Mixed Ability Classes Research Articles

Towards Humanistic Learning Literature in English: Students’ Perspectives on Challenges and Opportunities in Mixed Classes at the University of Rwanda

A learning environment that promotes interaction and learners’ ownership of their learning is effective. Promoting this learning in literature in a second language benefits not only individual learners but also groups. While the 21st century research has been awash with new ideas on the significance of teaching literature, studies have found that literature in English is more of an opportunity than a challenge to foreign language learners. In this study, the researchers delve into learners’ perspectives on the challenges and opportunities of learning literature in English in mixed classes at the University of Rwanda, College of Education. Three issues have been focused namely students’ background and their interest in literature in English; challenges and opportunities of learning literature in English in mixed classes; and students’ perspectives on how the identified challenges can be addressed. Adopting a mixed-methods approach, this case study was guided by humanist theory, which emphasizes the learner as central and the teacher as facilitator. With a complement of diverse secondary sources, data was collected through interviews with four participants and a questionnaire administered to a convenient sample of 50 participants selected from 240 students. Through descriptive and thematic analysis, findings revealed that teaching literature in mixed classes offers more opportunities to learners than challenges. Results also highlighted that through mixed-ability classes, students’ English language skills improve, while it is generally little before they join higher education. The study recommends that literature should be used as a tool from primary to tertiary levels, especially in countries where English is pragmatically taught as a foreign language. Lecturers in the big literature class should apply humanistic principles so that they can create a supportive learning environment for diverse-ability students.

Strategies for Managing Mixed Ability Classes in English Language Teaching

Heterogenous classes are outstanding not unusual in schools not just for language training but for the whole thing. Students come from one of a kind backgrounds, learn at specific speeds, have extraordinary talents, and motivation tiers. Having everyone be the identical in a class simply does not work, irrespective of where you are. Knowing how tough it can be to handle variety, instructors need to give you strategies that paintings for all of us in mixed ability training. So, what can they do? Firstly, teachers have to in reality get to recognise every student’s strengths, weaknesses, and the way they prefer to. With this information, teachers can use specific methods that wholesome all and heterogeneous's abilities. Things like grouping students flexibly, breaking down obligations step by step, and using technology can without a doubt assist achieve all varieties of beginners. It is additionally important to create a welcoming magnificence surroundings - in which recognize and teamwork are key. When university students enjoy valued and brought about to participate, it's miles at the same time as the real magic takes region. Teachers giving comments and guide tailor-made to every student's wishes is crucial for his or her progress at their non-public tempo. By following these steps, language teachers can sincerely make certain that every student gets what they want in elegance. This manner of doing matters now not only tackles the problems associated with mixed potential instructions however turns study room range into a useful tool for enriching English education.

Enhancing English language learning in Cambodia: Exploring scaffolding strategies in mixed-ability classes

Enhancing English language learning in Cambodia: Exploring scaffolding strategies in mixed-ability classes

The impact of online lesson study on students’ achievement in mathematics in China

ABSTRACT Chinese education has been striving to enhance student achievement in mathematics, and one approach that has shown promise is the improvement of teacher preparation. However, the implementation of formalized Lesson Study (LS) in China necessitates the establishment of new and effective structures to facilitate its practice. Additionally, due to the 2019 coronavirus pandemic, distance education has become increasingly prevalent. To investigate the potential benefits of combining LS with online education, the authors conducted an action research study of classroom practices. This mixed-method study aimed to determine whether the use of O-LS (Online Lesson Study) among in-service secondary mathematics teachers would improve student performance in mathematics and to explore the factors that influenced teachers’ pedagogical practice. For the quantitative research component of the study, a sample size of 68 was selected from two intact mixed-ability classes in a secondary school population, with 34 participants in each of the experimental and control groups. This action research study highlights the significance of O-LS in the context of Chinese society and demonstrates the successful integration of online education with LS to improve student achievement in mathematics.

