Instructive Role Research Articles

Unveiling the Role of Explicit Metadiscourse Instruction, Language Proficiency, and Content Familiarity in EFL Reading Comprehension: A Comprehensive Review

This review comprehensively explores the integral role of explicit metadiscourse instruction and language proficiency and content familiarity in the context of reading comprehension among learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Drawing upon a wide-ranging analysis of empirical studies spanning two decades (2003-2023), the review illuminates the intricate dynamics between these key components. It underscores how metadiscourse markers, as vital linguistic devices, significantly impact the learners' processing, comprehension, and retention of information. The importance of language proficiency emerges as a decisive factor, shaping the degree to which EFL learners can effectively utilize metadiscourse markers to enhance their reading comprehension skills. Moreover, the review accentuates the critical synergistic relationship between content familiarity and the efficacy of metadiscourse instruction, shedding light on how prior knowledge can optimize learning outcomes. It identifies significant gaps in existing research, emphasizing the need for a more integrated approach that simultaneously considers metadiscourse instruction, language proficiency, and content familiarity. The review concludes by advocating for greater emphasis on explicit metadiscourse instruction in EFL pedagogy, positioning this work as a synthesis of current knowledge and a guidepost for future research and instructional innovation in EFL reading comprehension.

Toward an understanding of glucose metabolism in radial glial biology and brain development.

Decades of research have sought to determine the intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms underpinning the regulation of neural progenitor maintenance and differentiation. A series of precise temporal transitions within progenitor cell populations generates all the appropriate neural cell types while maintaining a pool of self-renewing progenitors throughout embryogenesis. Recent technological advances have enabled us to gain new insights at the single-cell level, revealing an interplay between metabolic state and developmental progression that impacts the timing of proliferation and neurogenesis. This can have long-term consequences for the developing brain's neuronal specification, maturation state, and organization. Furthermore, these studies have highlighted the need to reassess the instructive role of glucose metabolism in determining progenitor cell division, differentiation, and fate. This review focuses on glucose metabolism (glycolysis) in cortical progenitor cells and the emerging focus on glycolysis during neurogenic transitions. Furthermore, we discuss how the field can learn from other biological systems to improve our understanding of the spatial and temporal changes in glycolysis in progenitors and evaluate functional neurological outcomes.

Classroom gesture instruction on second language learners' academic presentations: Evidence from Chinese intermediate English learners

Gesture has been recognized as an important aspect of second language (L2) acquisition, playing a vital role in L2 communication. Previous research has shown that L2 learners' communicative efficacy can be facilitated through gesture mediation. In particular, L2 learners may find gesture a useful tool to deliver their subject-related academic presentations. However, whether classroom gesture instruction could boost L2 learners' gesture use in academic speaking context and their overall presentation performance has rarely been explored. Drawing on activity theory, this study aims to investigate the potential role of gesture instruction in intermediate L2 English learners' gesture use and their academic presentation performance. Our study found that L2 learners who received classroom gesture instructions showed significant improvement in their use of gestures, and outperformed the control group in a post-test presentation session, showing improvement in all gesture types among which beats were significantly increased. These findings confirm the teachability of gesture to enhance Chinese L2 English learners' academic presentation skills, proving gesture as an indispensable instructional component in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) classroom.

Using CBI in ESP: The role of explicit instruction

Using CBI in ESP: The role of explicit instruction

ESL Teachers’ Beliefs about Teaching Grammar

Teaching grammar is a crucial facet in the context of language teaching. Throughout history, various approaches including instructing based on rules, using examples, and employing texts have been utilized to teach grammar at various level. This qualitative study attempts to explore secondary level experienced ESL (English as a Second Language) teachers' beliefs concerning the teaching of grammar, employing an interpretive paradigm. In an effort to explore these beliefs, a sample of eight experienced ESL teachers participated in the investigation. I employed purposive sampling to select the participants. A semi-structured interview was employed as the primary research tool to capture their perceptions, pedagogical preferences, and underlying assumptions regarding grammar instruction from the participants. The collected data underwent rigorous thematic analysis to unveil recurring patterns, emergent themes, and variations in beliefs across the participant cohort. The study uncovers a diverse array of beliefs held by ESL teachers, spanning from the role of explicit grammar instruction to the integration of communicative approaches. Through the thematic analysis, common threads and discrepancies emerge, revealing the intricate interplay of factors shaping ESL teachers' pedagogical orientations. The implications of this research extend to the realms of teacher training, curriculum design, and educational policy. This study contributes to the broader discourse on teacher beliefs, offering valuable insights that can guide the development of tailored teacher development programs and evidence-based teaching strategies, ultimately enhancing the quality of ESL grammar instruction.

