International Primary School Research Articles

Implementation of Authentic Assessments in Daarul Qur’an International Primary School

Implementation of Authentic Assessments in Daarul Qur’an International Primary School

Perceptions of Parents on Raz-Kid' s Role in Enhancing Students' Micro and Macro-Skills Holistically: A Study on Ishik Brayaty International Primary School in Erbil

Many educational institutions globally have adopted the motto of technology-enriched education. Among others, e-books have come to the forefront with technological developments. Accordingly, e-book apps have gained increasing popularity due to their numerous advantages. Although many studies have been conducted on e-book platforms’ effectiveness on a global scale, Raz-Kid’s influence on students’ macro and micro-skill development has not been studied in the context of Iraq. Bearing this fact in mind, this study is an endeavor to explore parents’ perceptions about a well-known e-reading app, Raz-Kids, in Erbil, Iraq, on students attending Ishik Brayaty International Primary School in the 2023–2024 academic year. Through convenience sampling, 100 parents uncovered their genuine opinions in a mixed-methods research design study. Data were gathered via questionnaire and interview, and analyzed by either SPSS 29 or NVivo. Findings demonstrated that Raz-Kids has the limitless potential to increase students’ linguistic skills holistically. In addition, parents’ and teachers’ encouragement has been considered as the triggering force to increase students’ reading rates. The study’s findings may have certain implications for the stakeholders who plan to integrate means of technology into the curriculum in a balanced way. Thus, some rational steps can be taken to eliminate the negative impacts of technology and highlight the positive aspects via well-designed e-book reading apps and more.

Multimodal Analysis of an English Textbook Used for EFL Young Learners

This study aimed to discover the visual values—regarding interactive meaning—contained in the “My Next Words” English textbook and used at an international primary school in Banda Aceh, Indonesia using Kress and Van Leuween’s (2006) visual complementarity—only focusing on interactive meaning. This study employed a descriptive qualitative approach. The data were qualitative in the form of pictures in the textbook. The data were collected through a documentation procedure. From the findings, the interactive meaning found is as follows. primarily it uses long shots for most of the distance; second, it exclusively uses oblique views; and third, it shows both background-free and background-filled photographs. This outcome suggests that the pictures presented in this book are appropriate for the target audience, which is youngsters. For children to understand the concepts and messages presented in the textbook, their vision needs to be more distinct and clear. It is recommended that to produce more thorough and complex conclusions, future research should subcategorize the age in greater detail.

Teacher Performance Supervision in International Elementary Schools: Principal Challenges

Supervision conducted by school principals is an important element in improving the effectiveness of teaching and learning in schools. Through the supervision process, principals provide support, feedback and guidance that are essential for teachers' professional development. This collaborative approach to supervision that focuses on improving the quality of learning plays an important role in achieving the educational goals of the school. This study aims to describe and analyze the challenges faced by principals in conducting teacher performance supervision in international primary schools. This type of research is qualitative research with a narrative approach. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and document analysis of seven principals of international primary schools in Surakarta. The results of this study showed that principals in international primary schools face several challenges, including (1) the time of supervision; (2) communication; (3) the consistency of assessment; (4) perceptual differences; and (5) the skill for conducting supervision. This research provides an in-depth insight into the complexity of the principals’ challenges in conducting teacher performance supervision in international primary schools. This research is expected to help understand the dynamics of supervision in the international primary schools, which can be applied more broadly in improving teacher professionalism in the academic process.

English as Medium of Instruction (EMI) at Primary Schools in Indonesia: Challenges and Opportunities

English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) method bloomed widely in the educational context as the impact of advanced globalization. Pros and cons emerge worldwide toward the implementation of this teaching method. A study of EMI on the primary level becomes interesting since the teachers are faced with double challenges. While teaching young learners with their unique characteristics is a big challenge, they are required to teach the learners using an unfamiliar language which is English. Therefore, a descriptive-qualitative study was conducted to uncover this issue. Literature review, observation, and interviews with some teachers of international standard primary schools in Indonesia were employed to obtain comprehensive data on this issue. The result revealed many challenges and opportunities in the implementation of EMI at the primary level. This study suggests a better policy in the educational system shading the implementation of EMI in Indonesia and many supports are still needed.

