Class Peers Research Articles

Investigating the Effect of Role-Play Activity With GenAI Agent on EFL Students’ Speaking Performance

Role-play activities are considered a useful instructional design in enhancing the speaking performance of foreign language learners. However, in the traditional classroom context, learners may not readily have access to interlocutors for role-play activities. In this study, we proposed a designed method that integrated the GenAI agent into role-play activities and conducted a quasi-experiment at a Chinese university. A total of 53 Chinese students in an English course were assigned to an experimental group ( n = 29) that engaged in role-playing with a GenAI agent and a control group ( n = 24) that engaged in role-playing with their class peers. The results showed role-play activities with GenAI could facilitate students’ speaking performance, and one-way ANCOVA showed there was no significant difference in speaking performance improvement when compared with traditional role-play activities with peers. Moreover, the paired-sample Wilcoxon test showed that the treatment students had significant intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy improvement, which were higher than the control group. The findings provide important implications for the design and implementation of GenAI-integrated role-play activities for foreign language speaking learning.

Single Parental Status: Effects on Learners’ Emotional Behaviour in Public Primary Schools in Kanduyi Sub County, Kenya

The family is the stimulus behind the growth and development of an individual. Children emerge from different parental status, this include intact and single parental status. However in schools, learners from single parenthood display different emotional behaviour compared to those from intact parenthood. The objective of the study was to establish the effects of single parental status on learners’ emotional behaviour. The study was guided by family systems theory and adopted comparative research design. The study targeted a total of 458 participants, including 440 standard eight learners (212 boys and 228 girls), 9 class teachers, and 9 guidance and counseling teachers from 9 public primary schools in Kanduyi Sub County, Bungoma County. The standard eight learners were selected due to their unique experiences and maturation, as well as their physical, mental, and emotional development, which enabled them to express themselves in a manner that was comparable to that of their peers in other classes. Stratified random sampling was used to obtain participants according to their gender; simple random sampling was used to give equal chance to all learners to participate in the study. Purposive sampling was employed to select class teachers and Guidance and Counselling teachers as key informants on matters concerning learners. Questionnaires and interviews were used to collect data. The study utilised content validity while reliability of the instruments was established by cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.697. Simple linear regression was used to analyse data. Data analysis revealed a statistically significant effect of single parenting on learners emotional behaviour F (1,198=4.731, p<0.05. The findings revealed that single parenting negatively affected learner emotional behaviour since the p-value<0.05 hence the null hypothesis rejected. The study recommended for effective guidance and counselling services for learners from single parental status to help them improve on their emotional behaviour such as low self-esteem, aggression and anxiety while in school.

LAIKO JUOSTOS UŽDUOČIŲ TAIKYMAS MOKANT SUPRASTI ISTORINĮ LAIKĄ PRADINĖS MOKYKLOS TREČIOJE KLASĖJE

School history content in recent years has been shifting away from the "grand" story of history towards historical literacy, based on critical thinking and historical research skills. This encourages the explora-tion of the possibilities of developing these skills from primary school onwards, using a variety of ac-tive learning methods in social education classes. The aim of the study was to determine whether the targeted use of timeline tasks in the educational process can improve the historical time comprehension skills of third grade pupils in Lithuanian primary schools. The focus of the study was the use of timeline tasks in the understanding of historical time. The aim of the study was to explore the changes in the historical time comprehension skills of 3rd grade pupils in a primary school when timeline tasks are purposefully applied in the educational process. An action re-search study was carried out, 16 educational activities were organized in two primary school third grade classes. In one classroom, 8 activities involved the purposeful use of timeline tasks. Students' historical time comprehension skills in the category of timeline application were assessed through quantitative and qualitative content analysis of the questionnaires completed by students. It was found that before the educational activities, some of the pupils in grade 3 had not reached the level of devel-oping understanding of historical time at level A in the category of application of the timeline. A com-parative analysis of the data after the educational activities showed that the pupils in Class X who worked on the timeline tasks during the educational activities achieved higher results than their peers in Class Y who did not work on the timeline tasks during the educational activities. The results of the study suggest that the use of timeline activities in history learning enables students to better orient themselves in historical time and to achieve higher learning outcomes. Keywords: understanding historical time, timeline application, primary education, action research