Instructional Leadership in Literacy in the Foundation Phase of Primary Schools During COVID-19 Pandemic, Capricorn District, South Africa

The study focused on the needs of principals as instructional leaders in the foundation phase in South Africa. This was done because unless instructional leaders are appropriately empowered by addressing their needs, they may not be able to play their role as agents that are a fulcrum to educational reforms especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The qualitative research approach was used. Methods used are interviews and field notes. The findings revealed that there is a need to include clarification of instructional leadership roles, mobile digital technological resources, adequate support from the Department of Basic Education, and parental involvement in education.

A Know-Brainer: The Power of Cadaver-Based Instruction to Teach Clinical Neuroanatomy.

Learning experiences that incorporate cadaver prosection or dissection of the brain have shown to enhance the acquisition and retention of neuroanatomy and improve standardized examination scores when included within medical curriculum. However, the role of cadaver-based instruction within allied health fields, and particularly in the field of communication sciences and disorders (CSD), remains limited and less understood. The effectiveness of a cadaver-based lab compared to lecture to teach neuroanatomy within an undergraduate/postbaccalaureate clinical neuroscience course for CSD majors was explored within a crossover design. Fifty-four participants were stratified by class rank between two initial training sessions: lab-first versus lecture-first. Neuroanatomical knowledge was tested via labeling tasks at baseline, after the first allocated training, and at 1-week follow-up after crossover training had been completed. Both cohorts demonstrated significant gains in neuroanatomical knowledge following training, yet after the initial training session, students that received cadaver-based instruction produced a significantly greater number (p < .001) and more accurate (p < .001) anatomical labels than students that received lecture. After completion of the crossover design, students receiving cadaver-based instruction prior to lecture continued to demonstrate superior labeling accuracy at follow-up testing (p = .022). Cadaver-based instruction was more effective in improving students' ability to identify neuroanatomy compared to lecture for CSD students. Interestingly, cadaver-based demonstrations were also most effective in bolstering students' retention of structural knowledge when conducted before, instead of after, a lecture. Clinical training programs, specifically student learning outcomes, benefit from cadaver-based instruction that provides both three-dimensional orientation and a deep appreciation of the human elements of clinical anatomy. Furthermore, both the acquisition and retention of anatomical concepts may be enhanced through strategic instructional design, particularly in regard to the order of lecture and lab experiences.

PRINCIPALS’ INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP ROLE AND LESSON STUDY PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KAJIADO COUNTY, KENYA

