In-class Observations Research Articles

Turkish EFL Teachers’ Perceptions and Practices of Foreign Language Assessment in Primary Education

The present study aimed to investigate perceptions of EFL teachers working at state primary schools on core language skills, assessment types and question types used in assessing student’s foreign language development and proficiency during an academic year. Data were gathered from 56 EFL teachers working at 42 primary state schools in Turkey through a questionnaire comprising a variety of items to elicit their perceptions and applications of language assessment in the classes of 4th to 6th graders. Results obtained from frequency analyses indicated that the pen-and-paper tests, performance tasks, and in-class observation are the mostly used assessment tools, and that the selected response items are mostly employed question types in the tests, and that performance-based and communication-based assessment types are preferred more frequently than the traditional types in evaluating students’ success in learning EFL.

Enhancing Graduate Students' Ability to Conduct and Communicate Research through an Interdisciplinary Lens.

This research is a part of a longitudinal study of the Computation and Mathematics for Biological Networks (COMBINE) program at the University of Maryland. The mission of COMBINE is to train doctoral students from a wide range of fields to pursue interdisciplinary research. Here, we focus on one component of COMBINE, a semester-long course titled Data Practicum at the Intersection of the Physical, Computer, and Life Sciences. The goal of this study was to explore the effectiveness of the teaching practices that were used in the Data Practicum. We investigated their impact on graduate students’ confidence to conduct research through an interdisciplinary lens and to communicate their research to diverse audiences. We used validated pre- and post-course online surveys, in-class observations, collection of artifacts, and interviews. Interviewed students and instructors highlighted the course’s iterative process, peer review system, and unique incorporation of outside research already being conducted by students as the most impactful aspects of the course. Based on students’ reports and artifacts, the Data Practicum was successful in helping them to communicate their research visually, orally, and in text to a wide and varied audience, to critically review others’ work, inside and outside their discipline, and to develop awareness of research in other disciplines. We observed that it is possible to enhance interdisciplinary communication skills through an iterative teaching approach that gives students a chance to incorporate feedback from multiple sources. This course could serve as a model for other graduate programs wishing to increase training in interdisciplinary skills.

Research on Innovative Approaches in Aromatherapy

This research aims to discuss and study the innovative approaches in aromatherapy. The “NAHAII Advanced-Level Course in Aromatherapy” developed by the International Association of Aromatherapy was selected as the study reference for future educational and vocational training programs in aromatherapy. The authors conducted this study using innovative approaches on multiple cases, including in-class observations, interviews and analyses on related documents. The results showed that the trainees praised such curriculum highly and benefited from the approach greatly due to its practicability, asynchronous online learning, situated teaching approach, interactive forum and internship programs.

A Mixed Method Research Study on the Effectiveness of Socioscientific Issue-Based Instruction

This study was conducted to examine the efficiency of socioscientific issues-based instruction on the development of the scientific literacy levels (scientific content knowledge, science-technology-society interactions, and the nature of science) of pre-service science teachers and their conceptual perception of socioscientific issues in science teacher education. In this mixed method research study, in which convergent parallel design (QUAN+QUAL) was utilized, both quantitative and qualitative research phases were administered concurrently. The study group included a total of 82 pre-service science teachers (40 experimental and 42 control) currently enrolled as third-year students in the Department of Elementary School Science Education. A basic science and technology literacy scale was used as the quantitative data collection tool, whereas pre-service science teachers’ diaries, a focus group interview, and in-class observations were used as qualitative data collection tools. At the end of the study, it was concluded that the practices of socioscientific issues-based instruction quantitatively improved the scientific literacy level of pre-service science teachers in the experimental group. It was also found that the improvement in overall scientific literacy levels was due to an improvement in the nature of science area of scientific literacy in particular. Parallel to this finding, the pre-service science teachers made explanations in relation to the nature of science area based on the results of the qualitative phase. These explanations were made using the “changeability” sub-theme under the theme of conceptual perception of “socioscientific issues”. Thus, based on both the quantitative and qualitative findings of the study, it can be argued that socioscientific issues-based instruction can influence the improvement of pre-service science teachers’ perceptions of the nature of science. Finally, it was found that the pre-service science teachers in the experimental group had improved levels of conceptual perception of socioscientific issues. Therefore, it is believed that this approach, which places an emphasis on the social dimension of science, can contribute positively to the professional training of pre-service science teachers.