Utilization of Learning Management Systems (LMS) Salam Al Azhar as the Learning Process in Al Azhar 35 Islamic International Primary School

This paper explores the use of Learning Management Systems (LMS) in a primary school setting, focusing on Al Azhar 35 Islamic Primary School. LMS offers numerous advantages over traditional learning systems, and its application in primary schools is relatively rare in Indonesia. The study employs the Process Mining Project Methodology (PM2) to analyze LMS data, assess its readiness, and examine its suitability for process mining. The study identifies structured data with relevant Case ID, Activity, and Timestamp fields, indicating the data's suitability for process mining. The frequently observed LMS activities include Dashboard, Course Overview, and My Course. These activities are analyzed to assess the LMS's practicality, efficiency, and advantages. The findings reveal that LMS is beneficial for both teachers and students. The study concludes that PM2 methodology is a suitable approach for process mining in education, and the data from Al Azhar 35's LMS is ready for analysis. Future research opportunities include analyzing the learning processes in more diverse case studies, improving data quality, and exploring learning patterns in various classes, semesters, and courses.

Teaching Mathematics in English: Applying crucial fundamental tools to support primary students

In the current digital era, many international primary schools and also national primary schools have offered bilinguals subjects in students’ studies, especially Maths and Science, so that pre-school teachers should be capable of teaching Maths in English. This article examines the way to use several basic tools in order to increase motivation for Pre-service Primary Teachers – who have been equipped academic knowledge fully, can speak English relatively well, and are confident in self practicing and promoting vocabulary.

A Comparison of Teaching Methods Between Chinese and International Primary School Music Lesson

This qualitative method had explored the comparison of teaching methods between Chinese general primary school and international school music classrooms while encouraging students to participate more actively in music classrooms. In this study, interview methods were used. Four music teachers had been interviewed, four teachers from two different schools, two from ordinary Chinese primary schools, and two from international primary schools in China. Before the interview, the teacher had been sent a participant consent form of the basic question. Then, four teachers had been interviewed on the screen. The interviews had been semi-structured and conducted in a one-on-one format via video. The entire interview had consisted of open-ended questions. Finally, the data had been used to analyze different teaching methods in the music classroom, find out teaching methods that could improve the active participation of pupils in the music class. The data had been analyzed by thematic analysis. These findings may have contributed to the significance of music education in Chinese elementary schools.

Analysis of the reasons and countermeasures for the high mobility of private international primary and secondary school teachers

Analysis of the reasons and countermeasures for the high mobility of private international primary and secondary school teachers

Primary School Teachers’ Implementation of Inclusive Education during Emergency Remote Teaching in Malaysia: Findings from a Small-Scale Study

The rapid shift to online teaching or emergency remote teaching (ERT) following the COVID-19 pandemic requires a high level of inclusiveness in teaching efforts to ensure children who are at risk for learning are not left behind. Using a mixed-method design, this small-scale study (a) explored the relationship between Malaysian private and international primary school teachers’ attitude towards inclusive teaching during ERT, teaching efficacy, TPACK mastery, and burnout, and (b) identified ERT-specific factors that are associated with the teachers’ attitudes and experiences during ERT. A total of 28 teachers participated in an online survey that comprised four established scales to measure the teachers’ inclusive attitude, teaching efficacy, TPACK, and teacher burnout. The online survey also consisted of open-ended questions about their ERT teaching experiences. Two of the teachers who completed the questionnaire were then interviewed online. Attitude towards inclusive teaching was not correlated with all other variables, but (a) teaching efficacy correlated positively with TPACK mastery, and (b) high teaching efficacy, and high TPACK correlated with low burnout. Thematic analysis of the qualitative data generated four themes that supported the correlational findings: inclusion attitude during ERT, exclusion strategies, prolonged online teaching at home, and parental involvement. Findings imply that pre-pandemic inclusive teaching practices and TPACK were insufficient to fully support inclusive teaching attitude during ERT. New inclusive practices that support prolonged online teaching and effective parental involvement are needed to prevent digital exclusion during ERT. This small-scale study challenged the accessibility of online teaching during ERT and calls for the need to modify or reinvent our understanding of effective support for students with additional needs in fully online and distance learning conditions.