The study investigated principals’ instructional leadership role and lesson study program implementation in public secondary schools in Kajiado County. The objectives were to find out the role the principals played in supervising the implementation of the lesson study program and to find out the role the principals played in promoting collaborative practices when implementing the lesson study program. The study was anchored on Carrier’s instructional leadership model and Vygotsky’s social-cultural theory. A mixed-methods research approach was used with a convergent parallel mixed-methods design. The study’s target population consisted of 95 public secondary schools, 95 principals, and 651 mathematics and science teachers from Kajiado County, with a sample size of 29 principals and 248 mathematics and science teachers. This was achieved using probability and non-probability sampling techniques, which included purposeful, proportionate, and simple random sampling. The collection of data was done using an interview guide for principals and a questionnaire for teachers. A pilot study was conducted in two schools that had characteristics similar to those of the schools that were involved in the study. The research instruments were validated by experts with knowledge of instructional leadership from Tangaza University College and the Catholic University of Eastern Africa. The analysis of quantitative data was done using descriptive statistics, which included frequency distributions and percentages, and were generated using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. The data was presented in the form of bar graphs, pie charts, and frequency tables. Qualitative data was analyzed using a thematic approach and presented using narratives and direct quotes. The findings revealed that secondary school principals carried out supervision throughout the process of lesson study by attending lesson study meetings, observing lessons, and giving feedback. They also discuss challenges encountered by teachers during lesson study implementation, such as limited time, lack of funds, heavy workload, and competing programs. School principals were also found to be supportive in terms of collaborations such as teamwork, peer lesson observation, and team teaching. However, the study found some challenges that face such collaborations which include a lack of clear understanding of lesson study by newly employed teachers as well as uncooperative teachers, especially those with many years of experience. The study concluded that despite the challenges facing lesson study implementation, public secondary school principals in Kajiado County make an effort to supervise lesson study implementation. The study also concluded that secondary school principals promote collaborative practices that support the implementation of lesson study programs. The study recommends that Center for Mathematics Science and Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA) organizes training on lesson study for mathematics and science teachers with a teaching experience of less than five years as well as sensitization workshops on lesson study for secondary school principals who are newly employed. Also, the study recommends that the Ministry of Education (MOE) develops a clear policy for lesson study implementation. The study suggests that further research be conducted to investigate lesson study program and students’ academic achievement.&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Article visualizations:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="/-counters-/soc/0019/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Mitochondrial leak metabolism induces the Spemann-Mangold Organizer via Hif-1α in Xenopus

An instructive role for metabolism in embryonic patterning is emerging, although a role for mitochondria is poorly defined. We demonstrate that mitochondrial oxidative metabolism establishes the embryonic patterning center, the Spemann-Mangold Organizer, via hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (Hif-1α) inXenopus. Hypoxia or decoupling ATP production from oxygen consumption expands the Organizer by activating Hif-1α. In addition, oxygen consumption is 20% higher in the Organizer than in the ventral mesoderm, indicating an elevation in mitochondrial respiration. To reconcile increased mitochondrial respiration with activation of Hif-1α, we discovered that the "free" c-subunit ring of the F1FoATP synthase creates an inner mitochondrial membrane leak, which decouples ATP production from respiration at the Organizer, driving Hif-1α activation there. Overexpression of either the c-subunit or Hif-1α is sufficient to induce Organizer cell fates even when β-catenin is inhibited. We propose that mitochondrial leak metabolism could be a general mechanism for activating Hif-1α and Wnt signaling.

The Educational Consequences of Remote and Hybrid Instruction during the Pandemic

Using testing data from over two million students in nearly 10,000 schools in 49 states (plus the District of Columbia), we investigate the role of remote and hybrid instruction in widening gaps in achievement by race and school poverty. We find that remote instruction was a primary driver of the widening gaps. Math gaps did not widen in areas that remained in person (although reading gaps did). We estimate that high-poverty districts that went remote in 2020–2021 will need to spend nearly all of their federal aid on helping students recover from pandemic-related academic achievement losses. (JEL H75, I12, I21, I24, I32, J15)

Rethinking Teacher Retention Policy: Empowering Australian Teachers Through Autonomy, Collaboration and Career Progression

This article examines the challenges facing the teaching profession in Australia and proposes solutions to address issues of teacher retention, administrative workload and career progression. Providing autonomy to teachers and developing a clear career progression plan can help retain experienced teachers, and reducing administrative tasks and promoting collaboration can enhance teacher satisfaction and effectiveness. New roles for experienced teachers should be explored. These include instructional specialist roles that would provide teachers with opportunities for career progression and collaboration. Implementing such programmes would need to be justified to policymakers or even taxpayers, as they could involve potential financial costs. A comprehensive approach is necessary to ensure that teaching remains an attractive and rewarding profession in Australia for the country’s better prospects.

Fatty acid synthesis and oxidation regulate human endoderm differentiation by mediating SMAD3 nuclear localization via acetylation.