Effects of videoconference-embedded classrooms (VEC) on learners’ perceptions toward English as an international language (EIL)

AbstractDespite the accumulated body of research on teaching English as an international language (EIL), few have offered a detailed overview of how to implement an EIL classroom, and still fewer empirical studies have been conducted. Twenty-one university students at a Japanese university participated in the study in the spring semester of 2015. The videoconference-embedded classroom (VEC) as an instructional intervention was implemented for 14 weeks: (1) pre-videoconference task (i.e. reading and presenting/discussing EIL issues) (11 weeks), (2) during-videoconference task (i.e. interacting online with EIL experts from three circle countries) (2 weeks), and (3) post-videoconference task (i.e. writing/presenting the final term paper on EIL issues) (1 week). Using a mixed research method consisting of a questionnaire, post-course class evaluations in spring 2014 (without VEC) and spring 2015 (with VEC), and in-class observations, VEC was found to have important pedagogical benefits as it created an interactive learning environment and deepened the understanding of the EIL content. Additionally, 81% of the participants had positive perceptions of EIL. Pedagogically, practitioners can implement EIL ideas using VEC pedagogy at the instructional level. Theoretically, it can also add new empirical findings to the field, which may help bridge a discrepancy between theory and practice.

Comparative Study on Instructors’ and Students’ Code-Switching in an EFL Class

This study investigates code-switching (CS) occurred between instructors and students in an English as a foreign language (EFL) class at an international college in China. Questionnaires and in-class observations were carried out among both instructors and students to elicit the data. Three aspects are investigated: frequency of CS, reasons for CS and attitudes towards CS. It was found that (1) English (TL) stays dominant while Chinese (L1) was auxiliary in an EFL class. (2) Most instructors and students use code-switching in class, which can be attributed to many factors. For students, low English proficiency was the underlying reason, while for instructors, major reason lies in translating important parts. Most of them are positive towards CS. Pedagogical implications of the findings were also discussed. Overall, this study contributes to teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) based on empirical and experimental results.

Building communities and tolerance: power, ownership and social interactions among young people in an English-medium school in Cyprus

Learning and teaching of English language in foreign contexts is usually associated with possible economic gains that it may bring. However, there are other and possibly more immediate implications of such instruction, especially on the way young people interact in schools where English is the medium of instruction. Using Bourdieu’s framework of capitals, the current study aims to explore how English language is perceived and used among young people from Turkish language backgrounds in a private school in the northern part of Cyprus where English is the medium of both instruction and communication. It also investigates whether students’ attitudes towards this language have any impact on the building of communities and tolerance when it comes to cultural diversity in and outside the classroom. Analysis of the data, which was collected through in-class ethnographic observations and informal chats with young people, showed that students who possessed a higher amount of linguistic capital in English were also perceived as popular and academically superior by all of the participants in this particular school. While linguistic abilities in English played a significant part in determining the access rights to certain peer groups, students whose first language was Turkish tended to capitalize on this skill to support each other to achieve academic success. Thus, language appeared to be a dividing factor rather than a bridge, which affected the school’s culture of tolerance negatively.

A Comparative Study Between Primary and Secondary Teachers in Their Perception, Strategies of and Self-efficacy in Classroom Management

The purpose of the study is to examine primary and secondary school teachers’ perception and plausible strategies of effective classroom management, investigate their self-efficacy in classroom management and explore their difference in how they perceive and manage classroom. Following a comparative case study design, the study interviewed one primary and one secondary school teacher in two public schools in Stockton, California. This study also adopted in-class observation, photograph and document review for sake of triangulation. The results revealed that both teachers held relatively high self-efficacy in classroom management and credited their efficacy to their teaching experience and professional development; both agreed that classroom management is challenging and tough for student teachers and first-year teachers. Regarding difference, the primary school teacher regarded classroom management as synonymous with student behavior control, while the secondary school teacher focused more on academic instruction and student engagement, hence their different strategies in managing classroom.

