Pedagogical Practices Research Articles

Usage in Second Language Acquisition: Critical Reflections and Future Directions (Book Review)

In Second Language Acquisition (SLA) research, the term usage refers generally to a learner’s exposure to language, their production of it, and how they apply it in social interactions and deliberate practice. Though important in SLA research, usage does not have a standardized definition, with usage-based approaches defining it in various ways, and many focusing on a single aspect of language use. As a result, conducting comparisons across studies is challenging, and usage-based pedagogical practices could be misinformed. With a misrepresented concept of usage, second language (L2) educators employing usage-based teaching in the classroom may fail to prepare students for actual situations of L2 use. Usage in Second Language Acquisition: Critical Reflections and Future Directions (2024) aims to address this challenge by bringing together existing definitions and theorizations to provide a transparent description of usage and how it relates to L2 development. The editor’s goal is to understand the extent of agreement and disagreement of key theoretical constructs among approaches, to clarify how they are represented differently in literature, and to provide recommendations for future research in linguistics and pedagogy. [First Paragraph of Review]

The Relationship Between Institutional Pedagogy and the Brand Identity Formation of Higher Education Institutions

This study sought to facilitate insight into the potential role of pedagogy in the brand identity formation of higher education institutions (HEIs) through a study of selected HEIs in The Gambia. Specifically, the study sought to address the following research question: What role do pedagogical practices play in building the brand identity of selected universities in The Gambia? The intra-paradigm qualitative mixed method of data collection underpinned the research design. This research design facilitated a preliminary analysis of the contents of institutional documents and social media postings. This process was followed by telephonic and virtually mediated in-depth interviews through which this researcher explored the interactionist interpretations, recollections, experiences, and opinions of 54 participants (students and staff) on the themes of institutional brand management practices, institutional pedagogical practices, institutional brand identity, and the links between pedagogical practices and institutional brand identity. The study used the Corporate Brand Identity Matrix as a supporting analysis framework. The findings show a relationship between pedagogical practices and institutional brand identity formation. The evidence suggests that the selected HEIs use hardly differentiated production-style portfolios of academic courses to pursue largely unengaged students, prospective students, and other stakeholders. Further findings indicate that teaching and learning practice is dominated by academic staff's discretionary use of transmissive pedagogy. This insight emerged against the background of additional evidence, which shows a link between pedagogy policy and practices of HEIs and stakeholder impressions. A synthesis of these findings culminated in the emergence of the pedagogy-based higher education brand identity matrix (P-HEBIM), which this study proposes as a novel framework for the branding of HEIs. The study sets out a practitioner guide on how higher education managers can pursue the institutional brand management priorities of branding strategy development, competitor intelligence, and brand communication using the P-HEBIM as a framework.

Integration of Foshan traditional culture into English language university curricula: Status, challenges, and strategic approaches

In contemporary Chinese education, a significant feature is the alignment and synergistic integration of ideological and political theory across various disciplines, including university English curricula. This integration involves embedding ideological and political education within all subject areas, thereby achieving a cohesive and comprehensive approach to curriculum development that fosters holistic student development. Integrating Foshan’s local cultural elements into the English curriculum aims to achieve thematic ideological and political education that is guided by local culture, material-based ideological and political education supported by specific cultural imagery, and methodological ideological and political education based on teaching strategies. This approach weaves the ten key elements of Foshan’s traditional culture into the curriculum’s objectives, content presentation, and pedagogical practices. Such integration not only enhances the quality of professional knowledge instruction in higher education English courses but also enriches students’ humanistic qualities, bolsters their perception and confidence in Foshan’s local culture, and ultimately contributes to the cultivation of innovative talent.

