Classroom Ideas Research Articles

Investigation on Junior High School Extensive Reading Teaching of the Blackberry English Reading Series from the Perspective of Big Ideas

Big ideas refer to the core concepts and discourse patterns that can connect and organize fragmented knowledge. This article investigates and explores teachers’ comprehension of big ideas and the challenges for applying big ideas in second language (L2) classrooms among junior high school in Jiangsu Province. The findings are as follows: (1) Teachers mainly learn about big ideas through teaching research activities, expert lectures, and open classes, but most of them understand them at a superficial level. (2) The main influencing factors of teachers' big idea construction include insufficient teaching resources, limited time and energy, inadequate methodological guidance, and heavy teaching pressure. They expect to improve their ability to construct big ideas by receiving teaching resources, teaching methods, teaching experience, and teaching theories. (3) There are significant differences among teachers in southern Jiangsu, central Jiangsu and northern Jiangsu in terms of their cognitive level of big ideas, their ability to construct and apply big ideas. However, they all urgently need teaching cases, theoretical guidance, teaching discussions, and training. Pedagogical implications are provided for English teacher education on the construction of big ideas in L2 classrooms.

Educators’ uptake of Kress’s ideas on meaning-making and literacy: a case study from South Africa

Abstract This article is a practitioner-based account of the uptake of Kress’s ideas on literacy, literature and meaning-making in South African educational contexts, in particular, his integration of politics, semiosis and literacy. It examines the affective force of these ideas in South African classrooms in certain institutions during the immediate post-apartheid period from 1994 onwards, showing how Kress’s key concepts and principles provided a transformative theoretical framework for the work of progressive educators. A Kress-inspired framework propelled new conceptualisations of literacy and meaning-making in these classrooms and beyond – at all levels, from primary through to tertiary – and fuelled research from 1994 into the first decade of the new millennium. Given Kress’s insistence on the social, as in social semiotics, and his stress on the integration of representation, communication and situatedness, this article focuses on his ideas in context, how and why they were put to work and what their outcomes were. It is proposed that the South African case – although unique in many ways – may be relevant to postcolonial and decolonising educational contexts in the South more generally.

Educational Technology in Teaching Community: Reviewing the Dimension of Integrating Ed-Tech Tools and Ideas in Classrooms

Particularly in light of the COVID-19 epidemic, technology is a catalyst for changing teaching and learning, not just a tool for providing information. This essay aims to examine the three ways that personalization, relevance, and skill development might affect the teaching profession. This research is a qualitative research and library research. The capacity of educators to adapt learning experiences to the needs, interests, and preferences of each student is referred to as personalization. By giving users access to data, material, and the cloud, technology may enable personalization and allow teachers to track student progress, differentiate their lessons, and give feedback. Technology can enable students to take control of their education and choose their own speed and direction. Relevance is the relationship between what students are learning and their personal objectives, ambitions, and aspirations. By establishing blended learning settings that include online and offline activities, real-world challenges, and realistic assignments, technology may increase relevance. Students may engage with classmates and professionals, access materials outside of the classroom, and apply what they have learned in many circumstances with the use of technology. The development of students' skills includes preparing them for the workforce and culture of the twenty-first century. By introducing kids to contemporary technology tools and abilities including coding, programming, physical computing, and computational thinking, technology may promote skill development. Through maker education and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) education, technology can also encourage students to develop their problem-solving, critical thinking, collaborative, and creative skills.

A importância da comunicação qualificada de ideias no ensino de ciências

Science education involves several features that are beyond the so called products of science: ideas, theories, hypotheses, laws, and results. Any education that aims the full comprehension of science as a human endeavor should incorporate epistemic qualities of the nature of science in the teaching of scientific content. One strategy for promoting the transmission of these features is the formal employment of qualification of ideas through guarding terms. Here, we discuss some of the epistemic features of science and their connection to the qualification of ideas in classrooms: epistemic fallibilism, open-mindedness, and the ongoing review process. We argue that the employment of terms and sentences that better reveal the strength of the existing evidence for a given idea is able to better reflect the presence of those science features on the scientific process. The substitution of terms such as “proven” or “it was proven that” by “probable” or “evidence suggests that” are able to better describe the epistemic status of scientific ideas, which are not fixed between true or false, but contained in a complex spectrum of likelihood. Strengthening science education with emphasis on the understanding of the nature of science can help to fix modern problems, such as the increasing distrust in science and on their products, such as vaccines and pharmaceutical drugs, as well as helping to reasonably dose the strength of the belief on those ideas.

