Primary School Classrooms Research Articles

Children with Mathematical Learning Difficulties—How Do Their Working Memory Skills Differ from Typically Developing First Graders?

AbstractChildren with mathematical learning difficulties differ from their peers not only in terms of their mathematics-specific competencies, but also in terms of other cross-curricular areas of competence. In many of these areas, they make more mistakes and need more time. Numerous studies show that they also make more mistakes in working memory tasks. However, there is little research on whether they also need more time in working memory tasks. The present study addresses this question. Methodologically, our study is aligned to peer studies that are included in a current meta-analysis. Our results from over 400 first graders reveal that children with mathematical learning difficulties do not only make more mistakes in working memory tasks, but also need significantly more time for these cognitive processes already. Our findings highlight how important it is to consider not only mathematics-specific competencies but also working memory skills and the time needed when diagnosing and supporting children in order to effectively implement individualized interventions and meet heterogeneous learning conditions in mathematics classroom in primary school.

‘It’s not a priority’: Australian generalist classroom teacher experiences of teaching the Health Education component of Health and Physical Education

The study purpose was to address a gap in the literature and gain a better understanding of Australian, specifically Tasmanian, primary school classroom teachers’ experiences of teaching health education (HE). By classroom teachers we mean generalist primary teachers, who in Australia typically teach all eight key learning areas (KLAs). In most Australian states and territories, HE exists within the health and physical education (HPE) mandated KLA, but often the delivery of HE is a responsibility assumed by classroom teachers as opposed to HPE specialists. Our study involved 53 primary classroom teacher participants in Tasmania and examined the state of play of HE. We used a mixed methods research design that included an online survey through which participants were subsequently invited to take part in semi-structured interviews. While participants tended to value HPE, we found HE was even more disenfranchised than physical education, within HPE as an already marginalised area, compared to “more academic” KLAs. This “double marginalisation” contributed to reports of inconsistent delivery of HE. Consistent with the health promoting schools agenda, we suggest a whole of school approach in addition to increased collaboration between teachers and increased HE professional learning opportunities for classroom teachers is required to facilitate change and increased prioritisation of HE in schools.

A Daily Breathing Practice Bolsters Girls’ Prosocial Behavior and Third and Fourth Graders’ Supportive Peer Relationships: A Randomized Controlled Trial

ObjectivesIn order to promote mindfulness in primary school, the Breathing Break Intervention was developed. This collection of short daily breath-based mindfulness practices was introduced to 15 teachers who delivered them up to 3 times a day to their students.MethodIn a randomized controlled trial, 146 third and fourth graders (49% female) either received the intervention (n = 81) or participated in the active wait list control group (n = 65). Students were asked to nominate prosocial peers and to report on supportive peer relationships in their classrooms before (pretest) and after (posttest) the 9 weeks of the Breathing Break Intervention, and in a follow-up 5 months later.ResultsMixed multilevel models indicated a group × sex × posttest interaction (t(211) = 2.64, p < 0.01) suggesting that girls in the intervention group were rated to be more prosocial by their peers at posttest than at pretest and than girls in the active control group when children’s age and parents’ education were accounted for. Supportive peer relationships in the active control group deteriorated between pretest and posttest, which occurred immediately before the second school lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, whereas they remained the same in the intervention group (t(223) = 2.56, p < 0.05). Both effects were not maintained at follow-up, probably due to children’s irregular school attendance during the lockdown.ConclusionsIntroducing a short daily breathing practice in primary school classrooms seems to be effective in maintaining supportive peer relationships and in stimulating girls’ prosocial behavior.PreregistrationThe study was preregistered at aspredicted.org (#44925).