Developing Hidden Talent: An Exploratory Study of Advanced Math Curriculum Implementation and Its Effects on Young Mathematically Promising English Learners

In this qualitative case study, we investigated the role of an advanced math curriculum with language scaffolding on the development of geometric and visual-spatial reasoning skills in young mathematically promising English learners (MPELs). Specifically, we examined the effects of providing MPELs with challenging and supportive math curriculum to facilitate the development of mathematical potential through a geometry unit. Twenty-one MPELs were randomly assigned to either an intervention or a comparison class. The data sources included audio recordings of class sessions, documents of math tasks, field notes, and test scores. Findings revealed that in the intervention class, tasks required more cognitive demands, and students were encouraged to contribute to classroom discourse more than in the comparison class. MPELs in the intervention class demonstrated greater gains in geometric reasoning compared to their peers in the comparison class. These findings underscore the point that challenging and supportive curricula can effectively nurture the mathematical potential of underrepresented gifted students.

The Importance of Teachers Training in Relation to the Socialization of Children with Special Education Needs in the Mainstream Classrooms

This article aims to highlight the importance of teachers training about inclusiveness by relying on statistical differences in teachers’ perceptions of who are trained in the last five years and those who are not, in the realm of inclusive education as regards the socialization of SEN children with their class peers. The approach of this study was quantitative, and sample extraction is carried out through the stages sampling method. For the data collection, it was used a Likert scale with a Cronbach’s coefficient alpha reported 0.86. The dimension of this research, “Teachers’ perceptions as regards the socialization of children with SEN with peers” consists of three factors, respectively (1) “Teacher perceptions as regards the adaption of children with SEN to the group of peers”, (2) “Teachers’ perceptions as regards the participation of children with SEN in managing the situation”, (3) “Teachers’ perceptions as regards the social participation of children with SEN with their peers”. The results of the “Mann-Whitney U Test” revealed significant differences in the perception of trained and untrained teachers, as regards the three factors of the study. Keywords: teacher’s training, children with SEN, inclusive classes

Development of power qualities for teenagers with delay of psychical development and the role of the school nurse in their health care

They studied the specifics of the development of strength abilities in boys and girls aged 12–14 with mental retardation compared to students of secondary schools. The lag of adolescents aged 12-14 years with mental retardation was found according to the absolute indicators of wrist (hand dynamometer) and static dynamometry (static dynamometer), dynamic and static strength endurance and speed-strength qualities ("holding on the crossbar", "standing long jumps ", "sitting up from a position lying on the back"), both in girls and boys in almost all age groups, compared to students of secondary schools. The analysis of the research results established: 1. The development of strength abilities of children with mental retardation is heterochronic and multidirectional compared to high school students. At the same time, the relative indicators of the strength of the back muscles of teenagers with mental retardation with a clear lag in the absolute indicators of hand and standing dynamometry did not statistically significantly differ from their peers in senior classes. Small differences in the relative indicators are due to the low physical development of adolescents of the mental retardation, namely, the lack of body weight. 2. Dynamic endurance based on the number of sit-ups of the trunk from the lying position is statistically significantly different between adolescent boys and girls of the experimental and control groups (p<0.05-0.001), with the exception of 14-year-old boys. The studied school-aged children with ALS lag behind the control and in the static power endurance of the muscles of the arms according to the results of standing on the crossbar with bent arms. Moreover, both in boys and in girls this difference is highly probable in all studied age groups (p<0.001). 3. It turned out that the speed and strength qualities of the standing long jump in adolescents with mental retardation are statistically significantly lower, and both in girls and boys in all age groups. 4. The obtained data indicate that this category of schoolchildren should be under the constant supervision of the school nurse.