Applying big ideas to facilitate reading-writing integration in language classrooms

This article presents and discusses the pedagogical use of big ideas to facilitate reading-writing integration in second language (L2) classrooms. By conceptualizing “big ideas” as a dual-dimension notion concerning both language and content, we demonstrate how a continuous and interactive process of meaning discovery and application can be enacted through integrated reading-writing tasks. Through such a process, students are guided to comprehend, analyze, and formulate big ideas while fostering and honing their reading and writing abilities. The paper sheds light on the pedagogical power of big ideas that logically and structurally builds connectivity between different stages of reading/writing and between students’ text comprehension and language use. Practical implications are also provided to inform language teachers on the application of big ideas in L2 classrooms.

The Flipped Classroom Opportunities within The Hybrid Learning Approach in the UAE

Many higher education institutions are focusing on flipped classroom to gain the benefits that can be reaped for the institution, the students and teachers. The attractiveness of the flipped classroom is increasing, due to the Covid-19 situation and the promptly switch to the online teaching approach by many institutions. Based on the researchers' preliminary investigation, the utilization of flipped classrooms approach among educators is still not fully exploited. This initial and seed research aims to investigate students' and educators' point of view concerning the application of the flipped classroom concept. This qualitative research is based on interviews of focus groups, observations and mini structured surveys that aim to answer the main research question how the students and educator view flipped classroom. The researchers collected data from some 300 students and about ten educator form information systems and engineering disciplines. The research results reveal that students, as well as educators, are aware of flipped classrooms but more training in the tools and concepts of the flipped classroom is required. Flipped classrooms can bring enormous benefits to students, institutions and educators. The outcomes of this research work showed that students and educators prefer the flipped classroom approach in some aspects. In this paper, we provide and discuss the employment of the flipped classroom idea in a hybrid learning setting. We trust that this is an innovative learning strategy when the proper modern technology is utilized. Such as the utilization of smart gadgets to perform different tasks, like teaching, designing question bank, assessment of students, feedback…etc. We further focus on the use of information technology as well as the development of the course content. This paper provides a case study of hybrid learning flipped classroom at HCT. As the HCT is running completely hybrid in the last couple of years. As a result of this study in the United Arab Emirates, 62% of the teachers were comfortable with flipped classrooms

Dialogical teaching of research integrity: an overview of selected methods

This communication discusses the dialogical methods of teaching research integrity and ethics as a part of the positive integrity trend focused on supporting ethical behaviour. The aim of this paper is to offer a brief overview of the selected dialogical strategies based on cases that can be successfully implemented in teaching ethical research and when sharing experiences on good scientific practice. We describe such methods as: storytelling, rotatory role playing, and the fishbowl debate, along with the “Dilemma Game” tool, “ConscienceApp” performance, and a flipped classroom idea. These theoretical considerations are based on research conducted as part of a European project under the Horizon 2020 programme.

A circulação de ideias realizada por meio das atividades de divulgação científica em sala de aula: um estudo das publicações em periódicos brasileiros

Resumo: Apresentamos um mapeamento das publicações acerca da divulgação científica no período de 2008 a 2018, tendo como objetivo identificar as intencionalidades, as temáticas e os aspectos das práticas pedagógicas que impulsionam a circulação de ideias na sala de aula. A pesquisa de caráter qualitativo, do tipo Análise Documental, foi realizada em quatro fases, abarcando nove periódicos de relevância nacional. 59 artigos foram identificados e classificados em seis diferentes categorias. Entre esses, 17 constituem o corpus da pesquisa e foram submetidos à Análise de Conteúdo. Os resultados apontam que os mesmos estão relacionados à: experiências em sala de aula; interpretações e sentidos que os alunos atribuem aos Textos de Divulgação Científica (TDC); produção e avaliação de materiais didáticos; e utilização dos TDC em atividades de estágios supervisionados. Foi possível também identificar a sala de aula como um espaço favorável à circulação de ideias e que a divulgação científica pode influenciar deslocamentos de sentidos, corroborando para a possível formação de coletivos de pensamento que compartilhem de visões da ciência como uma construção coletiva. Por fim, defendemos que a divulgação científica precisa se fazer presente no espaço escolar desde a educação fundamental, nível em que ocorreu o menor número de intervenções, face ao seu potencial como interface para uma alfabetização científica. Palavras-chave: Divulgação científica. Práticas em sala de aula. Ludwik Fleck. Educação em Ciências.