The impact of integrating Jolly Phonics Lessons application into English literacy lessons on UAE preschoolers’ phonics skills

The Jolly Phonics Lessons application is a digital tool that is designed to enhance the preschoolers’ reading and writing skills through synthetic phonics approach. This study examined the impact of integrating Jolly Phonics Lessons application into literacy lessons on the emergent reading and writing skills among kindergarten students, ages 4-6, in the United Arab Emirates through a comparative study between pupils (Group-A), whose literacy classes were integrated with the application, and pupils (Group-B) who were taught using the traditional method of teaching literacy. Mixed methods research design was followed to analyze the effects of integrating the application. The Phonemic Awareness Assessment Inventory (PAAI) tool, field notes, and artifacts were utilized to measure the development of students’ letter-sound identification, letter formation, phoneme blending and segmenting abilities. In addition, the paper compared the growth on phonics skills between students in Groups A and B. The results showed that students in Group-A outperformed pupils who received literacy instruction through traditional methods. The findings from the PAAI scores exhibited dramatic growth in letter-sound recognition and letter formation, and substantial increase in phoneme blending and segmenting abilities of Group-A. The T-statistic for differences between two means at 95% confidence revealed that there is a significant difference between the performance of students in Groups-A and B. Implications from this study highlight the positive impact of incorporating Jolly Phonics Lessons application into literacy classes on low-achieving students. On this bases, future research of Jolly Phonics Lesson application to support mixed-ability classes or students with dyslexia.

Strategies that parents of gifted children use in tense situations with teachers in mixed-ability classes

ABSTRACT Scholars have paid little attention to the strategies used by parents of gifted children who learn in mixed-abilities classroom when interacting with their teachers. In this research we studied how parents of gifted children in mixed-ability classrooms position themselves with their children’s teachers in conflicted situations. By using multiple case studies and positioning theory as an analytical framework, this research revealed three strategies used by parents in tense interactions with teachers: Law Enforcers, who point out stated regulations, Motivators, who seek teacher cooperation, and Mentors, who avoid interactions with teachers. This knowledge is important for teachers to advance dialogue with parents of gifted children.

Konstruktivističko obrazovanje budućih nastavnika stranih jezika - principijelno procenjivanje didaktičke vrednosti aktivnosti uvežbavanja stranih jezika

This paper addresses the development of a key teacher competence-activity evaluation, as well as adaptation and design-to cater for mixed-ability classes. In the context of English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher education, the question is how early, within what framework, and under what procedures students should be taught this competence. Practicum teaching at university has been found to lack in validity, learner-centeredness, and heterogeneity, be it at the level of an activity, a series of activities, a lesson, or a series of lessons. Action research was conducted to address this issue, basing a part of an introductory English Language Teaching (ELT) methods course on developing students' awareness and putting into practice Ur's seven principles of activity conceptualisation, with a particular focus on validity, volume, and heterogeneity. The students were asked to apply these principles in teaching mock-up lessons to their peers and to analyse to what extent the principles qualified their peers' lessons and the practice of in-service teachers they observed in primary and secondary schools. The content analysis of the students' reports shows the majority both comprehended and consistently applied most of the principles, while a small number demonstrated a proper and thorough understanding of all the criteria, consistently and correctly applying them in their observation reports and in designing and teaching their mock-up lessons. Very few students consistently adopted some of the concepts incorrectly or non-specifically. No comprehensive analysis is offered of how the students' mock-up lessons were guided by the activity evaluation criteria explored. It remains to be seen if and to what extent students apply the principles in the final-year practicum, after criteria-based activity evaluation, adaptation, and design are integrated in their second ELT methods course, which focuses on developing skill teaching.

An Analysis of the Challenges and Strategies of English Language Teachers in Teaching Mixed-Ability Classes: A Qualitative Inquiry

An Analysis of the Challenges and Strategies of English Language Teachers in Teaching Mixed-Ability Classes: A Qualitative Inquiry

Developing speaking in mixed-ability classes

The research paper will discuss how speaking skills in differentiation classrooms or mixed-ability classes should be simultaneously improved. What comes to our mind when we hear “mixed ability classes”? How can we develop pupils’ speaking skills in such classes? All teachers want to find out appropriate solution to this problem. Teachers have to conduct their speaking lessons according to their learners’ needs and lack. What should they do if the lacks and needs differ from each other and the pupils have differentiated abilities? So, in such classes, pupils have different grammar knowledge, different receptive skills, and productive skills like speaking, and these kinds of classes are called mixed ability classes or multi-leveled classes. Teachers may have useful information from this piece about enhancing all pupils’ attendance in the teaching process, developing pupils’ speaking skills with the help of some useful methods, and how to motivate pupils for showing their existing speaking level.