High school students’ attitudes towards diverse cultures and ethnicities

As the world becomes more diversified and globalized, it is important to better understand how diversity affects our understanding and perceptions of people around us. Despite the continual increase of diversity within the United States, ethnic groups are still severely segregated in public schools, and this segregation is often accompanied by feelings of dislike and/or fear amongst students. With the rapid growth in number of minorities in K-12 education in mind, we investigated how high school students’ ethnic and individual backgrounds affect their attitudes towards the integration of diverse cultures and ethnicities in their learning at school. We also examined their social relationships with others of such diverse backgrounds. Sixty-seven 9th and 10th grade students participated in a survey that took about 15 minutes to complete. Their ethnic and racial background included White (24 students), Native American (Navajo) (15 students), Hispanic (14 students), and Mixed races (14 students). We performed inferential statistics for mean comparisons and correlational analyses. Results showed that although students generally perceived other cultures and ethnic groups positively (70-80%), Hispanic students felt judged by their peers in class due to their ethnic, racial, and cultural backgrounds. Moreover, 20-30% of the students reported their culture not being well-embraced by their school or their friends (especially Native American) and expressed their ‘dislike’ for some ethnic groups. Positive correlations emerged between the number of multi-cultural friends and students’ positive cultural attitudes. These findings have practical implications for curriculum development and educational planning in a global community.

Research on the Optimized Creation and Talent Cultivation Mode of Online Micro Short Drama under the Background of Industry-Education Integration

Abstract The ongoing evolution of the micro-short drama industry has led to increasingly sophisticated skill demands for professionals. In response, this study leverages the synergy between industry and education, employing Word2Vec and spectral clustering to develop a talent demand model predicated on text mining techniques for micro short dramas. A specialized talent demand dictionary was established to facilitate the analysis of job distribution characteristics and talent requirements within the micro short drama sector. This research introduces an optimized strategy for content creation and a novel approach to talent development for online micro skits. We conducted pedagogical experiments with students from four digital media classes across two academic levels at a university to assess the efficacy of this talent development model. The experiments specifically measured its impact on enhancing students’ abilities in micro skit creation. The results underscored interpersonal communication and content creation as the paramount skills in micro short drama, constituting 36.48% and 32.73% of talent demands, respectively. Post-experiment, the micro skit creation skills of students in the experimental cohort were observed to improve by 26.60% compared to their peers in standard classes and by 41.87% relative to their baseline capabilities prior to the experiment. These findings highlight the substantial benefits of the proposed talent cultivation model. The discussion in this paper addresses the refined strategies for creating and nurturing talent in networked micro short dramas, presenting a significant contribution to educational methodologies and scholarly discourse in digital media studies.

A structural equation model for cyber academic dishonesty in higher education: Evidence from Taiwan

ABSTRACT With the continued spread of the rise of online teaching, and the massive use of 3C products (computer, communication, and consumer electronics), the cases of academic plagiarism or using others’ works as own works caused by inappropriate use of the Internet are occurring all the time. However, very little research has been conducted on the cyber ethical climate in relation to cyber academic dishonesty. This study investigates the structural relationship between cyber ethical climate, cyber self-efficacy, cyber ethical attitude and cyber academic dishonesty, among university and graduate students, and develops a multiple mediation model. A total of 812 university and graduate students from 32 universities in Taiwan completed the online questionnaire. The results of the study show that the multiple mediation model is valid and find that the cyber ethical climate creates a favorable context for organizing members to demonstrate cyber ethical behavior, demonstrating the importance of mutual influence on cyber academic dishonesty between the cyber ethical climate created by teachers and the cyber ethical climate of class peers. Based on these results, we deeply examine the practical implications and make specific recommendations to improve the cyber ethical behavior of university and graduate students.

Math Anxiety, Achievement and Perceptions of Same-Ethnic Peers in Math Class

Using multiple linear regression analysis, this research explores racially and ethnically diverse students’ feelings of math anxiety, how these beliefs shape their achievement in the subject, and whether students’ math anxiety and performance in mathematics vary based on students’ gender, race/ethnicity, and math level. Moreover, this study investigated the potential protective functions of perceiving a high proportion of same-ethnic peers in math class for buffering against the detrimental effects of high math anxiety on achievement. Results showed that when African American students reported a high level of math anxiety, their math grades were lower when they also perceived there to be a high proportion of same-ethnic peers in their math course compared to White students with similar levels of math anxiety and perceptions of same-ethnic peers. These results suggest that the effects of classroom same-ethnic representation for students’ academic outcomes are more nuanced than labeling it as a “protective” factor. Other contextual factors may influence the relationship between math anxiety, perceived same-ethnic representation in math class, and achievement and should be explored in future research.