Creating High-Frequency, Naturalistic Opportunities to Develop Small Talk Skills in EFL Classrooms

The paper is the outcome of an action research project that investigated factors that keep students from participating in classroom small talk (ST). In-class observations, surveys and students’ logs, backed by the author’s self-reflection resulted in an intervention plan which aimed to help students with their anxiety and ST apprehension. The final role plays, as well as the survey demonstrated that there was a change in how the students noticed and used the opportunities to utilize ST. Specifically, they started to see the potential of classroom talk for putting ST skills into practice. Another finding is the need to raise the students’ awareness of ST as a social and linguistic skill, to clearly establish ground rules for practising ST, and to create high-frequency, naturalistic opportunities to develop ST in class. It is argued in the paper that ST skills can be practised in the classroom beyond the purposefully designed activities, i.e. in spontaneous interactions between the teacher and the students. Such interactions may decrease the students' anxieties and reluctance to get engaged in small talk. This change would have a positive effect on their outside-the-classroom interactions in English, both in academic and work-place situations.

Meeting threshold learning standards through self-management in group oral presentations: observations on accounting postgraduate students

ABSTRACTThis study explores the development of student self-management skills through an oral presentation task. It is motivated by the challenge to maintain consistent quality in students’ oral skills and to incorporate national accounting curriculum requirements for threshold learning standards into an accounting subject. The study has been conducted in Australia using a sample of postgraduate accounting students, and the task required the students to prepare a group presentation using action learning. The data were collected using in-class observation and a survey. Students indicated that they were more confident and comfortable in preparing and presenting the oral presentations as compared with their previous experiences. This was especially due to students having a second opportunity to improve their presentations allowing a better understanding of the expected standard. The oral presentation task benefitted all students but was especially useful for those who had limited experience speaking in front of a larger audience.

Effect of Activities Prepared by Different Teaching Techniques on Scientific Creativity Levels of Prospective Pre-school Teachers

<p style="text-align:justify">The purpose of this research is to evaluate the effectiveness of the activities, which are prepared by teaching techniques that support scientific creativity, on the scientific creativity levels of prospective pre-school teachers. In the research, combined design is used, which is one of the mixed research approaches. The study group of the research included a total of 46 prospective pre-school teachers who have studied in the Education Faculty of Kafkas University in 2016-2017 academic year. The applications were carried out in the "science education" which is one of the third-grade 5th-semester courses of the pre-primary education program. The application process was completed in 4 hours a week for a total of 40 hours. In the analysis of the quantitative data collected by Scientific Creativity Test, percentage calculation and t-test were used. Explanatory and inferential codes were used in the analysis of qualitative data obtained from the in-class observations. As a result of the research, it was seen that the course activities in which different techniques were used positively influenced the scientific creativity levels of the prospective teachers. Prospective teachers' level of skills involved in creative trait, creative process, and creative product sub-dimensions also developed. It has been suggested in the direction of these results that different techniques should be used together to develop scientific creativity.</p>

LI YANG CRAZY ENGLISH METHOD; BETWEEN CHINESE AND JAVANESE CULTURE

Nowadays English is spoken everywhere. English has become the worlds Lingua Franca. Many jobs demand English as their first priority to select applicants. Schools push their students to learn English since it becomes the most favorite qualification for getting job. Many English courses are built in order to facilitate peoples needs to understand English. Nevertheless, along with the worlds request on English, many people in non-spoken English country still feel unfamiliar to it. It creates some anxiety and terror to them.In China, there is a unique language-learning method to deal with English fear. It is called Crazy English. Li Yang, a man who initiated this method, believed that many Chinese were facing a very difficult time on learning English. He then coined an extra-ordinary way to make people proficient in English by especially emphasizing the speaking and pronunciation skills. Based on his method, he taught his students to read English words loudly and quickly, and also told them to imitate the sound of English words. He had already proved himself that by conducting this methods he was able to get the second-highest score on his National English Exams after failing it thirteen times; For Li Yang, the only main obstacle on learning English was the Chineses traditional culture that made people afraid to talk. He suggested people to overcome English by shouting and speaking it loudly, so that all the embarrassment could fade away.Comparing with Chinese, Javanese people have also the same problem related to the afraid-to-talk culture. Based on writers experience in class, many students feel shy and unconfident to speak English. It makes a very tough problem when learning English is not followed by the courage to speak.This paper is aimed to investigate the Li Yang Crazy English method and evaluate its potential aspect to be applied in many English classes in Indonesia, particularly in Java region. The analysis of this paper is taken from literature research and it is also supported by performing in-class observation. As the result of the research, this paper will give a clear understanding about Li Yang Crazy English and also its potential aspect to be applied in Indonesia by giving three main considerations, such as: 1)The general evaluation of positive and negative aspects from Li Yang English method, 2) The similar cultural background (East culture) of Chinese and Javanese, 3) The readiness of Indonesian teacher to apply this method.