AKADEMSKI VOKABULAR U APSTRAKTIMA STUDENATA MASTER STUDIJA NA POLjOPRIVREDNOM FAKULTETU

This study examines the proportion of word families from the Academic Word List (AWL) compiled by Coxhead (2000) in abstracts written by Master’s degree stu- dents at the Faculty of Agriculture in Belgrade. The novelty of our study is that we focus on student writing in the field of agriculture and on abstracts as a type of assignment. One of the aims was to find out whether the proportion of academic terms used by the students correlated with their CEFR level, and another one was to determine the most frequent word families. The proportion of all word families from the list in the corpus consisting of abstracts was calculated, as well as the number of tokens for each of them and their relative frequency. There was no correlation between the students’ CEFR level and the proportion of academic terms used in their texts. The proportion of studied word families was limited, and the analysis of the meaning and collocations of the 10 most frequent word families indicates a specific use by the students of agriculture. These findings question the applicability of general academic vocabulary lists to all disciplines and suggest the creation of a specific list for academic writing instruction in the field of agriculture. The results of this study may be useful for improving the teaching of English to mixed-ability classes at universities. A broader contribution could be the better use of academic vocabulary in students’ papers, which correlates with their overall academic success.

Challenges English Language Teachers Faced in Teaching Mixed-ability Classes at Selected Secondary Schools in the Gamo Zone of SNNPRS

This study aimed to explore the challenges English language teachers faced in teaching MACs at selected secondary schools in the Gamo Zone of Southern Nations and Nationalities Peoples’ Regional State (SNNPRS). To address this objective, we adopted an exploratory case study design. We selected 65 EFL teachers through a systematic random sampling technique for the questionnaire. Besides, we selected five teachers for unstructured interviews purposively. To organize and analyze the qualitative data, we employed inductive and deductive approaches. The results revealed a wide range of challenges from teacher-related to materials and student-related. Therefore, we concluded that secondary school English language teachers have faced multiple challenges and internalized them and tried to see inward to themselves than externalizing the problems and making other bodies responsible. Keywords: Mixed-ability classes (MACs), MACs challenges, teacher-related challenges, and student-related challenges

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION: PRODUCTIVE SKILLS DEVELOPMENT WITH HIGH SCHOOL AND UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

The Differentiated Instruction (DI) approach addresses individual learner`s needs in a mixed ability class by focusing instruction on student learning profiles. The purpose of this study was to describe the effects of the implementation of four DI strategies suggested by Herrera (2011) in order to analyze their impact on students’ productive skills within two different educational settings: the high school and university. A total of 105 students and two English teachers participated in this study. An online survey assessed learners’ perceptions of the DI strategies. The results confirmed that the 4 DI strategies implemented in both settings had a positive effect on the development of students’ writing and speaking skills. This study concluded that there is not a universal, one-size-fits-all strategy for teaching that includes all students. In-depth knowledge of students’ needs, and interests is a starting point for addressing instruction in a more effective way. Finally, the DI approach is starting to emerge in Ecuadorian EFL classrooms, and teachers are showing interest in applying the corresponding strategies as an aid to student learning.