Safety and Exposure in Transparent School Interiors: Patterned User Perceptions of Glass

Transparency has become a key component of K-12 school architecture, intended to support active learning and foster lively social environments. But transparency’s social affordances are complex. Previous scholarship has demonstrated visibility allows for natural surveillance that may impact vulnerable users differently than their less vulnerable peers. Thus, the interdisciplinary research team surveyed user perceptions of transparent features of non-classroom spaces in a contemporary U.S. middle school building. After determining patterns of perceptions using latent class analyses, variations across classes regarding participant demographics, health, well-being, and family functioning were assessed. We identified three classes of responses. A “multiple affordances” class ( n = 41 parents, 52 children) largely composed of participants unfamiliar with the building, whom perceived both advantages and disadvantages to glass spaces. A “glass is safe” class ( n = 52 parents, 39 children) who appreciated glass spaces as good places to hang out with friends that allowed users to detect potential threats. And a “glass exposes” class ( n = 31 parents, 33 children) who saw few benefits to glass spaces and perceived glass environments as not well protected. The glass exposes class was the most racially diverse, had the lowest family income, and reported comparably worse health, well-being, and family functioning than peers in other classes. To support vulnerable students and families, we recommend designers of secondary schools use a wider variety of levels of enclosure in non-classroom spaces to create more refined anchoring qualities and to offer richer selections of social settings for student interactions during their breaks.

A comparative study on the development of Chinese and English abilities of Chinese primary school students through two bilingual reading modes: human-AI robot interaction and paper books.

To address the challenges encountered by Chinese primary school students, particularly left-behind and migrant children, who exhibit a preference for animations, video games, and short videos over reading books and struggle with Chinese-English bilingual skills, this study introduces an educational robot AI-assisted method for simultaneous bilingual reading. To assess the effectiveness of this method, a 6-month Chinese-English bilingual extracurricular reading comparative experiment was conducted involving 85 grade 5 students from two classes in a primary school in Hangzhou, China. The AI-assisted class freely read 100 bilingual/English electronic picture books and 200 Chinese electronic classic serial picture books by employing the AI-assisted human-computer interactive electronic reading mode of the "Educational Robot+Audio Electronic Picture Book+Character-play Based Reading." In contrast, the paper book group read the same content presented in the traditional paper book format, following the "regular independent reading" mode. Post-experimental analyses were conducted employing t-tests and MANCOVA and the results revealed that: the primary factors influencing reading effectiveness are the choice of reading materials, reading tools, and reading mode, while reading time does not emerge as the principal influencing factor. Furthermore, students in the AI class demonstrated significant enhancements in bilingual reading motivation, reading amount, reading comprehension, independent learning ability, pronunciation proficiency, and test scores compared to their peers in the paper book class. The AI-assisted reading mode utilizing educational robots garnered positive feedback from teachers, parents, and students. It offers the potential to effectively substitute parental involvement in parent-child reading and English tutoring, while also enabling the simultaneous acquisition of bilingual proficiency in both Chinese and English. This approach proves to be highly effective, cost-efficient, and convenient, particularly for enhancing children's foreign language abilities. Moreover, it fosters positive reading habits and independent learning skills among primary school students, contributes to the establishment of lofty aspirations, and enhances bilingual performance. Overall, this innovative mode offers an effective means of facilitating children's acquisition of bilingualism and foreign language skills, as well as promoting reading education.

Academic performance in Jamaican children with sickle cell disease

ObjectiveChildren with sickle cell disease (SCD) are at risk for neurocognitive deficits that can affect school performance, and psychosocial functioning. The aim of this study was to assess the academic performance of school–aged children with SCD in Jamaica compared to their school peers. MethodA cross-sectional survey of academic performance was done in a group of children 11 to 13 years of age, using a standardized state administered examination, the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT), covering 5 subjects. Scores were obtained from the Ministry of Education (MOE) for eligible children with SCD, as well as mean scores with standard deviation for unaffected classmates by gender. Socio-demographic and clinical data were obtained from our sickle cell clinic database and an interview administered questionnaire. ResultsSixty-four children satisfied eligibility criteria. Children with SCD had lower percentage scores and significantly lower mean z-scores for 4 of 5 subjects (p < 0.05). Males had significantly lower mean z-scores compared with females. Thirty-seven children (57.8%) were classified as underperformers. Haemoglobin level was a significant predictor of subject score rank. ConclusionChildren with SCD in Jamaica perform worse in standardized school examinations than their class peers with boys being particularly vulnerable.