School expectations and student aspirations: The influence of schools and teachers on Indigenous secondary students

Although there is extensive literature on the relationship between student motivation and achievement, less is known about how secondary schools create conditions that enable diverse groups of students to do their personal best. This article reports research into the development of school leadership in New Zealand secondary schools to enable Indigenous Māori students to achieve educational success as Māori. Data collection included school goal-setting plans for students, in-class observations, student surveys and interviews. Analyses revealed school goals reflected low expectations for Māori achievement and little evidence of culturally responsive practices in classrooms. Interviews with Māori students highlighted perceptions that their schools had low expectations for them and their learning, while analysis of Māori student surveys indicated lower academic aspirations in comparison with European peers. These results are discussed critically alongside specific recommendations for further research on the multiple influences of mainstream secondary school contexts on educational achievement outcomes for Indigenous students.

The role of outside-school factors in science education: a two-stage theoretical model linking Bourdieu and Sen, with a case study

ABSTRACTThe literature in science education highlights the potentially significant role of outside-school factors such as parents, cultural contexts and role models in students’ formation of science attitudes and aspirations, and their attainment in science classes. In this paper, building on and linking Bourdieu’s key concepts of habitus, cultural and social capital, and field with Sen’s capability approach, we develop a model of students’ science-related capability development. Our model proposes that the role of outside-school factors is twofold, first, in providing an initial set of science-related resources (i.e. habitus, cultural and social capital), and then in conversion of these resources to science-related capabilities. The model also highlights the distinction between science-related functionings (outcomes achieved by individuals) and science-related capabilities (ability to achieve desired functionings), and argues that it is necessary to consider science-related capability development in evaluating the effectiveness of science education. We then test our theoretical model with an account of three Turkish immigrant students’ science-related capabilities and the role of outside-school factors in forming and extending these capabilities. We use student and parent interviews, student questionnaires and in-class observations to provide an analysis of how outside-school factors influence these students’ attitudes, aspirations and attainment in science.

Using the flipped classroom to enhance EFL learning

Instruction in English is a priority around the globe, but instructional methodologies have not always kept pace with the changing needs of students. To explore the benefits of the flipped classroom model for learners of English as a Foreign Language, the researchers used flipped learning and Wen's Output-driven/Input-enabled model to design a holistic oral training course that included extensive online written and verbal communication for the learning of a wide range of English idioms. The participants were 48 sophomore English majors in two required English oral training classes. A within-subjects research design exposed all participants to learning English idioms by flipped learning, using the LINE smartphone app, and by conventional instruction. A mixed research method was employed, using multiple sources of data collection, including pre- and post-tests on idioms, two questionnaires (“Perception of Flipped Learning Experience” and “Technology Acceptance Model”), the teachers' in-class observations, and semi-structured focus-group interviews. The results revealed that the theory-based flipped instruction using online written and oral interaction not only enhanced the participants' motivation, making them more active in using idioms in class, but also significantly improved their idiomatic knowledge, indicating that the flipped learning was successful in achieving the instructional goals of the class. The authors present insights into the impact of theory-based flipped learning on motivation and idiomatic acquisition; student impressions of the online platform used, LINE; and offer recommendations for practice.