It’s good to talk: professional development through dialogic co-coaching in the primary school classroom in England

ABSTRACT The article reports a two-year qualitative investigation of peer co-coaching triads introduced into primary school classrooms In England to develop teachers’ skills in the pedagogies of dialogic teaching. Post-project interviews with teacher and senior leader Data analysis of post-project interviews with teachers and senior leaders revealed that teachers reported using dialogic teaching approaches more frequently and valued opportunities to systematically re-analyse received practices. However, participants felt that video co-coaching exposed professional vulnerabilities about customary interactional practices in classrooms and that senior leadership ‘drive’ for this intervention was key to its success. School leaders should seek ways of facilitating co-coaching in support of fostering cultures of confidence in experimenting with the craft skills of dialogic teaching.

Perceptions of Education Stakeholders on Use of Code-Switching in English Foreign Language Classrooms in Primary Schools in Tanzania

Code switching is used as a strategy for teaching of English foreign language in Tanzania public primary school contexts. It is however not officially recognised as one of the strategies for teaching and learning the English subject. Little attention has been given to the use of code switching for teaching and learning English as a foreign language in relation to how it minimises the opportunity to use the target language. The paper is informed by various perspectives on use of code switching in the language teaching and learning classroom. In particular, the paper is pegged on the view that in the foreign language classroom exposure and use of the target language is prime and should be maximised. This paper presents findings from a study that investigated the use of code switching in English language teaching and learning process where a qualitative approach was used. The findings of the study showed code switching negatively affects language proficiency of learners, as it lowers students’ ability to master English language, hinders language learning and it contributes to challenges students face during exams. Code switching impedes English language learning and should be avoided so as to develop a tendency for practicing speaking English language during English sessions. It is recommended to persistently teach English through English in the foreign language context to maximise use and the linguistic space for effective learning of the language.

Indoor environmental quality in schools: NOTECH solution vs. standard solution

Background: In many Danish schools, the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) is challenging and studies document a poor IEQ in a majority of existing schools. Municipalities cannot afford comprehensive renovations and expensive mechanical ventilation solutions, hence public schools often suffer from poor indoor environment conditions. This study tests a new façade based, demand-controlled ventilation solution called NOTECH in the renovation of school. The study tests NOTECH vs. existing mechanical ventilation solution, comparing performance of both solutions at Skovbrynet Skole in Denmark. Methods: The project implements and investigates the effect of the NOTECH solution in a primary school classroom, comparing it to a similar classroom with conventional, mechanical ventilation. Methodically, indoor environmental quality and energy performance is monitored in the two identical classrooms during one school year 2018 - 2019. Results: The results show that both systems keep the conditions within acceptable limits and CO2 levels below 1000 ppm, which is the requirement according to the Danish Building Regulations. In terms of costs, the NOTECH system has a lower overall cost than the mechanical ventilation system, with total estimated costs for installation, heating, electricity and maintenance amounting to approximately 35% of the mechanical system’s costs. Finally, the results show that the NOTECH solution has a smaller embedded CO2 footprint for building materials, reducing the estimated carbon load by 95% compared to the mechanical ventilation solution. Conclusions: The performance of the two systems roughly is the same in relation to the indoor environmental quality, temperature, CO2 levels, humidity and noise level. Costs for implementation, energy consumption for heating and CO2 footprint for building materials however, are significantly lower for the NOTECH solution, compared to the mechanical solution.

Hierarchies of home language proficiency in the linguistically diverse primary school classroom: Personal, social and contextual positioning

This study explores the ways in which 24 pupils in a primary school in Brussels, Belgium perceived and navigated the personal, social and contextual dimensions of home language proficiency, at the moment when their teachers enabled them to use their home languages in the classroom for the first time. Drawing on ethnographic data including classroom video recordings, and pupil focus-group sessions, we examine the mutually constitutive dynamics of the perceptions and enactment of proficiency and how these were socially and intersubjectively ratified by the classroom community. Findings indicate that the pupils situated themselves and others in hierarchies of home language proficiency, even when they were not speakers of that language. Overt references to markers such as fluency and lexical and grammatical accuracy fed into recursive patterns of participation, which in turn created differing affordances and constraints for learning. We highlight the importance of contextual factors such as the linguistic composition of the class that contribute to the way notions of linguistic proficiency were encultured.