Metabolic remodeling is one of the earliest events that occur during cell differentiation. Here, we define fatty acid metabolism as a key player in definitive endoderm differentiation from human embryonic stem cells. Fatty acid β-oxidation is enhanced while lipogenesis is decreased, and this is due to the phosphorylation of lipogenic enzyme acetyl-CoA carboxylase by AMPK. More importantly, inhibition of fatty acid synthesis by either its inhibitors or AMPK agonist significantly promotes human endoderm differentiation, while blockade of fatty acid oxidation impairs differentiation. Mechanistically, reduced de novo fatty acid synthesis and enhanced fatty acid β-oxidation both contribute to the accumulation of intracellular acetyl-CoA, which guarantees the acetylation of SMAD3 and further causes nuclear localization to promote endoderm differentiation. Thus, our current study identifies a fatty acid synthesis/oxidation shift during early differentiation and presents an instructive role for fatty acid metabolism in regulating human endoderm differentiation.

Effects of Content Support on Integrated Reading-writing Task Performance and Incidental Vocabulary Learning

Over the past few decades, task-based language teaching (TBLT) has spawned a series of studies on how various task features affect the way second language (L2) learners use the target language (TL)(e.g., Rostamian, Fazilatfar, &amp; Jabbari, 2018) and acquire TL constructions by carrying out the task (e.g., Solon, Long, &amp; Gurzynski-Weiss, 2017). The theoretical rationale for this strand of research is that task, a meaningful activity that entails TL use to achieve a specified objective (Bygate, Skehan, &amp; Swain, 2001), can engage L2 learners in TL use and hence serve as a viable unit of L2 instruction. As the area has matured with accumulated empirical findings, researchers have commonly identified the near-exclusive attention paid to output-based tasks that entail productive skills such as speaking or writing (Gilabert, Manchón, &amp; Vasylets, 2016). Receptive skills, however, play an important role in task-based instruction, creating opportunities for exposure to new TL features contained in the task input. Shintani (2012) aptly pinpoints the need for more research into input-based tasks that push learners to use the TL to respond to task input, and further asserts that outcome-oriented component can heighten learners’ sensitivity towards new TL features contained in the input and, in doing so, cater for incidental L2 learning. This is an important gap, considering the pervasive use of input-based tasks in many L2 instructional and naturalistic settings (e.g., responding to literature, replying to emails, or filling out a form following an instruction). Another gap in the literature is only marginal attention paid to the effects of task complexity on vocabulary learning. Thus far, target linguistic constructions in the TBLT studies have predominantly been L2 grammatical structures (e.g., Kim, 2012; Révész, Sachs, &amp; Hama, 2014), while the applicability of the task-based approach to L2 vocabulary learning has largely been unattended. Against this background, the present study aimed at filling the gaps in the literature, i.e., the effects of task complexity on L2 learners’ performance in an integrated reading-writing task and learning of vocabulary contained in the task input.

VYGOTSKY’S PERSPECTIVE ON CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT IN THE CHILD AND THE ROLE OF INSTRUCTION IN IT

This theoretical paper maps down the process of concept development from Vygotsky’s theory of concept formation, the steps involved in the concept formation and the role of instruction in it. Vygotsky distinguished between lower order thinking and higher order thinking and he classified concepts into everyday concepts and scientific concepts. Scientific concepts are higher order cognitive processes as it is learnt by a child in a mediated process, in contrast to everyday concepts which are learnt through everyday experiences. Moreover, he gave the concept of the zone of proximal development and its role in the development of scientific concepts. This paper provides a detailed description of the process of concept development and the role of instruction in it. KEYWORDS: Concepts, everyday concepts, scientific concepts, zone of proximal development

Centering Black Perspectives Within the Social Studies Curriculum: Carter G. Woodson’s Textbooks and the Teaching of Black Critical Patriotism

One justification given by social studies teachers for avoiding teaching or incorporating race into their lessons is the absence of race from textbooks. Given that textbooks continue to play a significant role in social studies instruction, the authors analyzed how Dr. Carter Godwin Woodson, a Black scholar of the early twentieth century, accounted for race in two of the textbooks he wrote for K–12 teachers. In this essay, we used the principles of Black Critical Patriotism as a framework to analyze two of Woodson’s textbooks—The Negro in Our History and Negro Makers of History. We concluded with a discussion regarding potential limitations while emphasizing the place for Woodson’s textbooks within social studies classrooms.