Does AI Help? A Review of How AIGC Affects Design Education

With the rising advancement of Artificial Intelligence Generated Content (AIGC) tools such as Midjourney, ChatGPT, Meta and Luma, the design industry is undergoing a new shift. Thus, the great influence of the AIGC application has taken place in the design education area, followed by the question, “How does AIGC integration impact design education”? This study aims to uncover the latest progress and identify the research gap in the design pedagogy area, despite the lack of research on how AIGC integration affects design education in contrast to the explosive growth of ChatGPT research. This study explored impactful and most up-to-date articles for systematic analysis. It reveals that AIGC can enhance students’ design efficiency by empowering ideation, prototyping and personalization. However, further study is called for developing strategies for seamlessly integrating AIGC into design curricula and pedagogical practice and the educational ethics and parity issues during the AIGC integration in design education.

THE IMPACT OF LANGUAGE IDEOLOGY ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT CONSIDERING BENGALI LANGUAGE CLASSROOM USERS, AND OTHERS USING THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN SOUTHEAST ASIA, WHICH IS A BARRIER TO LEARNING

This paper determines and analyses the problems faced by Bengali Medium students, and how Bengali medium students are treated negatively and thus affect their outcomes, at university. This research paper has been made based on secondary and primary data which the researcher analyzes and graphical representation. The researcher structured a survey questionnaire on a sample size 30. The researcher focused on the actual problems that are being faced by Bengali medium students at university. Also, the researcher tried to find out why Bengali medium students were treated negatively by many faculty members and tried to find out whether these problems are affecting the student’s achievement or not; the researcher also tried to take some suggestions from the students about how can we reduce the problems. A mixed-method approach was considered in writing this paper. With the use of a Likert scale for collecting the primary data from the students was collected. After analyzing these data, the researcher focused on collecting secondary data. Secondary data were collected from different sources i.e. online journals, online articles, and some web pages. KEYWORDS: pedagogical practices, language proficiency, multilingualism, linguistic identity, language barriers

Health literacy & somatic education: a salutogenic self-resource critical health intervention

Abstract Issue Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as musculoskeletal conditions, cause severe functional limitations. Therapeutic practices in this field have employed a theoretical-practical framework with a pathogenic and mechanistic bias. However, the causes of these NCD’s are also related to biopsychosocial factors. Therefore, a critical theoretical-practical approach, such as Somatic Education, becomes relevant as it introduces a subjective experience to an educational praxis, modifying the meaning processes in human movement experience in a complimentary approach to the pathogenic perspective. Description of the problem There is a perceptual poverty in movement experience, which dissociates doing from feeling. Somatic practices aim to foster movement awareness (perception) and autonomy (self-regulation), placing the individual as a valuable resource, strengthening the capacity for understanding, reflection and habitus change. This presentation will focus on the following research questions: Can Somatic Education, as a critical intervention of the body, contribute to increased levels of health literacy? Can somatic practices contribute to sustainable health development? Is it possible to create a new meaningful process in human movement experience through this practice incrementing its salutogenic emphasis? Results/Effects Somatic practices foster integrative approaches of health, promoting subjective bodily experience (interface between doing, thinking and feeling). Integrative progress can urge the embodiment of health literacy, encouraging more active and awareness of individuals related to their well-being, contributing to sustainable health development. Moreover, subjective bodily experience transforms the process of meaning in movement experience. Lessons Somatic practices enhance NCDs prevention and education, increasing health literacy rates through innovative conceptual foundations.

Fostering Inclusivity: A Critical Emancipatory Approach to Dyscalculia in Primary School Mathematics

This research endeavoured to revolutionise primary school mathematics education by implementing an active learning approach tailored to addressing dyscalculia. The study used a critical emancipatory framework as the theoretical foundation, and participatory action research as the chosen methodology. The researcher employed purposive sampling to select two mathematics teachers, one school-based teacher, a district education psychologist, two learners displaying dyscalculia symptoms, and two parents. The research collaboratively engaged participants to identify challenges, crafting interventions, and reflecting on outcomes through the lens of the critical emancipatory framework and participatory action research,. The researcher assessed the effectiveness of the active learning strategy to enhance students’ mathematical abilities, self-efficacy, and attitudes toward mathematics. Critical discourse analysis shed light on the potential of active learning strategies to improve mathematical learning outcomes and create a supportive learning atmosphere. The results indicated that the implemented active learning strategy offers effective pedagogical practices for learners with dyscalculia by influencing positive changes in their attitude towards mathematics and the learning environment. The participating teachers gained insights into understanding the behaviour of learners with dyscalculia and the role of active learning in intervention strategies. The study’s findings can guide educators, policymakers, and researcher in developing inclusive mathematics instruction for diverse learners in primary school classrooms.