FAKTOR PENYUMBANG MASALAH PENGAJARAN DAN PEMUDAHCARAAN BAHASA TAMIL DAN CARA PENYELESAIANNYA DI SEBUAH SEKOLAH RENDAH ANTARABANGSA

Tamil language is one of the subjects offered by government schools as well as international schools in Malaysia. This study was conducted to examine the problems faced by students and teachers in learning and facilitation Tamil language in an international school. There are two objectives of the study in this study which is to examine the problems faced by students in an international primary school in learning and facilitation Tamil language and to identify the problems faced by teachers in an international primary school in learning and facilitation Tamil language. This study was conducted in an international primary school in Klang, Selangor. This study was conducted with the qualitative use of hermeneutic methods. Document analysis was used as a research instrument to collect and analyse data using daily lesson plans (RPH). The results of this study indicate that unplanned daily lesson plans, unclear content and inappropriate learning objectives were obtained from document analysis. This study can identify the problems faced by students and teachers should be curbed in an effective way. The problems studied in this study can help identify the solution to conduct effective Tamil language learning and facilitation in international primary schools.

Applying STEAM Teaching Method to Primary Schools to Improve the Quality of Teaching and Learning for Children

Unlike the traditional educational model with the way teachers lecture, students take notes making students feel boring and not very effective. STEAM education is a modern educational model that focuses on practice for students to discover and learn on their own. Therefore, it will inspire learning to students, sparking creativity and passion in children. Originating in the US, STEAM education has been interested in and researched for many years, in countries around the world. In the context of the industrial revolution 4.0, jobs and occupations in society related to STEAM education fields tend to increase. The overall goal of STEAM education is not only to create understanding of STEAM and the qualities of 21st century citizens, but also to develop human resources in STEAM fields such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Researching on STEAM education has been, and is being, interested by many educators, the research trend in this field will continue to be developed in the future not only in the world but also in the Vietnam. This article addresses the pros and cons of STEAM education, and was completed with support from survey results conducted at some International Primary School, Ho Chi Minh City. The article uses quantitative and qualitative methods of analysis as well as some results from previous studies, in order to clarify the issue of educating children to access scientific knowledge easily. The results show that we need to widely apply this method not only in primary schools but also in all primary schools in Vietnam in order to improve the quality of teaching, and to train human resources for 4.0 industries.

Metacomprehension Awareness of Primary School Plurilinguals

Summary This qualitative-quantitative study examines the level of metacomprehension awareness in international primary school students before, while, and after reading narrative texts. The first part of the study brings a short overview of theoretical background and previous research pertaining to metacognition and metacognitive strategies, reading comprehension, and plurilingualism in the context of formal education. The second part describes the participants, along with their diverse personal experiences regarding language and education. Two tests and a brief questionnaire were used for collecting the majority of information. A semi-structured interview was conducted to inquire about the participants’ attitudes towards reading narrative texts and the languages to which they give preference while reading such texts. The findings reveal that, at the age of ten, plurilingual students demonstrate a certain amount of metacomprehension awareness while reading narrative texts in English. No major differences were found between two language-specific groups defined by the students’ mother tongues, but certain differences occurred between boys and girls. Established reading language and language preferences for reading narrative texts seem to play an important role in effective reading comprehension, whereas age seems to be a more critical factor in the development of metacomprehension awareness of plurilingual 10-year-olds.