DEVELOPMENT, RELIABILITY, AND VALIDITY OF A SCALE FOR MEASURING SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS

Ponte Academic JournalMar 2016, Volume 72, Issue 3 DEVELOPMENT, RELIABILITY, AND VALIDITY OF A SCALE FOR MEASURING SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLSAuthor(s): Selahattin ARSLAN ,Ilknur OZPINARJ. Ponte - Mar 2016 - Volume 72 - Issue 3 doi: 10.21506/j.ponte.2016.3.25 Abstract:Although mathematics education attaches particular importance to problem-solving skills, reliable and valid instruments available for measuring these skills are insufficient. The purpose of the present study is to develop a valid and reliable scale that can be used by teachers to assess sixth to eight grade students’ problem-solving skills. Six main steps were followed in this respect: item pool development, testing content validity, pilot scheme, actual administration, factor analysis, and reliability analysis. First, a 50-item draft was composed through a document analysis, classroom observations, and interviews with experts. Next, the draft was tested for its content validity thanks to expert judgment and in-class observations. Then, it was administered to a total of 347 mathematics teachers, and its reliability and validity were tested via SPSS and LISREL. The exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses concluded that the scale was highly valid and reliable. Finally, an 18-item Problem-Solving Skill Scale (PSSS) was developed, and the items were divided into three dimensions, namely comprehension, implementation, and evaluation. Hopefully, the PSSS will prove to be an effective instrument to be used by teachers, school administrators and parents to identify students’ problem-solving skills, and it will help determine what aspects of the problem-solving process are particularly problematic for students and enable particular improvements to be made accordingly Download full text:Check if you have access through your login credentials or your institution Username Password

English-Cairene Arabic Classroom Code Switching:An Interactional-Sociolinguistic Approach

This is a data-oriented study of code switching in the context of Cairene Arabic-English bilinguals in university classrooms. Data were collected through in-class observations of bilingual Egyptian professors in a program where English is the language of instruction. The observed code-switches are grouped into a structural typology based on their syntax and into a functional typology based on the communicative activities they perform. Each category is exemplified, and the examples are analyzed from an interactional-sociolinguistic perspective. I entertain both the hypothesis that certain verbal activities are associated with a given language during the switch, and the hypothesis that the code switching behavior is itself a contextual cue associated with certain activities, and contend that a synthesis of the two is needed. Patterns, tendencies, and attitudes of the participants are thoroughly discussed. By providing a careful treatment of code switching, the paper promotes the idea that it is a natural linguistic strategy which bilinguals employ to enrich their communication, not least in the classroom setting..

The Development of a Progress Checklist for In-Class Observation and Instructional Mastery of English Through Training for New Teachers

The Development of a Progress Checklist for In-Class Observation and Instructional Mastery of English Through Training for New Teachers

In-service Teachers’ Implementation and Understanding of STEM Project Based Learning

In this study, we discussed the participating teachers‟ implementation and understanding of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) project based learning (PBL). A research team at a STEM center systematically offered professional development activities to 92 teachers in an urban school district in the southern U.S. To investigate the teachers‟ implementation and understanding of the STEM PBL pedagogy, we conducted a collective case study with five teachers. Study data included interviews, in-class observations, and lesson plans designed and implemented by the teachers. The results of this study indicated that the PD sessions were effective in communicating several important concepts about STEM PBL. Nevertheless, our observations revealed that five teachers‟ classroom enactments did not necessarily convey their understanding of STEM PBL.

The Amazing Library Race:

Seeking to introduce first-year students to library resources and services in an engaging way, an orientation titled The Amazing Library Race (ALR) was developed and implemented at a university library. Informed by the pedagogy of problem-based learning, the ALR asks students to complete challenges regarding different departments and services. This study assesses this initiative’s success using observational and artifact-based data, addressing the challenging prospect of evaluating the impact of library orientation sessions. Two rubrics were developed to measure student involvement and student learning comprehension. More than 14 hours of in-class observations were used to track engagement, and 64 artifacts of student learning were collected and coded to evaluate learning comprehension. After coding, interrater reliability was established using the intraclass correlation coefficient to establish the validity of the ratings. This paper will outline these methodologies, present the results of the data analysis, and discuss the possibilities and difficulties of measuring student engagement in information literacy instruction centred upon active learning.