Analysis of Mathematics Performance Trends in Certificate of Secondary Education Examination, Tanzania, from 2015–2022: A projection for eight years

Mathematics is essential to life as everyone uses mathematical concepts daily. Many countries have advanced in science and technology by investing in mathematics. This study aimed to determine the trend of students who sat for the Certificate of Secondary Education Examination (CSEE) in mathematics from 2015 to 2022; analyse performance trends in mathematics during this period, examine mathematics failure rate trends, and project pass rates in mathematics for the next eight years, from 2023 to 2030. This study employed a quantitative research approach and an ex-post facto research design. Participants were 4,459,009 students who sat for CSEE from 2015–2022. Analysis from the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 26.0 revealed a consistent rise in student enrollment, with 136,481 more students by 2022. The pass rate was low, as the maximum was 20.12%, while failure rates consistently exceeded 78%. The findings indicated further that the pass rates would remain low from 2023 to 2030. The study recommends reviewing secondary school mathematics curriculum, increasing teaching and learning materials, providing regular in-service training in innovative pedagogical practices and assessment, and hiring more mathematics teachers in secondary schools.

Academic development for tomorrow? Claiming a clearer role for university pedagogy through a holistic framework

ABSTRACT The aim of this theoretically oriented article is to promote the educational role and purpose of academic development in higher education by suggesting a holistic framework and theoretical articulation for university pedagogy. By discussing links between university pedagogy, academic development, and broader views of university education, our framework clarifies the concept of university pedagogy in the Nordic countries. The framework encompasses four themes: (1) the relationship between educational theory and pedagogical practice; (2) the interplay between knowledge and the curriculum; (3) the university as an organization and social institution; and (4) the agency in and of academic communities. We argue that university pedagogy operating within this framework has the potential to strengthen the scholarly foundations of the development of university education. The framework can enhance critical public discourse on the purpose of university education.

Exploring and crossing boundaries in education – tinkering as an approach to breaching children’s formal and informal learning processes

This article explores the integration of tinkering as an approach to learning and teaching in the context of two Danish public schools. Tinkering, traditionally associated with informal learning, is examined for its potential to widen participation, and align with informal learning processes within a formal educational setting. The study, part of the larger Tech&Play project, investigates the characteristics of tinkering in formal learning settings and examines the roles of children and teachers in tinkering processes. The article introduces the Positioning Wheel, a reflection tool, to understand the roles and positions of children and teachers in experimental learning practices. It combines this with the Facilitation Field Guide developed by the Tinkering Studio to create a pedagogical and didactical framework. The findings indicate that tinkering encourages diverse participation and engagement, particularly in cross-curricular and thematic approaches. However, challenges arise in sustaining the tinkering approach within longer lesson plans and subject-specific contexts. The study suggests that while tinkering enhances motivation and flexibility in formal learning, further experiments are needed to fully explore its potential within the formal education system. The Positioning Wheel proves useful in analyzing the positioning of learners, emphasizing the importance of dynamic roles in pedagogical practices.