A Critical Discourse Analysis of the Value of Multicultural Awareness Represented in an EFL Textbook

Learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) in contexts with limited multinational and transcultural backgrounds, such as Saudi Arabia, should be able to communicate with people from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Students’ awareness should be enriched with an understanding of the diversity among people around the world. EFL textbooks are one of the platforms for raising students’ awareness of cultural and linguistic differences. This study aimed to explore the cultural content of an EFL textbook taught at an international primary school in Saudi Arabia via the adoption of critical discourse analysis as a methodological approach. It focused on the multicultural values represented in the EFL textbook geared toward teaching senior primary school students. The study identified a number of values, including fostering positive perspectives concerning old tribes and people, appreciating the lives of other people, respecting the hard efforts made by some nations and understanding different cultural values in different parts of the world. There is found a lack of consideration of the cultural values of some countries in Africa, the Middle East and the Far East. Therefore, this study implicates stakeholders in Saudi Arabia to demand their cultural values be depicted in teaching and educational material.

Process drama in the classroom

This paper reports on a study of the use of process drama in an international primary school in the Netherlands. The research investigated the extent to which using process drama could develop participation for advanced EAL learners. In addition, we sought to understand pupils’ perspectives. Using a qualitative methodology, we undertook a case study approach focusing on six advanced EAL learner pupils (9-10-year-olds). We implemented the process drama approach during a series of nine science lessons. We collated and analysed Video recording of lessons, the class teacher’s written observations, a research journal, two interviews and a focus group with the case study participants using an arts-based framework of participation, previously employed by Pérez-Moreno (2018). We deployed embodied research methods. The findings suggest that using process drama as a teaching methodology increased participation, but not immediately. In addition, pupils who had not previously spoken out in lessons began to volunteer their ideas. All case study pupils reported that they considered that their participation increased.

OCEAN LITERACY OF PRIMARY STUDENTS OF INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS IN RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA

Background and Purpose: Recently, human impacts on marine ecosystems have intensified as the population and pressures increase. Human-originated pollutants of all kinds have impacted the oceans and the marine ecosystems. Oil spills, sewage, plastics, chemicals, garbage, carbon dioxide, and overfishing are the most challenging issues. It is known that school students are the future generation; they receive their information at school. Therefore, it is essential to assess students' knowledge and awareness regarding ocean related issues.
 
 Methodology: This study investigated ocean literacy (OL) of primary school students at international schools in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, based on the seven principles of ocean literacy. Resources from which children get information about the oceans was also investigated. Finally, the study investigated the attitudes of primary school students towards learning oceanography, protecting the oceans, and the relationship between humans and the environment. A questionnaire had been adapted from the Survey of Ocean Literacy and Experience (SOLE) and the Survey of Ocean Stewardship (SOS). The SOLE and SOS surveys had been developed originally by Greely (2008). However, due to the grade level of students and time issues, the number of questionnaire items were reduced and simplified. The questionnaire was distributed in two separate sessions. Students from three international schools, boys' sections, received the survey. 120 students answered the SOLE, and 102 students answered the SOS.
 
 Findings: Results indicated a rather moderate level of ocean literacy of participants with a mean score of 12.56 (SD= 5.18) concerning the SOLE, and a mean score of 3.30 (SD= 1.12) concerning the SOS. As for the resource of information, results indicated the education program to be the students’ main source of education, television channels came second.
 
 Contributions: Students of Riyadh international primary schools showed a positive attitude toward ocean stewardship. The study can help policy makers, curriculum developers and textbook authors to better understand the level of ocean literacy among students and take decisions to develop school curricula especially in the efforts to align with UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). It also corresponds to the 2020-2030 vision in Saudi Arabia.
 
 Keywords: Ocean Literacy level, ocean Sciences materials, Saudi Arabia learners' attitudes
 
 Cite as: Aboulail, F. S., & Ahmad Tajuddin, A. J. (2021). Ocean literacy of primary students of international schools in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 6(2), 403-423. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol6iss2pp403-423

Teachers’ understanding of the importance of students’ mother tongue(s) in Qatar’s international English-medium primary schools: findings from Q method research

ABSTRACT Through Q methodology, this study explores teachers’ understanding of the importance of their students’ mother tongue(s) in ensuring meaningful, effective learning in Qatar’s international English-medium primary schools. It considers the extent to which teachers believe that their students’ linguistic backgrounds are affirmed and promoted. The results indicate that the teachers provided conflicting narratives, revealing that they embraced their schools’ declared multilingual policies yet did not seem to act as agents of implementation. In conclusion, this study argues that teachers’ understanding of the matter under investigation is hampered by their poor preparation, ideological bias as native/near-native English language speakers and lack of initial training and continuing professional development in ESL education.