Role Model Student Facillitator And Explaning Pada Mata Pelajaran Fiqih

SMA Al Maliki who has implemented the Student Facilitator and Explaning learning model, especially in fiqh subjects where the teacher applies the learning model through which students are made into groups first to discuss the material that has been prepared by the teacher, then students explain the results of the discussion in front of friends. peers in class. Through this learning model, students are expected to be active and increase their activeness in the learning process. The purposes of this study: 1) To find out the application of the Student Facilitator and Explaning Role Model in increasing student activity in fiqh subjects at MA Al Maliki in 2023. 2) To find out the results of the Student Facilitator and Explaning Role Model in increasing student activity in fiqh subjects in MA Al Maliki in 2023. This research uses a qualitative approach. Sources of data in this study consisted of two, namely: primary data and secondary data. This type of research is a case study. Observation data collection techniques, interviews. Data analysis used Miles and Huberman's interactive technique. The validity of the data used is source triangulation and technical triangulation. The results of this study are: 1) The Student Facilitator and Explaning Role Model in increasing student activity in fiqh subjects at MA Al Malik in 2022/2023 is for the teacher to make a Planning: Learning Implementation Plan (RPP) which includes competency standards, basic competencies, indicators , time allocation, learning methods, learning media, learning steps, learning resources, and evaluation. In the process of implementing the learning process, namely material about zakat, the teacher divides students into 4 groups consisting of 3 or 4 students and each group has a different material, namely about zakat. The evaluation used is a summative and formative evaluation in the form of a written test. 2) The results of the Student Facilitator and Explaning Role Model in Increasing Student Activity in the Subject of Fiqh at MA Al Maliki in 2022/2023 is that student activity is going well, students are quite enthusiastic and active in learning activities, both in terms of conveying material, this can This can be seen from the involvement of students during learning activities, such as speaking, delivering material/presentations, discussing, asking and answering questions

Strategi Baca Tanya Kerja (BTK) dengan Model Portofolio untuk Meningkatkan Belajar Mata Pelajaran Sejarah bagi Anak Berkebutuhan Khusus (ABK) di SMA Negeri 4 Sidoarjo

The purpose of enacting inclusive education in normal schools is so that there is no discrimination in the world of education so that children with special needs can study in regular schools. With this policy, it is certainly not easy for History teachers to be able to apply methods and strategies for children with special needs and regular children whose class has become one. Therefore it is necessary to have a work question reading strategy (BTK) with a portfolio model for children with special needs when learning takes place. Children with special needs do not always experience problems in learning, but when interacting with peers in regular classes there are certain things that must get special attention from the teacher, especially the supervising teacher to get optimal learning results. The method used is classroom action research. The results of the study show that the BTK strategy can improve learning outcomes and also that portfolio-based learning proves that it can improve the learning outcomes of children with special needs in history subjects.

School segregation, selective education, and adolescents’ alcohol use – is there a connection?

ABSTRACT This study examines the connection between studying in selective classes and students’ alcohol use using data from the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) from Finland. Linear probability models were used to investigate whether (1) studying in selective classes is associated with students’ recent heavy episodic drinking, and (2) whether parental education, students’ school success, and their friends’ alcohol use mediate the association. The results show that Finnish students who are selected for classes with a special emphasis engage less in heavy episodic drinking compared to their peers in non-selective classes. Parental education, school success, and friends’ alcohol use mediate part of the association. The results suggest that having the opportunity to apply for classes with a special emphasis might increase segregation between student groups and schools regarding risky behaviour such as heavy episodic drinking. Implications of urban and school policies on segregation are further discussed.