UNDERSTANDING CHALLENGES OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHERS: UKRAINIAN PERSPECTIVE

Challenges encountered by foreign language teachers remain an understudied issue in the context of Ukraine, awaiting a more systematic empirical response. The given paper aimed to probe for the challenges of Ukrainian language teachers and consider their possible causes. To this end, an exploratory study was carried out with the participation of 44 foreign language teachers. The qualitative data collected through an open interview were subjected to content analysis. A range of potentially challenging aspects of language teaching and their causes were derived from the data analyzed. The findings indicated that the respondents were inclined to identify the challenges of language teaching with the aspects inherent to the profession. In other words, they commonly referred to difficulties deriving from the characteristics of their competence and the nature of their professional activity. The interviewees repeatedly referred to the challenges of personalizing instruction, its planning and management, establishing rapport with learners, attending to discipline issues, motivating learners, and teaching mixed-ability classes. The teachers also reflected on the challenges of developing various language competencies, like explaining grammar in clear terms and teaching speaking. Meanwhile, the respondents rarely mentioned causes of difficulties external to them, for instance, language policy. However, they frequently commented on the problems caused by the lack of resources, in particular, indispensable in distance learning. Thus, the teachers’ overriding concern stemmed from having to deal with learners, which outweighed the significance of developing their language skills. Overall, the qualitative snapshots of the foreign language teaching challenges help discern areas deserving more specific attention in teacher education. One of the study’s implications is the need to embrace the views of practitioners in organizing effective teacher education. Otherwise, risks are high of furnishing them with preparation experiences divorced from their actual needs.

Pomen stališč učencev do angleščine za pouk v heterogenih razredih

The article investigates the impact factors which influence pupils' attitudes towards learning English as a foreign language since these represent an important source of information for planning lessons in heterogeneous or mixed ability classes. The empirical part presents the results of a study among third graders (n=90), aimed at identifying the impact of the following factors on their attitudes: the age at which they started learning English, their gender, the exposure to English in their home environment and the valuable others (teachers, parents, and peers). The results suggest that in this age group, parents and teachers have a more salient influence on the learners' attitudes towards English than their peers.

Overview of English language teaching challenges

Furnishing language teachers with preparation and professional development opportunities catering to their needs and challenges is central to quality language education. However, there are many omissions in the literature that need addressing in this respect. This paper aims to provide an overview of the challenges English as a foreign language teachers face. Accordingly, it asks two questions: What influence do perceived challenges exert on language teachers and their instructional practices? What challenges do language teachers encounter, especially given the increased demands for learners' language proficiency? Challenges affect language teachers in multiple ways. This influence is traceable to their choice of instructional procedures, patterns of interaction with learners, communication style, usage of the target language, professional identity, curriculum decisions, well-being, job satisfaction, resilience, etc. The challenges language teachers encounter were described in the paper as externally and internally motivated to the teacher, and as discipline-specific or discipline-independent, inherent to teaching in general. External challenges include expectations of teacher competence and language teacher roles, student- and instruction-related issues (discipline, learner motivation, mixed-ability classes, and instructional management), low social status of the teaching profession, lack of financial incentives and resources, language policy, etc. The internal challenges language teachers face are caused by the personal qualities of teachers and an inadequate level of professional competence. Overall, the issues taken up in the paper could highlight the venues for leveraging language and teacher education.

Timed reading activity for developing EFL students' reading skills in mixed-ability classes

PurposeStudents of mixed-ability learning together in one class is a challenge for all educators, especially in English as foreign language (EFL) contexts. Timed reading activity (TRA) is an activity that can help educators address the learning needs of students in such a context. The present study investigated the effectiveness of the TRA in enhancing EFL students' reading rate and reading comprehension as well as in making them aware of potentially wrong reading strategies that they may be using.Design/methodology/approachA classroom intervention was designed for a group of preparatory year (PY) students at a Saudi university. The study sample consisted of one intact class of 29 students. Data were collected from pre- and post-tests of students' reading rate and reading comprehension as well as progress charts. In addition, a questionnaire was used to identify the reading strategies used by the students.FindingsThe results showed that the TRA generally enhanced the reading comprehension and the reading rate of EFL mixed-ability students as well as raised their awareness of their use of wrong fast reading strategies.Originality/valueThe results of the study support the use of TRA as a remedial reading activity in EFL mixed-ability classes.

Students’ contrasting their experiences of teacher expectations in streamed and mixed ability classes: A study of Grade 10 students in Western Australia

ABSTRACT Many secondary schools sort students into ‘ability’-based classes, but research shows that streaming students by ability is inequitable and does not improve student academic results. There has been little qualitative research that considers students’ experiences of streaming, with none that compares students’ experiences in classes that are streamed against the same students’ experiences in other classes that are mixed-ability. The research in this paper explains student experiences of differences between their streamed and mixed-ability classrooms, including the perceived influence on their educational outcomes. The study is unique because the results project the voices of 25 Grade 10 secondary school students from three Western Australian public schools, 19 of whom had recently experienced transitions between streamed and mixed-ability grouping contexts. The findings offer new knowledge that begins to explain how different class grouping strategies are experienced differently by students. Contrasts made by the students in their teachers’ provision of learning opportunities, learning aspirations, and learning environments between streamed and mixed-ability classes are discussed. The findings highlight how educational outcomes were shaped by the schools’ grouping choices and the associated differences in teachers’ expectations and provision of opportunities to learn. The results are of interest to educators making decisions about ability-grouping practices.

