Lower Primary School Students Research Articles

THE PLACE OF LITERATURE AND LITERARY HERO IN THE “CULTURE OF HAPPINESS”

The first paragraph of the paper examines the position of modern man in the world of hyperconsumption and happiness imperative. In the next paragraph attention is paid to determining the place of literature in the contemporary society. The word happiness, which etymologically derives from the Old Slavic word to meet, is linked to the chronotope of encounter, as one of the sources of modern literature, novel in particular. The second part of the paper deals with how literary heroes are perceived by lower primary school students. This is illustrated by the characters of the cat named Toša from the short story “Mačak otišao u hajduke” and the boy named Vučić from the short story “Mjesečev gost” by Branko Ćopić, as possible role models for young children. These examples show that life satisfaction and happiness are found in “small” things that the 21st century man very often forgets in his pursuit of happiness.

The Use of Open Educational Resources during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study of Primary School Mathematics Teachers in Hong Kong

During the COVID-19 pandemic, teaching and learning activities had to be conducted fully online. To sustain quality education, teachers could use open educational resources (OERs) available in the public domain to make online mathematics teaching more effective and interactive. However, we currently know little about the use of OERs in primary school settings. Therefore, this study seeks to understand their school policies and guidelines on and teachers’ experience of using OERs during the pandemic. Our overarching goal is to provide recommendations on the future development and use of OERs in the context of primary school mathematics education. We employed a qualitative approach and interviewed 13 mathematics teachers from different primary schools. Our findings suggest that teachers tended to rely on OERs more during the pandemic than before. They used OERs to introduce mathematics and to facilitate class interactions in online lessons. However, not all schools had policies and guidelines on the use of OERs in place. Some teachers also encountered challenges when using OERs, such as finding that the resources were unsuitable for school contexts and lower primary school students. Based on the findings, we discuss some possible strategies for the improvement, such as ensuring the suitability of OERs, through developer–teacher collaborations.

Lower Primary School Students’ Scientific Arguments


 
 
 
 The present study investigates the structure and the content of oral scientific arguments constructed by the 6-year-old students in Greece when they answered questions about light propagation through objects, the dissolution of substances in water, and the flow of electric current through objects. The research was conducted with the participation of 64 primary school students (6 years old), while the interview served as the data collection tool. Research data included students’ answers (arguments) to the questions of the interview. Students’ scientific arguments were analyzed through rubrics evaluating the sufficiency and the appropriateness of the components of the arguments. The analysis of the data allowed the categories of students’ arguments to be determined. It was found that students’ arguments included sufficient and appropriate claims, some of them included sufficient and appropriate evidence, but they included no reasonings or rebuttals at all.
 
 
 
 

Promoting Positive Behaviors Among the Lower Primary School Students

The present study aimed to explore the role of family and school in promoting positive behaviors among the lower primary school students enrolled in the American Community School. It aimed to identify the methods of promoting positive behaviors among those students from the perspective of school principals, teachers, parents, and the lower primary school students. It was found that the (responsive classroom) approach is adopted by the American Community School for promoting positive behaviors among the lower primary school students. Adopting this approach enables teachers to create a positive environment in the whole school in general and classrooms in particular. It has a positive impact on students’ academic achievement and self-discipline. It participates in delivering education of high quality. Based on the latter approach, it’s very important to develop students’ social-emotional skills. Such skills include: (taking responsibility, respecting others’ opinions and self-confidence). Based on the latter approach, it’s very important to develop students’ cognitive-academic skills and promote knowledge about the teaching methods. Based on the latter approach, cognitive development occurs through social interaction. This approach can be adopted for promoting positive behaviors among the lower primary school students.The researchers recommend adopting the (responsive classroom) approach for promoting positive behaviors among the lower primary school students. They recommend providing more attention to the provision of training courses for teachers and parents about the methods of promoting positive behaviors among the lower primary school students. They recommend conducting similar studies that target other school stages, such as: the secondary stage. Keywords : Positive Behaviors, the Lower Primary School Students DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-8-12 Publication date: March 31 st 2020

The Developing a Pictured Story Book as Emotional Intelligence for Low Grade Elementary School Students

This study uses a type of research & development method or in English (Research and Development) terms. The development model in the study uses the Borg and Gall model, where this model comes from the results of thought, is still a concept that is empirically tested and its implementation organized from planning, implementation to evaluation of the results. The purpose of this study is to produce a product that is a picture story book about emotional intelligence that meets the criteria of feasibility aspects. Emotional intelligence should begin to be developed as early as possible because it can make children have high enthusiasm in learning or liked by their friends in the playground. The development of this illustrated storybook uses components or dimensions of emotional intelligence from Daniel Goleman. There are 5 dimensions that will be used for 5 themes in illustrated storybooks namely self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, social skills. The form of the book that will be created with hard cover and will be dominated by images. The goal of developing this storybook media is aimed at lower primary school students, which are around the ages of 6 to 9 years.