The English Teaching Strategies for Young Learners in an International Primary School in Surakarta

The objectives of this study are: (1) to investigate the English teaching strategies implemented in terms of teaching planning, teaching implementation, and teaching assessment, (2) to investigate the students’ responses towards the implementation of the teaching strategies. This research is a case study which includes in qualitative research. The participants of the study are a homeroom teacher and 24 grade five students in which all of them are male. The data collection methods are observation, interview, and document analysis. The findings of the study are: (1) there are four strategies in teaching planning. Those are curriculum, documents, teacher's professional development, and students' seat arrangement. While in the teaching implementation, there are sixteen strategies. They are icebreaking, recalling memory, brainstorming, discussion, game, listen and read , listen and match , draw and write , write a paragraph , filling the blank, vocabulary writing, concluding material, police of English, reading time, English camp, and assembly . Besides, there are five strategies in the teaching assessment. Those are daily tests, vocabulary tests, mid-term examination, final examination and International Progression Test (IPT). (2) The students' responses toward the implementation of the teaching strategies are their participation, understanding, memory, interest, and motivation increased during the learning process.

Emotion regulation Strategies in Teaching Profession: Case Study of an International Primary School Teacher in Jakarta, Indonesia

Emotion is a driving force behind almost everything teachers do, even more than ratio at times. Teachers are not robot. The emotions they feel are real and influential toward their effectiveness. They deal daily with other individuals, all with their own demands and different opinions, personalities and abilities, hence, conflicts cannot be avoided and stress is formed. Stress causes teachers to experience negative emotions; which, if allowed to linger, may cause harm to the teachers themselves as well as the individuals in which the teachers interact with. Emotion regulation methods, guided by emotional health, are vital for dealing with the stress that has emerged from various situations and problems in the workplace. By conducting a research interview with a biology teacher of a known international school in Jakarta as a study case, this paper will probe the cognitive process of choosing and employing emotion regulation methods. It will discuss the emotion regulation methods used in dealing with negative emotions and briefly discuss the importance of emotional health for teachers when dealing with work-related stress and demands. Keywords: teacher’s emotion; emotion regulation strategies; emotion in teaching DOI : 10.7176/JEP/10-9-21 Publication date :March 31 st 2019

Influence of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) on Academic Achievement of Learners in International Primary Schools in Mombasa (Kenya) and Kampala (Uganda): A Comparative Study

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most prevalent disorders among school-going children. The aim of this study was to compare academic achievement of learners with and without ADHD in international primary schools of Mombasa (Kenya) and Kampala (Uganda). A comparative study was conducted among 377 respondents using Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Scale Questionnaire (SNAP-IV) which assessed the three ADHD subtypes in form of a closed-ended questionnaire. Results revealed that learners with ADHD had low overall academic achievement compared to those without ADHD in Mombasa (p <.001) and Kampala, (p <.001). Boys with ADHD in Mombasa had better grades than girls (M = 168.51, SD = 32.50 vs. M = 160.00, SD = 39.07) while girls with ADHD in Kampala had better grades than boys (M = 103.50, SD = 24.77 vs. M = 93.45, SD = 24.71). Learners with ADHD Inattentive subtype were greatly impaired compared to those with ADHD Hyperactive-Impulsive and Combined subtypes in both cities. ADHD significantly predicted academic achievement with higher variability in Kampala (55%) than Mombasa (10%). Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder has a negative impact on academic achievement of learners with the condition. The study recommended integration of ADHD screening in school health services to enable early detection and management of the condition.