The scientific evolution of social justice leadership in education: structural and longitudinal analysis of the existing knowledge base, 2003–2022

This study aims to delineate the intellectual and conceptual architecture of social justice leadership (SJL) research in education by reviewing the strategic themes that emerged during its scientific evolution. The study combines bibliometric performance and science mapping analysis of 135 articles on “SJL in education” retrieved from the Scopus database. SciMAT software (version 1.1.04) was used for the study since it allows for sequential analysis. Our analysis comprised three periods: Period 1 (2003–2012), Period 2 (2013–2017), and Period 3 (2018–2022). Studies during the first period mostly centered around transformative leadership, social justice, and equity themes, while the research focus during the second period moved toward the roles of principals in enabling justice. During the third period, the analysis revealed more variety in the themes addressed by scholars. Instructional leadership roles of principals and the outcomes of social justice leadership, such as equity and well-being for different groups vulnerable to injustices, were the most prominent themes addressed during the last period. The study’s findings enable us to reflect on this research field’s well-or underdeveloped aspects. They would help guide research interest into the under-investigated or emerging themes of SJL, which would eventually increase our understanding of the practice and outcomes of SJL in the educational context.

Incidental Vocabulary Learning and Retention in Education-oriented L2 Communicative Tasks

Vocabulary learning is pivotal for language learning as it is a cross-sectional aspect related to both receptive and productive skills. L2 vocabulary learning has given way to a substantial body of research in which the role of implicit and explicit instruction has been central. Bearing in mind the importance of communicative tasks as sources for vocabulary learning, this study will explore how vocabulary presented with context and without context is retained. 39 undergraduate students were assigned to each of these conditions, and after performing a communicative task which included a warm-up activity with a set of 15 target words, they completed a word meaning test (post-test) and repeated the same test after two weeks. The data gathered was analyzed using a quantitative approach. Findings indicate that the type of vocabulary test with context-embedded words is more effective for vocabulary retention in the short term. Nevertheless, multi-word items were better identified with the no-context vocabulary test, a finding supported by previous research. The present study raises the possibility that different vocabulary strategies are used by EFL learners, and that warm-up activities may contribute to L2 vocabulary learning.

A Correlational Study of the Principals' Instructional Leadership and School Improvement at Secondary School Level in District Mardan

The study investigates the relationship between principals' instructional leadership and school improvement at the secondary school level in district Mardan Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan. This study aimed to investigate this relationship through a correlational survey (quantitative) research design. All 2644 teachers (male/female) of 167 public sector secondary schools constituted the population of this study. A close-ended questionnaire comprising 39 items was used personally by the researcher to collect data from 335 teachers of 118 secondary schools through a stratified random sampling technique. The collected data was interpreted through SPSS by using the Pearson r test. The findings reveal a positive-significant relationship between principals' instructional leadership and school improvement. The study evidently verified that the better utilization of the instructional role leads to visionary school improvement.

Reading Instruction and Interventions in Multigrade Schools in Quezon

This study aimed to undermine the realities of reading instruction in three multigrade schools in Quezon province during the COVID-19 pandemic. They analyzed data obtained from Phil-IRI in the past three years and focused on how teachers implemented reading instruction in multigrade settings. The researchers investigated the interventions they employed. Results revealed that parental involvement played a critical role in reading instruction. Teachers espoused varied reading strategies and focused on material selection, integration, and contextualization. Formative strategies, home visitations, and interventions that involved parents were implemented. Keywords: multigrade, reading, reading instruction, strategies, reading skills, last mile school

Reading Instruction And Interventions In Multigrade Schools In Quezon

This study aimed to undermine the realities of reading instruction in three multigrade schools in Quezon province during the COVID-19 pandemic. They analyzed data obtained from Phil-IRI in the past three years and focused on how teachers implemented reading instruction in multigrade settings. The researchers investigated the interventions they employed. Results revealed that parental involvement played a critical role in reading instruction. Teachers espoused varied reading strategies and focused on material selection, integration, and contextualization. Formative strategies, home visitations, and interventions that involved parents were implemented. Keywords: multigrade, reading, reading instruction, strategies, reading skills, last mile school