Transmission capabilities of SoulCollage in socio-pedagogical practice

Introduction. Artistic pedagogical technologies are widely used in pedagogical practice. However, a new technique, SoulCollage, is just beginning to be used in our country, and has not yet been reflected in Russian scientific publications. Scientific research devoted to SoulCollage and its use in practice has been published abroad since 2010.Purpose setting. The problem of the research is to find an answer to the question: does SoulCollage have transmission when used to form a positive mood? The purpose of the study is to search for manifestations of the property of transmission in the artistic pedagogical practice of collaging, using the example of SoulCollage. By transmission we mean a change in psychological state in response to a directed influence. The hypothesis of the study is the assumption that SoulCollage can be used as a socio-pedagogical practice when influencing the psychological state of a child in order to form a positive attitude (according to A. S. Makarenko).Methodology and methods of the study. The research methods were theoretical analysis, SoulCollage practice and pedagogical observation. Five educational practices on working with SoulCollage were conducted with students of Omsk State Pedagogical University aged 18 to 24 years. 54 people participated in the study.Results. The article reveals the historical origins of the development of SoulCollage and the technology of its application. The structure of the deck in Soul Collaging is described, which consists of deck suits: committee cards (psychological dimension), council cards (archetypal dimension), companion cards (consisting of animal guides that live in the chakras), community cards (social dimension). The technology for using SoulCollage in social and pedagogical practice is presented. Conclusions. The observation results showed that participants in social and pedagogical practice exhibit positive charge, they demonstrate increased interest in self-knowledge. The effects of socio-pedagogical practice are expressed interest: in SoulCollage cards, in participants in socio-pedagogical practice, in the study of Eastern philosophy and Jungian archetypes.

Enhancing dance education through convolutional neural networks and blended learning

This article explores the evolving landscape of dance teaching, acknowledging the transformative impact of the internet and technology. With the emergence of online platforms, dance education is no longer confined to physical classrooms but can extend to virtual spaces, facilitating a more flexible and accessible learning experience. Blended learning, integrating traditional offline methods and online resources, offers a versatile approach that transcends geographical and temporal constraints. The article highlights the utilization of the dual-wing harmonium (DWH) multi-view metric learning (MVML) algorithm for facial emotion recognition, enhancing the assessment of students’ emotional expression in dance performances. Moreover, the integration of motion capture technology with convolutional neural networks (CNNs) facilitates a precise analysis of students’ dance movements, offering detailed feedback and recommendations for improvement. A holistic assessment of students’ performance is attained by combining the evaluation of emotional expression with the analysis of dance movements. Experimental findings support the efficacy of this approach, demonstrating high recognition accuracy and offering valuable insights into the effectiveness of dance teaching. By embracing technological advancements, this method introduces novel ideas and methodologies for objective evaluation in dance education, paving the way for enhanced learning outcomes and pedagogical practices in the future.

Try Yourself!

Abstract In 1928, a handbook on natural history collecting was published as part of a series of popular books on scientific experimentation. The “Försök själv” series addressed young people and positioned itself deliberately between textbooks and popular science publications. In this paper, I examine how collecting was recast as experiment in the context of the “Försök själv” series. It is situated in the intersection between the history of scientific publication and the history of collecting as pedagogical practice. It highlights a moment in science pedagogy when the rationales and practices of collecting were changing. It draws attention to the role of handbooks between teachers and objects, and between field, class-room, and laboratory. As publications, the “Försök själv” books straddle the boundary between textbooks and popular science. As handbooks they draw together books, things, and practices.

Phenomenological exploration of educational mentoring relationships and concerns for 21st century pedagogical praxis in Fitche pre-service primary school college of teacher education, Ethiopia