The Reality of Using Smart Devices by the Public Lower Primary School Students: Advantages, Disadvantages and Strategies for Reducing the Extent of using Them

The present study aimed to explore the extent of using smart devices by the public lower primary school students. It aimed to explore the extent of spread of smart devices among the public lower primary school students. Questionnaire forms were distributed to 384 public lower primary school students to be answered by their parents. Thus, the sample consists from 384 parents. A descriptive inferential approach was adopted. It was found that the attitudes of the people surrounding the students towards using smart devices by students are positive. It was found that the extent of spread of smart devices among the public lower primary school students is high. It was found that the family’s attitudes towards using smart devices by students are positive. It was found that the extent of using smart devices by the public lower primary school students is moderate. Keywords: Smart Devices, advantages, disadvantages and strategies DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-4-14 Publication date: February 29 th 2020

The Feasibility of Computer-based Testing in Palestine Among Lower Primary School Students: Assessing Mouse Skills and Inductive Reasoning

This study introduces and explores the potential of using computer-based testing at Palestinian schools. It investigates the developmental level of mouse skills among year 2 and 3 students and tests the applicability of an online test measuring pupils’ inductive reasoning. The sample for the study was drawn from year 2 (N=28) and 3 (N=29) students in Palestinian primary schools (Mean_age=7.5; SD=.50). The instruments consisted of 28 figural items for the mouse usage test and 36 figural items for the inductive reasoning test. The eDia system was used to collect the data. The reliability coefficient of the mouse usage and inductive reasoning tests were .75 and .915, respectively. Results showed that the mouse usage test was easy (M=90.53% SD=9.67%), while the inductive reasoning test was moderately difficult for the students at this age (M=44.15, SD=24.28). The frequency of computer usage did not influence test achievements. There were no gender level differences detectable in students’ mouse skills. Girls achieved significantly higher in the inductive reasoning test (M_girls=50.88, M_boys=37.67; t=-2,15, p<.05). The results proofed that computer-based testing can be used in Palestine and it can work effectively even when it comes to early age pupils.

Phonological awareness and reading in Thai children

Phonological awareness has been found to be an important skill underpinning reading development in several alphabetic languages. However, the development of phonological awareness and its relationship to reading development can be influenced by the nature of the language under investigation. While understanding this relationship in Thai language is important in effective identification of reading difficulties for Thai students, few relevant studies could be located in major international databases. This study aimed at investigating phonological development, reading development, and the relationship between phonological awareness and reading ability in Thai language. Three hundred and ten students from Grade 1 to Grade 3 from four schools in Bangkok, Thailand, were assessed on phonological awareness, letter knowledge, and reading ability. Phonological awareness and reading ability in Thai language continuously developed throughout the lower primary school grades. Phonological awareness significantly predicted reading ability in lower primary school students even after age, gender, parental education, and letter knowledge had been taken into account, although different phonological tasks had varying degrees of predictive values. The findings of the study also revealed the nature of Thai language may not be as transparent as previously thought. In order to improve the identification of reading difficulties in Thai language, systematic investigation of the nature of Thai language and how beginning reading instruction is taught in Thailand are needed. The findings also contribute to understanding reading development in different languages.

Argumentation in elementary science education: addressing methodological issues and conceptual understanding

In this review essay I respond to issues raised in Mijung Kim and Wolff-Michael Roth’s paper titled “Dialogical argumentation in elementary science classrooms”, which presents a study dealing with dialogical argumentation in early elementary school classrooms. Since there is very limited research on lower primary school students’ argumentation in school science, their paper makes a contribution to research on children’s argumentation skills. In this response, I focus on two main issues to extend the discussion in Kim and Roth’s paper: (a) methodological issues including conducting a quantitative study on children’s argumentation levels and focusing on children’s written argumentation in addition to their dialogical argumentation, and (b) investigating children’s conceptual understanding along with their argumentation levels. Kim and Roth emphasize the difficulty in determining the level of children’s argumentation through the Toulmin’s Argument Pattern and lack of high level arguments by children due to their difficulties in writing texts. Regarding these methodological issues, I suggest designing quantitative research on coding children’s argument levels because such research could potentially provide important findings on children’s argumentation. Furthermore, I discuss alternative written products including posters, figures, or pictures generated by children in order to trace children’s arguments, and finally articulating argumentation and conceptual understanding of children.

A számítógép alapú mérések megvalósíthatósága kisiskolás diákok körében: első évfolyamos diákok egér- és billentyűzet-használati képességeinek fejlettségi szintje

A számítógép alapú mérések megvalósíthatósága kisiskolás diákok körében: első évfolyamos diákok egér- és billentyűzet-használati képességeinek fejlettségi szintje