Ventilation strategies and children's perception of the indoor environment in Swedish primary school classrooms

This study explored the relationship between children's subjective perception of indoor environmental quality in classrooms, measured thermal and air quality factors, and the type of ventilation. Environmental data were collected in 45 classrooms in 23 primary schools in Sweden during the heating season. Schools with three types of ventilation were recruited: natural or exhaust ventilation (category A), balanced supply-exhaust with constant air volume (category B), and balanced supply-exhaust with variable air volume or demand-controlled ventilation (category C). 796 children (8–14 years of age) answered a questionnaire about their perception of the classroom's indoor environment. Based on ten dichotomous questions, the children's overall perceptions and subjective well-being was scored (“Individual score”) from worst (0) to best (10) perception. A Perception Index (PI) was calculated as the arithmetic mean of the Individual scores from all children in a given classroom. We did not find statistically significant differences in the Individual scores or PI between the three ventilation categories. However, the PI of classrooms with ventilation category A, which also had lower ventilation rates and higher concentrations of pollutants, was noticeably lower than that in classrooms with ventilation category B or C. Correlations between the PI and most of the measured environmental parameters or the individual questions about perception were weak and not significant. The PI may be improved by including factors not considered in this study, such as those related to acoustic and lighting conditions.

Objective Assessment of Binaural Benefit from Acoustical Treatment in Real Primary School Classrooms.

Providing students with an adequate acoustic environment is crucial for ensuring speech intelligibility in primary school classrooms. Two main approaches to control acoustics in educational facilities consist of reducing background noise and late reverberation. Prediction models for speech intelligibility have been developed and implemented to evaluate the effects of these approaches. In this study, two versions of the Binaural Speech Intelligibility Model (BSIM) were used to predict speech intelligibility in realistic spatial configurations of speakers and listeners, considering binaural aspects. Both versions shared the same binaural processing and speech intelligibility backend processes but differed in the pre-processing of the speech signal. An Italian primary school classroom was characterized in terms of acoustics before (reverberation, T20 = 1.6 ± 0.1 s) and after (T20 = 0.6 ± 0.1 s) an acoustical treatment to compare BSIM predictions to well-established room acoustic measures. With shorter reverberation time, speech clarity and definition improved, as well as speech recognition thresholds (SRTs) (by up to ~6 dB), particularly when the noise source was close to the receiver and an energetic masker was present. Conversely, longer reverberation times resulted (i) in poorer SRTs (by ~11 dB on average) and (ii) in an almost non-existent spatial release from masking at an angle (SRM).

Disentangling unique and consensual group norm perceptions: A study with ethnic majority students.

The influence of group norms is often tested via people's norm perceptions. Yet, people's group norm perceptions can be inaccurate, which raises the question to what extent effects of perceived norms indicate real group influence. The present study sought to obtain a better understanding of the value of group norm perceptions in social influence research. We used (longitudinal) data collected in 51 primary school classrooms in the Netherlands (Grades 3-6) and examined how majority of children's (N = 779; aged 7-13 years) perceptions of the anti-prejudice norm of their classroom peer group affected their ethnic outgroup attitudes both concurrently and over time. We divided these perceptions into a consensual and a unique part and investigated the moderating role of ingroup identification. Results showed concurrent effects of the consensual and unique norm perceptions, but a longitudinal effect of the consensual perceptions only. Classroom identification increased the concurrent effect of unique norm perceptions but decreased their longitudinal effect. Our findings indicate that norm perceptions can be important sources of actual group influence as long these perceptions are consensually shared, and that especially high identifiers rely less on their unique norm perceptions over time.