Purpose: The study explored phenomenological experiences of educational mentoring relationships and concerns for 21st century pedagogical praxis in Fitche pre-service primary school college of teachers’ education. The study answered the central research question “What do the phenomenological experiences of educational mentoring relationships and concerns for 21st century pedagogical praxis in Fitche pre-service primary school teacher education looks like?” Methodology: The study explored the lived experiences of instructors and pre-service teacher candidates regarding mentoring relationships through phenomenological research design. I selected 47 participants using purposive sampling technique based on teaching experience, mentors-mentees’ performance, and academic position. Findings: The data were collected using semi-structured interview, focus group discussion, and researcher’s direct observation. The researcher observed educational relationship experiences between mentors and mentees, and caused vertical and lateral effects on professional development beyond engagements in classrooms. The researcher analyzed textual and contextual data qualitatively in themes. The finding indicated that cognizant to critical realistic approach to education, the study explored mechanisms of re-educating educators towards understanding of lived experiences through contentment, contention, conflict, and conciliation of emotional sates into positive mind-sets. I observed the existing phenomenon in educational mentoring based on inquiry, sharing, encouraging, and caring occurred between mentors and mentees. Educational relationship is stronger between students and grades than mentors and mentees. Implications: Educational mentoring should improve capacity of mentors and mentees’ professional and pedagogical development practices to improve quality of pre-service teacher education.

Syncopation Struggles: Decoding Rhythmic Challenges in Ghanaian Arts Music

This study explored the vital role of rhythm in Ghanaian arts and music, focusing on its significance for cultural preservation and education amid globalization challenges. Using a qualitative methodology grounded in Ethnomusicology, the research examined how traditional rhythms are taught and interpreted, with particular emphasis on the role of choir directors. The findings indicate that current interpretive methods may not adequately preserve the authenticity of these rhythms, affecting educational and cultural transmission. The study recommends developing more precise interpretation techniques and an interdisciplinary approach in music education to improve the understanding and preservation of the cultural heritage of Ghana. This research contributes to scholarship by highlighting the cognitive and social dynamics in music education and stressing the urgency of safeguarding cultural authenticity in traditional Ghanaian music practices. Its implications extend beyond academic circles, influencing pedagogical practices in music education worldwide. Keywords: Ethnomusicology of Ghanaian Arts Music, Rhythm Interpretation, Cultural Heritage Preservation, Music Education, Cognitive Processes in Music

Inclusion of Students With Disabilities in Physical Education: The Crossroads of Systemic Coherence

Abstract This study aims to identify and comprehend the factors and pedagogical practices that facilitate or hinder the inclusion of students with disabilities in physical education classes at school, considering micro and macrosystemic levels. The methodology employed in this study was a case study approach, using an interpretative phenomenological analysis to construct thematic categories of analysis. These categories include: 1.Flexibility of the physical education teacher’s practices and strategies, 2. Teacher training, 3. Inclusive spaces and infrastructure, 4. Involvement of the educational community. The various data collection tools (interviews, focus groups and observations) allowed to portray and illuminate each of the topics of analysis and the contextual differences of the three schools analyzed. The findings demonstrate that inclusive strategies must be coherent and systemic in accordance with the contexts. However, it is possible to highlight inclusive strategies that reveal the importance of teacher commitment, the interconnected work between teachers and school management, the use of expeditious communication channels within the educational community and with governmental levels, the use of implements related to the practice of physical education and the use of the teacher’s voice as the primary agent for the implementation of inclusive learning strategies.

Controversial issues in social study subjects: conveying values and facilitating critical thinking

ABSTRACT This study explores the practical implications of the paradox of moral education, focusing on how Swedish social study teachers (civics, geography, history, and religious education) navigate conflicting responsibilities to convey values and facilitate critical thinking when addressing controversial issues in their classrooms. Through qualitative interviews and observations, teachers were found to often lead by example, maintaining neutrality and presenting diverse perspectives. This approach appears to foster students towards embracing liberal values, promoting independent decision-making and personal responsibility, but it may come at the cost of critically evaluating these very ideals, norms, and values. The absence of official guidelines in the Swedish school system underscores the significance of understanding how teachers balance these conflicting responsibilities in their pedagogical practices. The study sheds light on the practical strategies employed by teachers, contributing valuable insights to a discourse traditionally centred on theoretical solutions to the paradox of moral education.

