community school – ACS). Following an initial four-week period of both covert and overt observations (including guided conversations), three distinct groups of male pupils emerged. Influenced in part by Paul Willis’ seminal study (1977) of males in a working-class school environment, these three ‘lads’ groups were representative of pupils in the top, middle, and bottom academic bands and were subsequently named Performers, Participants and Problematics respectively by the researcher. Following this initial phase of observations, a total of 74 male pupils from these top (n = 29), middle (n = 26) and lower (n = 19) academic bands were specifically selected to take part in a total of 14 group interviews with the aim being to explore the lads’ experiences of, and attitudes towards, being taught in academic bands, as well as their views on education and qualifications more generally. Passages from these group interviews are combined with guided conversation responses to make up the findings presented in this paper which are then explored and explained using some key concepts from Norbert Elias’s field of figurational sociology alongside key academic literature linked to the use of academic banding in schools. The paper suggests that despite the fact that all male pupils at ACS were exposed to very similar working-class upbringings and social pressures as part of their wider social figuartions, members of each of the three lads’ groups became part of, and were subsequently influenced by, the specific, school-based figuartions that emerged as a result of their allocation to their respective academic group. Influenced by the increasingly diverse and complex social relations within these school-based figuartions, the lads from the three different groups seemed set to achieve relative ‘success’ at school, albeit on route to different destinations, for different reasons, and towards quite starkly different end goals – all whilst still being very much aware of, and influenced by, the wider social figuration of which they were inextricably a part.

Editorial

Editorial

СРАВНИТЕЛЬНАЯ ОЦЕНКА ПРОДУКЦИИ ТИРЕОТРОПНОГО ГОРМОНА, КОРТИЗОЛА И СЕРОТОНИНА КАК МАРКЕРОВ НЕЙРОЭНДОКРИННОЙ РЕГУЛЯЦИИ ПРОЦЕССОВ АДАПТАЦИИ К ОСОБЕННОСТЯМ УЧЕБНОГО ПРОЦЕССА У МАЛЬЧИКОВ – ШКОЛЬНИКОВ РАЗЛИЧНЫХ ВОЗРАСТНЫХ ГРУПП

School education is associated with the development of intellectual, neuropsychic and physical overstrain in schoolchildren, which causes the formation of the complex of adaptive reactions to changed environmental conditions. The purpose of the research was to perform a comparative assessment of the levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone, cortisol and serotonin in male schoolchildren (pupils of the Russian second pillar educational institutions) with different physical activity intensity. Materials and methods used: a single-center one-stage study with control groups was conducted in March-April 2019. The observation groups consisted of 173 boys from the secondary cadet school whose education was characterized by a prolonged and more frequent physical activity; the control groups consisted of boys from the standard secondary general education school. The four observation groups and the four corresponding control groups were formed according to the age, as follows: groups marked “1” were formed from the first-grade students solely; groups “2” - from second to fourth grades students; groups “3” - from sixth to seventh grades students; and groups “4” - from students of the nineth to eleventh grades. The levels of cortisol, serotonin (5-HT) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) were determined by enzyme immunoassay. Results: the average serum serotonin level in male schoolchildren from the observation groups of 6th to 7th and 9th to 11th grades students was significantly (p=0.002 to 0.003) - up to 1.6 times - higher than the average 5-HT level in children from the corresponding control groups; the average cortisol level in all schoolboys from cadet school was significantly (p=0.023 to 0.050) lower - by up to 1.3 times - than the values obtained in control groups (i.e. standard secondary school students); and the blood TSH levels were significantly (p=0.036 to 0.050) - about 2 times - lower in all observation groups vs. the control groups of pupils. Conclusion: the obtained results allow formulating a hypothesis of schoolboys with higher physical activity levels in transitional (7 years old) and pre-puberty ages (11 to 12 years old) within intensive adaptation processes to schooling activities having imbalance in glucocorticoid and serotonergic regulation.