Учебная мотивация, осмысленность жизни и ассертивность у учащихся седьмого класса проекта «Математическая вертикаль»

Background. In Moscow schools there is a programme for vocational guidance for schoolchildren. One of these projects includes specialized classes in the project "Mathematical Vertical" for schoolchildren of grades 7-9. However, at present, studies of various psychological aspects of the influence of education on the personal characteristics of adolescents in special classes providing professional orientation for schoolchildren are not enough. Objective of the study was to assess school motivation, meaningfulness of life, assertiveness, as well ae to identify differences in these indicators between students in the 7th grade of the "Mathematical Vertical" project and their peers in the regular class, as well as to determine the correlations between the indicators under consideration. Methods. The questionnaire "Assessment of the level of school motivation" by N.G. Luskanova; the test by D.A. Leontiev to assess the level of meaningful life orientations; the assertiveness test by V. Capponi and T. Novak were used. Sample. The material was obtained for 50 students of the 7th grade. 28 adolescents (of which 50 % were boys) were students in a “regular” class, 22 subjects were students in a mathematical class (73 % were boys). The average age of adolescents was 13 years. Results. A low level of educational motivation was revealed among students in both classes. Male teenagers from the advanced mathematics class had a higher level of meaningfulness in life than their peers from the regular class. There were no gender differences in assertiveness test scores, while the number of assertive students was higher in the regular class compared to the maths class. The work also showed direct correlations between the levels of school motivation and meaningfulness of life, between assertiveness and meaningfulness of life. Conclusion. It seems appropriate to introduce a number of measures in various classes of the school with the purpose of the development of assertiveness, awareness and formation of life meanings and orientations, an active position in relation to one’s own life, which can positively affect the level of school motivation.

Upaya Peningkatan Pemahaman Bullying pada Teman Sebaya Melalui Layanan Bimbingan Kelompok Siswa Kelas X SMK

Indonesia is one of the countries that is quite concerned about handling bullying cases as proven to be contained in the law, besides that the smallest prevention is carried out within the scope of schools as stated in the Minister of Education and Culture. Bullying or also known as bullying is an unpleasant act that is done by someone to another person. The findings of the problem were found in one of the schools in East Lombok Regency, precisely at the Kotaraja Vocational High School (SMK), namely students experiencing bullying. One effort that can be done is to provide counseling services while based on the information the service has not been provided optimally. The application of group counseling services can be carried out using many approaches, one of which is the behavior approach so that the purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of group counseling services to increase understanding of bullying among peers in class X SMK Kotaraja. The research method used is quantitative with the type of experiment. Based on the results of data analysis using the t-test, it shows that t-count is greater than t-table (3.89 2.36) at a significant level of 5% indicating that group counseling services are effective in increasing understanding of bullying in class X students of SMK Kotaraja.

Classmates and friends matter! Peer effects on cognitive ability formation

In this paper, we investigate the impact of peer effects on cognitive ability formation at two different levels – class peers and close friends simultaneously. We use random class assignments in the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS) to deal with ability sorting and self-selection into classroom when estimating class peer effects. To identify close friend peer effects, we include initial human capital to control for time-invariant unobservables, as stable friendship implies that unobserved preference based on which students make friends is likely to stay unchanged, especially within the one-year frame of the data. We find significant positive peer effects on students' cognitive ability formation at both levels. Peer effects are heterogeneous across student ability. Peer effects work through two channels – peer conformity and peer complementarity. We find both channels generate positive peer effects and jointly determine the size of overall estimated peer effects.

The Role of Significant Others on International Students’ Agency in Chinese Learning: Translanguaging Lens

This paper is based on a case study conducted on the international students’ agentic choices and actions in response to such significant others’ impact on their competency, confidence and achievements towards Chinese learning through being engaged in translanguaging pedagogical practices. In the study, the data was collected from a photo-elicitation interview in the form of a focus group among the student participants. The data analysis revealed that the participants tended to display peer-directed, teacher-facilitated and community member-reinforced agency towards speeding up their self-understanding competency in class, improving self-learning efficacy after class, and enhancing self-awareness of tones, as a result of interacting with diverse significant others in translanguaging space. Correspondingly, this study illustrated three categories of significant others, including class peers, native Chinese teachers and members of Chinese-speaking communities who can exert the influences on enacting international students’ agency towards Chinese learning in a flexible, efficient and critical way. These findings offer an insight into shaping an overseas learners’ agency-oriented approach to make Chinese as a learnable language from a translanguaging perspective. Furthermore, the concept of significant others is linked to the field of international Chinese language education. Thus, it is expected to provide some contributory implications to native and non-native Chinese teachers, educators and researchers, particularly on paying more attention to such emergent interactions between significant others and international students’ agentic emotions, feelings and attitudes towards learning of Chinese language in different circumstances.