Comparing the South African and Brazilian student uprisings (2015–2016): Similarities, Circulations, and Distance

ABSTRACT South Africa and Brazil are notorious for having some of the highest levels of (racialised) inequality on the planet, and dysfunctional education systems failing millions in their aspirations for a better life. Over 2015-16, student protests erupted across Brazilian and South African schools and universities, challenging these conditions through strikes, occupations, on-campus and street protests, and intellectual production. This paper builds on a World-Systems theoretical framework to understand the similarities, circulation, and distance between the two contemporaneous movements. In Brazil, the ‘Primavera Secundarista' high school occupations dealt primarily with local political dynamics, such as school closures, and intersectional forms of oppression. In South Africa, the ‘Fallist' university mobilisations demanded free, decolonised education, alongside addressing issues of outsourcing and institutional racism. In the first section, I give a comparative overview of these student movements’ similarities, situating them in their context and highlighting the key concerns and political and pedagogical practices of student activists in each. While these movements did not generally engage with each other, there were some important points of interaction, discussed in the second section. While highlighting these points of connection, I also advance an argument in the third section for why there was nevertheless relatively little direct engagement between these contemporaneous movements that otherwise had so much in common. The points of connection and disconnection between these similar movements offers insights about the functioning of the contemporary World-System and the modes of transnational circulation between movements therein, with lessons for transnational understandings of social movements, especially South-South movements.

Pedagogical practices, knowledge and institutional conditions in which Colombian teachers work. A study on inclusive education and disability

En 2017 se expidió en Colombia el decreto 1421, según el cual todas las escuelas del país debían acoger estudiantes con discapacidad y ofrecerles oportunidades de calidad para su ingreso, permanencia y egreso. El Ministerio de Educación dio un plazo de cinco años, contados a partir de su aprobación, para que esta política se implementara en todo el territorio nacional. El objetivo de esta investigación es caracterizar las prácticas pedagógicas, los conocimientos y las condiciones institucionales en las que labora una muestra de docentes colombianos, seis años después de expedido el decreto. Para ello, se utilizó un diseño cuantitativo no experimental transeccional y la aplicación de una escala a 249 maestros y maestras de distintos niveles educativos. Con base en los hallazgos obtenidos, puede concluirse que hay un cambio positivo en las prácticas pedagógicas y los conocimientos de aquellos docentes que cuentan con formación en inclusión y que laboran en colegios que acogen alumnado con estas trayectorias de vida. Aun así, las condiciones institucionales del profesorado encuestado todavía no responden a proyectos inclusivos. Estos resultados se discuten a la luz de los retos que enfrenta el sistema educativo colombiano en pro de atender alumnado con discapacidad.

ChatGPT in Higher Education: A Comprehensive Study of the Literature. Friend or Foe?

This paper presents a qualitative, high-quality State-of-the-Art (SotA) extended literature review on integrating ChatGPT, an advanced and contemporary natural language processing model, a sophisticated AI-powered chatbot that OpenAI developed in higher education. Snyder (2019, p.1) emphasised that "a literature review as a research method is more relevant than ever”. According to Barry et al (2022, p. 663), "the fundamental purpose of SotA literature review is to create a 3-part argument about the state of knowledge for a specific phenomenon: This is where we are now. This is how we got here. This is where we could go next”. This 3-part argument will underpin this study. With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and its potential to transform various sectors, including education, integrating AI-powered tools like ChatGPT to enhance teaching and learning has become a topic of significant interest. This study explores the diverse applications of ChatGPT in higher education, including pedagogical practices, student engagement, intelligent tutoring systems, personalised learning, language learning support, academic research, feedback, grading, and administrative support. Additionally, it identifies the challenges and ethical concerns this technology poses, focusing on bias, privacy, data security, reliability, accountability, accuracy and the balance between human interaction and artificial intelligence. Analysing the literature on ChatGPT’s role in higher education presents future directions for implementing it in higher education settings, ushering in an era of exciting possibilities. The research concludes that higher education institutions should provide clear and transparent guidelines for their staff and students on using ChatGPT responsibly for academic purposes to mitigate any ethical concerns.