Editor's Re: Marks

Editor's Re: Marks

Teaching the mathematics that teachers need to know: Classroom ideas for supporting prospective elementary teachers’ development of mathematical knowledge for teaching

The goal of this article is to articulate aspects of mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT) that should be addressed in college mathematics content courses for prospective teachers (PTs), and to make research- and practice-based recommendations of class activities, materials, and strategies in support of developing this knowledge. We describe class activities that engage PTs in problem solving as a means of making sense of the content that they will later teach and that immerse them in the mathematics practices that they will later need to foster with their own students. We also provide examples of how mathematics manipulatives, school curriculum materials, and samples of children’s thinking can be integrated as instructional tools in content courses. In developing these activities, we were guided by the research regarding the depth and breadth of knowledge required for the effective teaching of mathematics at the early childhood and upper elementary levels, and by the recommendations of professional organizations for math teacher education.

The Teacher Responding Tool: Scaffolding the teacher practice of responding to student ideas in mathematics classrooms

Research in teacher education highlights the importance of responding to student ideas. However, effectively noticing, interpreting, and then responding to students' mathematical ideas can be quite challenging for teachers as they try to balance multiple, competing goals in an authentic classroom setting. This study introduces the Teacher Responding Tool (TRT), and examines its role in scaffolding four high school teachers' responding practice. The TRT leverages natural language processing technology to provide teachers with automated, student-specific recommendations for how to respond to their student's ideas. By comparing teacher responding with and without the TRT recommendations, their interactions with the tool, their think-aloud data, and their post-project interviews, results demonstrate that the TRT recommendations helped teachers notice and respond to nuances in the mathematical ideas of their students. Implications for teaching and learning, responding tool development, and teacher professional development are discussed.

Classroom strategies and ideas

Continuing our series on supporting learners who have English as an additional language, Dr Ruth Wilson offers us some effective strategies for the secondary classroom

Negotiating Coherent Science Teacher Professional Learning Experiences Across a University and Partner School Settings

ABSTRACTThis research investigates the assumptions underlying the work of a research–practice partnership (RPP) made up of university science teacher educators and mentoring science teachers. With increased attention to what have been described as significant shifts proposed in science teaching and learning connected to recent standards documents in the United States, increased attention and possibilities exist for collaborative work with in-service mentoring teachers to not only focus on professional learning connected to these standards documents but to do so in ways that can increase the coherence between science teacher education programs and the local schools that preservice science teachers find themselves navigating as they learn to teach. Drawing on the design-based research paradigm connected to conjecture mapping, this current research articulated and tested, using qualitative methods, the design conjectures underlying mentor teachers’ experience within professional learning as part of the RPP. In the end, design conjectures that supported teachers to take on “learner hat” experiences in early stages of the RPP followed by engagement in curriculum codesign and implementation supported mentor teachers in beginning to reconceptualize visions of their teaching and learning while also appropriating and tuning high-leverage tools to support a focus on student ideas in science classrooms. Finally, issues related to the complexity of teacher education programs were identified for needed increased attention into the future.

Implementing NGSS Engineering Disciplinary Core Ideas in Middle School Science Classrooms: Results from the Field

Implementing NGSS Engineering Disciplinary Core Ideas in Middle School Science Classrooms: Results from the Field

How Does Practice-Based Teacher Preparation Influence Novices’ First-Year Instruction?