Intentions and flexibility: navigating complex literacy practices in primary education

ABSTRACT Background Children develop within a complicated and dynamic textual world. In the primary school classroom, one of the most important tasks for teachers involves the design of learning environments and situations that can support all students’ literacy development. Although the identification of students with weaker skills is relatively well researched, there is a need for deeper understanding of how teachers address the variation of literacy skills within their classrooms. This article focuses attention on teachers’ navigation of complex literacy practices within the primary classroom, which involves supporting the literacy development of children with a variety of needs, abilities and experiences. Purpose The study aimed to investigate how primary education teachers and special educational needs teachers described their intentions and ways of designing learning for complex literacy practices in order to sustain a culture of inclusive education design. Methods A total of 24 primary education and special educational needs teachers across four schools in two Swedish municipalities participated in focus group discussions. In-depth data analysis was based on design-oriented theory, applying the central concepts of intentions and flexibility to the teachers’ accounts of literacy development. Findings According to the analysis, the participating teachers perceived advantages in using multimodal methods, collaborative learning, motivation and joyfulness, as well as learning structures and support. They discussed the challenges around supporting students’ literacy progress, describing their preparedness and the flexibility, or transformation competence (using different teaching resources in different situations at different times) involved in navigating complex literacy practice in the classroom for the benefit of all students. Conclusions The study highlights the significance of teachers’ intentions to prevent, identify and remove barriers to students’ literacy development. It suggests that the part played by flexibility in determining solutions to challenges in classroom practice should not be overlooked in relation to supporting students’ literacy learning progress. Implications also include greater recognition of the importance of continuous professional development to support inclusive practice, with opportunities for collegial learning and collaboration.

The relationship between classroom environment and myopia

Objective: Based on a cohort and intervention study of the Eastern Chinese Student Surveillance, Cohort and Intervention Study (ES-SCI), this research aims to explore the correlation between monitor of the school environment and longitudinal data on myopia and provide evidence for the government myopia intervention strategy. Methods: This survey adopts the stratified cluster sampling method with the school as the unit. Students from grade 1 to grade 3 were selected according to the whole class to monitor the school environment in the classroom. Students will use the full-automatic computer optometer (TOPCON RM800) to conduct optometry from 2019 to 2021 under the condition of mydriasis to perform refractive eye examinations. Meantime eye axis length monitoring was also conducted. Cox proportional risk regression model was used to explore the relationship between school environmental monitoring and the occurrence and development of students' myopia. Results: From 2019 to 2021, 2 670 students from 77 classrooms participated in the observation study. The students' diopter after right/left eye mydriasis decreased in varying degrees (P<0.001), and the axial length of the right/left eye increased in various degrees (P<0.001). The weighted qualified rate of per capita area of primary school classrooms increased from 18.0% in 2019 to 26.0% in 2021, the weighted average illuminance pass rate of blackboard surface increased from 23.8% in 2019 to 26.4% in 2021, and the weighted average illuminance pass rate of classroom table decreased from 86.7% in 2019 to 77.5% in 2021. The trend chi-square test was significant (P<0.05). Cox proportional risk regression showed that after correcting for the grade, gender, parental myopia, diet, sleep, near work (sitting posture, working time, electronic mobile equipment, eye exercises), and outdoor activities, the per capita area of 1.36- m2 was the protective factor of eye axis length (HR=0.778, 95%CI: 0.659-0.918, P=0.003); The average reflection ratio of blackboard 0.15-0.19 was the protective factor of eye axis length (HR=0.685, 95%CI: 0.592-0.793, P<0.001); The average illumination of the blackboard 150-, 300-, 500- lx was the protective factor of the eye axis length (HR=0.456, 95%CI: 0.534-0.761, P<0.001; HR=0.794, 95%CI: 0.705-0.895, P<0.001; HR=0.690, 95%CI: 0.619-0.768, P<0.001). The blackboard evenness 0.40-0.59 was the risk factor of eye axis length (HR=1.528, 95%CI: 1.018-2.293, P=0.041), and the blackboard evenness 0.80- was the protection factor of eye axis length (HR=0.542, 95%CI: 0.404-0.726, P<0.001). The evenness of the desktop 0.40-0.59 was the protective factor of eye axis length (HR=0.820, 95%CI: 0.698-0.965, P=0.017). The average illuminance of 150-, 300-, 500- lx was the protective factor of a diopter (HR=0.638, 95%CI: 0.534-0.761, P<0.001; HR=0.911, 95%CI: 0.848-0.978, P=0.011; HR=0.750, 95%CI: 0.702-0.801, P<0.001). The average illumination of desktop 500- lx was a protective factor of a diopter (HR=0.855, 95%CI: 0.763-0.958, P=0.007). Conclusion: School environmental monitoring indicators, such as meeting per capita area standards, passing blackboard, and desk top-related indicators, all play protective effects on myopia development in students.