Technological Affordances and Teaching in EFL Mixed-ability Classes during the COVID-19 Pandemic

With the widespread of COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia, the educational authorities issued firm directions to convert to virtual classes exploiting the available Learning Management System (LMS). However, during the academic year 2020-2021, the researchers observed that writing EFL instructors at Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University (PSAU), Saudi Arabia, faced diverse challenges due to having online mixed-ability classes, i.e. those classes where students have varying levels of readiness, motivation, and academic caliper. Though many previous studies explored the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on teaching and learning practices, very few studies addressed the way technological affordances pose challenges for instructors teaching mixed-ability classes. Therefore, the present study, using mixed quantitative and qualitative research methods, sought to explore challenges that evolved due to the technological affordances of LMS to spot the persistent problems and to offer relevant solutions for upgrading, writing teaching and learning practices. The basic research design relied on an online questionnaire followed by semi-structured interviews. Findings showed that differentiated instruction proved to be the most successful strategy for teaching writing in mixed-ability online classes as it allowed the adaptation of materials, teaching and learning practices, and assessment tools to motivate low-achievers. In addition, the collaborative tools offered by the Blackboard such as the White Board, Discussion Board, Blogs, and Breakout Groups helped to meet the preferences of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners. Finally, further studies are recommended to explore the affordances of educational technologies regularly to identify potential benefits and limitations for offering the best teaching and learning practices.

A Literature Review on Geography Teachers’ Knowledge of and Attitudes Towards Dyslexia

This article is a literature review on geography teachers’ knowledge and perceptions of dyslexia, as well as the teaching methods they decide to use in order to differentiate their teaching in mixed ability classes, including dyslexic students. The aim of the systematic literature review was to identify: a) Geography teachers’ knowledge and perceptions of dyslexia; and b) the teaching strategies that they use to help dyslexic students overcome their difficulties. The research was carried out from October to November 2020. Initially, 1346 articles on dyslexia and teaching methods, generally that were published during the last 20 years (2000-2020) were identified in 5 databases. Findings showed that, despite the very large number of publications on the subject, only a few studies (3) were found to meet our research criteria (dyslexia + geography + teaching methods + teachers’ attitudes/knowledge). It is suggested that future studies focused on teaching geography and its impact on dyslexia would contribute to drawing clearer conclusions on the topic.

EFL lecturers’ needs for professional development: A case study of an institution in the Mekong Delta

Professional development is considered as an essential element in improving teachers’ competencies which, in turn, enhance students’ learning outcomes. In order to provide useful input for the design of more effective and productive professional training programs, this small-scale study was conducted to investigate EFL lecturers’ strengths and weaknesses, and their needs for professional development. Seventeen lecturers were recruited for this descriptive study; they provided information via questionnaire and four of them participated in semi-structured interviews. The English Teacher Competency Framework was mainly used to explore the lecturers’ strengths and weaknesses on five domains, namely knowledge of subject, knowledge of teaching, knowledge of learners, professional attitudes and values, and practice and context of language teaching. The semi-structured interview was employed to get more information about their needs for professional development. Almost all EFL lecturer participants in this study reported a high level of confidence on all domains. The common PD activities that the lecturers need more training or sharing refer to their teaching (e.g. teaching language skills, techniques for classroom management and groupwork management, designing lesson plans for mixed ability class) and their own learning (e.g. reading professional materials and resources, participating activities related to professional community, observing colleagues’ teaching, and attending seminars, workshops or conferences). The findings from this study raise the lecturers’ awareness of their own strengths, weaknesses and needs as well as inform training program developers and administrators in designing appropriate professional training programs and suggest related research areas in the future.