Background/Context Teacher preparation suffers from a lack of evidence that guides the design of learning experiences to produce well-prepared beginners. An increasing number of teacher educators are experimenting with practice-embedded approaches to prepare novices for ambitious instruction. This study examines the role of core instructional practices introduced during preparatory experiences in shaping novices’ first-year teaching. Research design Employing a mixed-methods approach, we compare the first-year teaching of two groups of individuals with secondary science certification, one of which comprises graduates from a practice-embedded preparation program, and the other graduates from programs that did not feature practice-embedded preparation. A total of 116 science lessons taught by 41 first-year teachers were analyzed, focusing on the quality of student opportunities to learn (OTL) observed during the lessons. Research questions This study sought answers to two research questions: 1) What are the characteristics of students’ OTL from first-year teachers, one group of whom learned a set of core instructional practices during their preparation program and the other group of whom were not exposed to core practices? 2) Who provides opportunities for students to engage in meaningful disciplinary practices as outlined in the Next Generation Science Standards, during the first year of teaching, if any? How did they create such opportunities? Findings Independent-sample t-tests showed that there are significant mean differences between the two groups (t=3.1∼8.9; p <.001), on four metrics associated with their students’ opportunities to learn. In-depth qualitative case studies reveal two ways that core practices shape instruction in new teachers’ classrooms: (a) they support novices in formulating an actionable curricular vision as advocated by the science education community, and (b) they appear to help novices notice, attend to, and build upon students’ ideas in classrooms with the use of strategies and tools recommended by the program. Conclusions/Recommendations A focus on a set of strategic and intentional practices, designed to help teachers achieve rigorous and equitable learning goals, has potential as a curricular frame for teacher preparation. But the emphasis should be placed on the vision and pedagogical goals that underlie the core practices, rather than the ungrounded use of strategies or tools themselves.

Classroom Ideas for Promoting Social Justice: Encouraging Student Activism in Intercultural and Gender Communication Courses

Classroom Ideas for Promoting Social Justice: Encouraging Student Activism in Intercultural and Gender Communication Courses

Innovation Method of Architectural Physics Teaching Based on Flipped Classroom Idea

Innovation Method of Architectural Physics Teaching Based on Flipped Classroom Idea

Creating solutions through exploration and enjoyment

Jess Clifton from LEGO Education discusses the benefits of creative and playful learning in early development, and practical classroom ideas to get children thinking about the world around them.

Teaching American Civilization Effectively: A Melange of Professional Development Procedures

In today’s technology driven-world, professional development affirms that it can open-up channels of communication, assure collegiality among peers, help gain practical classroom ideas, and result in attaining higher levels of learning among the students. A closer inspection of English as a foreign language (EFL) teaching at the University of Oran -2- reveals that such opportunities are not offered and mainly in the teaching of American civilization, which remains till present times covered in the traditional way and is described as being inadequate. This digest proposes an intervention that seeks to redress this situation through the implementation of professional development procedures within classrooms of a population of 2nd year EFL learners furthering their studies under the Licence-Master-Doctorate (LMD) system. This research work aims at proposing a teaching based on professional development strategies that may enable instructors to reflect on their own behaviours and classroom practices, as well as better detect their learners’ motivations and expectations. As a major research question, this study focuses on the effects perceived by EFL teachers when incorporating these strategies in their classrooms. To gather convenient information, a case study is carried out based on a triangular approach encompassing questionnaires, interviews, and classroom observation. Results show that the integration of these initiatives helped teachers better liaise with their learners, maintain high professional standards, and ameliorate their students’ academic deficits. Given their strengths, EFL teachers are then recommended to include these professional methods in their syllabuses and put them into action.

Teaching American Civilization Effectively: A Melange of Professional Development Procedures

In today’s technology driven-world, professional development affirms that it can open-up channels of communication, assure collegiality among peers, help gain practical classroom ideas, and result in attaining higher levels of learning among the students. A closer inspection of English as a foreign language (EFL) teaching at the University of Oran -2- reveals that such opportunities are not offered and mainly in the teaching of American civilization, which remains till present times covered in the traditional way and is described as being inadequate. This digest proposes an intervention that seeks to redress this situation through the implementation of professional development procedures within classrooms of a population of 2nd year EFL learners furthering their studies under the Licence-Master-Doctorate (LMD) system. This research work aims at proposing a teaching based on professional development strategies that may enable instructors to reflect on their own behaviours and classroom practices, as well as better detect their learners’ motivations and expectations. As a major research question, this study focuses on the effects perceived by EFL teachers when incorporating these strategies in their classrooms. To gather convenient information, a case study is carried out based on a triangular approach encompassing questionnaires, interviews, and classroom observation. Results show that the integration of these initiatives helped teachers better liaise with their learners, maintain high professional standards, and ameliorate their students’ academic deficits. Given their strengths, EFL teachers are then recommended to include these professional methods in their syllabuses and put them into action.