Inclusion of learners with learning disabilities in the Vaal Triangle mainstream classrooms.

South Africa adopted a policy on inclusive education in 2001 to ensure that all learners are accommodated and accepted in the classrooms despite their differences. This study was aimed at exploring the inclusion of learners with learning disabilities in mainstream primary schools for teaching and learning. This study followed a qualitative approach embedded in a descriptive phenomenological design. Data were generated through in-depth interviews with individual participants and were analysed thematically for content. Six teachers from six different mainstream primary school classrooms were purposefully selected for the study. Findings revealed that overcrowding, time constraints and lack of parental involvement impede the inclusion of learners with learning disabilities in mainstream classrooms. However, teachers use: (1) multi-level teaching, (2) concrete teaching and/or learning aids, (3) differentiated instruction and (4) code-switching in accommodating learners with learning disabilities. This study argues that for learners with learning disabilities to be more included in mainstream classrooms, the learner population should be reduced to a maximum of 30 learners per class, and collaboration with parents should be enhanced. Also, the arrangement of learners for teaching and learning could be limited to small groups consisting of four to five learners. Multi-level teaching and differentiated instruction should be applied in settings that do not require learners to be separated from their peers without learning disabilities. This study will help improve teachers' inclusive classroom pedagogical practices for all learners including those with learning disabilities.

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

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

Metafictive devices in children’s picturebooks and the development of children’s critical multimodal literacies

High-quality children’s literature, including picturebooks, are important resources in the classroom for students to engage with complex and sometimes concerning contemporary issues. One strategy to involve students in learning about such issues is through the use of metafictive devices, which are literary stratagems that draw readers into knowing more about a topic and helping them understand and interpret them safely. In this paper, we analyse three selected texts that contain important and deliberate metafictive devices used by award-winning authors/illustrators. First, we share brief synopses of each book and then provide detailed analyses of the literary tools used by the authors, including how they support students’ meaning-making practices through language and image. Then we consider how these works were used in a primary school classroom to improve children’s critical multimodal literacies so that they became more discerning readers who could effectively cope and engage with complex and troubling world issues through literature.

Effects of multicultural education on student engagement in low- and high-concentration classrooms: the mediating role of student relationships

Having positive and meaningful social connections is one of the basic psychological needs of students. The satisfaction of this need is directly related to students’ engagement—a robust predictor of educational achievement. However, schools continue to be sites of interethnic tension and the educational achievement of ethnically-minoritized students still lags behind that of their ethnic majority peers. The goal of the present study was to provide a quantitative account of the current segregated learning environments in terms of multicultural curriculum and instruction, as well as their possible impact on student outcomes that can mitigate these challenges. Drawing upon Self-Determination Theory, we investigated the extent to which the use of multicultural practices can improve students’ engagement and whether this relationship is mediated by students’ peer relationships. With data from 34 upper primary school classroom teachers and their 708 students, our multigroup analysis using structural equation modeling indicated that, in classrooms with a low (compared with high) minoritized student concentration, peer relationships can mediate the positive as well as negative effects of different dimensions of multicultural education on student engagement.

Teachers’ experiences of using Minecraft Education in primary school: An Irish perspective

ABSTRACT Minecraft Education is a popular digital game-based learning platform designed for use in educational settings. This study explores teachers’ experiences of using Minecraft Education as an educational tool to foster the development of key competencies and skills in students. Semi-structured interviews with Irish primary school teachers (N = 11) were conducted during a national project-based initiative involving Minecraft Education in primary schools called Ireland’s Future is MINE. Thematic analysis identified six major themes: encourages student collaboration, supports creativity, students as active participants in their learning, inclusive educational tool, supports curricular content, and barriers to use. Findings emphasise how the platform can be used in the classroom to support the development of skills and competencies students need to succeed in the future while simultaneously supporting curricular content. In addition, the platform can enable learning conditions that are more inclusive and equitable for all students. External technological barriers to use need to be addressed to realise the full potential of the platform in a classroom setting. The paper concludes with a series of recommendations and implications relating to the use of Minecraft Education in primary school classrooms.

Carbon Dioxide Concentration Levels and Thermal Comfort in Primary School Classrooms: What Pupils and Teachers Do

The current climate emergency concerns and the COVID-19 pandemic demand urgent action to maintain healthy indoor environments in energy efficient ways. Promoting good indoor environments, in particular, increasing ventilation levels, has been a prominent strategy to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 transmission indoors. However, this strategy could be detrimental to thermal comfort, particularly during the heating season in buildings located in temperate climate zones. This paper presents research conducted in two primary schools in South Wales (UK) where the temperature, relative humidity and the carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration levels were monitored. The study monitored six classrooms and two communal spaces in the two schools during the academic year 2021/2022, the first academic year back to teaching and learning in school buildings after home-schooling and educational disruptions due to COVID-19 lockdowns. The study investigated the actions taken by teachers and pupils to balance the thermal comfort needs while minimising CO2 concentration levels. We conducted user studies to explore the comfort perceptions by pupils and teachers in relation to the thermal conditions and the freshness of air in the monitored classrooms. The paper identifies opportunities where end-users, teachers and pupils engaged with the management of the indoor environmental conditions and adopted actions to balance the requirement of reducing CO2 concentration levels while promoting thermal comfort. This research offers lessons and insights related to end-users’ agency and their understanding of indoor environments and thermal experience in schools.

Exploring the Usage of Afaan Oromoo (L1) in English as a Foreign Language Classroom: The Case of Primary Schools, Oromia, Ethiopia

Although there have been various claims and counter-claims about the use of L1 in EFL learning, much still remains to be known about what is going on in English classrooms, particularly in primary schools. The current study attempted to shed light on L1 usage in EFL primary school classrooms. The purpose of this paper is to determine why, how, and the extent of L1 in EFL classroom. A descriptive qualitative research, which embraced in-depth interviews and classroom observations, was utilized in the study. The participants were three EFL teachers chosen through purposive sampling. Twelve English language classes were audio-recorded. The data were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. The findings reported that Afaan Oromoo was a helpful teaching-learning tool, particularly in clarifying grammatical items and explaining word meanings. The participants not only just welcomed students' L1 in English classes, but they also adopted it as the default language to be used without seeking to utilize any other strategy for English learning and teaching. Therefore, the study advised EFL teachers to develop principles for the judicious and deliberate use of L1 in English classes to improve students' English learning capacities.

Sound propagation and strength in small classrooms

The study involved 29 occupied primary-school classrooms in Italy where speech level (LS) and Sound Strength total (Gtot), early (G50) and late (Glate), have been acquired at 1 m from the source and in other three positions along the main axis of the room. The background noise level during the measurements was less than 56 dB(A) and the reverberation time (RT) was between 0.5 s and 1.4 s. A cut-off value of RT was assumed equal to 0.8 s for subdividing the classrooms in two groups of similar size, with lower or equal and higher RT values, respectively. The slopes per double distance of the speech level along the axis, mLS, is −2 dB/dd for both the groups. The same slope per double distance is obtained for G50 of −2.7 dB/dd, while Glate shows a slope of −0.6 dB/dd and −0.9 dB/dd for the two groups, respectively. The slope per double distance of Gtot is −2.0 dB/dd as in the case of the speech level, mLs, as expected. Optimal reverberation time range, between 0.6 s and 0.9 s, in occupied conditions, has been obtained from the difference Glate-G50 at the rear positions between 6 and 3 dB, respectively.