English Primary Schools Research Articles

SARS-CoV-2 incidence among teaching staff in primary and secondary schools—Wales, 2020–2021

BackgroundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, face-to-face delivery of education in schools across Wales was disrupted with repeated school closures to limit risk of infection. Evidence describing the incidence of infection amongst school staff during times when schools were open is limited. A previous research study found infection rates were higher in English primary school settings when compared with secondary. An Italian study suggested teachers weren’t at greater risk of infection in comparison to the general population. The aim of this study was to identify whether educational staff had higher incidence rates than their counterparts in the general population in Wales, and secondly whether incidence rates amongst staff differed between primary and secondary school settings and by teacher age.MethodsWe performed a retrospective observational cohort study using the national case detection and contact tracing system implemented during the COVID pandemic. Age stratified person-day COVID-19 incidence rates amongst teaching staff linked to primary or secondary schools in Wales were calculated for the autumn and summer terms during 2020–2021.ResultsThe observed pooled COVID-19 incidence rates for staff across both terms was 23.30 per 100,000 person days (95% CI: 22.31–24.33). By comparison, the rate in the general population aged 19–65, was 21.68 per 100,000 person days (95%: CI 21.53–21.84). Incidence among teaching staff was highest in the two youngest age groups (< 25 years and 25–29 years). When compared to the age matched general population, incidence was higher in the autumn term amongst primary school teachers aged ≤ 39 years, and in the summer term higher only in the primary school teachers aged < 25 years.ConclusionThe data were consistent with an elevated risk of COVID-19 amongst younger teaching staff in primary schools when compared to the general population, however differences in case ascertainment couldn’t be excluded as a possible reason for this. Rate differences by age group in teaching staff mirrored those in the general population. The risk in older teachers (≥ 50 years) in both settings was the same or lower than in the general population. Amongst all age groups of teachers maintaining the key risk mitigations within periods of COVID transmission remain important.

A Strategic Study on Improving the Professional Core Quality of Primary and Secondary School English teachers

This paper first introduces the system structure of English teachers' professional core literacy, and then analyzes the importance of improving professional core literacy. To meet the needs of improving the core literacy of English teachers, this paper puts forward a variety of strategies, including extensive reading of professional data, collective discussion by teachers, optimization of teaching methods according to the situation of students, construction of a multi-faceted English teaching evaluation system and integration of teaching and research on the core literacy of English teachers. It is hoped that these strategies can contribute to the reform and development of English education and help English teachers to continuously improve their professional core qualities.

A profile of students pursuing a Degree in Primary Education, Foreign Language Track

Degree Programme for Primary Education, English as a Foreign Language Track. In particular, this research analyses their previous linguistic knowledge, their perception of the linguistic competence of a primary school English teacher, and their perception on their own linguistic competence. The findings for this research show that the students’ linguistic competence at the beginning of their studies is far from their perception of the linguistic competence that a primary-school English teacher should have. Another important finding reveals how their perception of the English language and the teaching of English will affect their decision when choosing this degree. The sample was 38 students enrolled in the fourth year of this particular degree in three consecutive years (2017/2018, 2018/2019, 2019/2020). The research tool was an ad hoc, 33-item questionnaire that was administered online. This paper uses a quantitative approach and data were analysed with descriptive statistics: Kruskal-Wallis one-factor and U-Mann Whitney. This investigation emphasises the important role of foreign-language linguistic competence in the training of primary- school English teachers.

Explore the Theoretical Basis of Primary School English Teaching Design

In order to improve the classroom teaching effect, promote teachers' professional development and promote students' all-round development, instructional design plays an important role. Based on the reading of Professor Chen Donghua's English Teaching Design for Primary Schools and the research of relevant policy documents, this paper analyzes the theoretical basis of English teaching design for primary schools from the aspects of Compulsory Education English Curriculum Standard (2011 edition), language learning theory, learning theory and teaching theory, aiming at providing help for primary school teachers' teaching practice.

English

English in primary and secondary schools is an important part of national education in China. Likewise, there are a large number of teachers who undertake English in primary and secondary schools, playing an increasingly important role in national education, and their professional development is of great significance. Sichuan-Chongqing is an important district in southwest China, which is representative of the whole country. A survey of the current situation of English teachers' professional development in this area is helpful in finding out the existing problems in time, putting forward solutions and promoting teachers' professional development. Based on questionnaires and interviews, this paper analyzes the current professional groups, professional development level and professional development awareness. It puts forward some suggestions on pre-service education, on-the-job training and constructing a teachers' learning community to improve and promote the professional development of English teachers in primary and secondary schools in Sichuan and Chongqing. This study can also have some enlightenment for the professional development of English teachers or other subjects in primary and secondary schools in Sichuan and Chongqing as well as other parts of the country.

The Development and Application of Emotion and Values in Primary School

Based on the effective teaching of primary school English class, this paper starts from studying the application of emotion attitude goal in class, and relies on the human-oriented version of primary school English textbook to discuss how primary school English teachers adopt effective teaching strategies to organize and implement English teaching activities, so as to achieve the goal of “emotion attitude and values” in English teaching. This paper explains the significance of realizing “emotion, attitude and value” in primary school English classroom and how to excavate emotion elements in English textbooks so as to effectively realize the three-dimensional goal of primary school English teaching. By studying the current status of primary school English teaching and existing problems, this paper points out that teachers should update their teaching concepts in time, and discuss and explore the aspects of lesson preparation, class, teaching test evaluation and so on around the theory of “unit integrated design”, so as to improve the efficiency of class and promote students’ emotions, attitudes and values while grasping knowledge. At the same time, the author emphasizes classroom practice, timely reflection after class and timely adjustment of the taught content so as to achieve the ultimate goal of “emotion, attitude and values”.

Promoting mental health and well-being in schools: examining mindfulness, relaxation and strategies for safety and well-being in English primary and secondary schools—study protocol for a multi-school, cluster randomised controlled trial (INSPIRE)

There are increasing rates of internalising difficulties, particularly anxiety and depression, being reported in children and young people in England. School-based universal prevention programmes are thought to be one way of helping tackle such difficulties. This paper describes an update to a four-arm cluster randomised controlled trial (http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN16386254), investigating the effectiveness of three different interventions when compared to usual provision, in English primary and secondary pupils. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the trial was put on hold and subsequently prolonged. Data collection will now run until 2024. The key changes to the trial outlined here include clarification of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, an amended timeline reflecting changes to the recruitment period of the trial due to the COVID-19 pandemic and clarification of the data that will be included in the statistical analysis, since the second wave of the trial was disrupted due to COVID-19.Trial registration ISRCTN Registry ISRCTN16386254. Registered on 30 August 2018.

Children’s Lived Experiences of Wellbeing at School in England: a Phenomenological Inquiry

This phenomenological inquiry investigated children’s wellbeing experiences at school, including their hedonic (feeling good) and eudaimonic (doing good) accounts, a distinction often overlooked. Further, while phenomenological inquiries of children’s mental ill-health exist, wellbeing, a fundamental part of mental health, is neglected. This is at odds with positive psychology which favours strengths-based approaches to studying human development. Phenomenology provides rich detail, facilitating deeper understanding of why and how certain factors affect wellbeing, as described by children themselves. A sample of 15 children (aged 9–11), attending one English primary school broadly representative of the national socio-demographic, engaged in interviews. Children’s experiences of ‘feeling good’ at school were characterised by: an interdependence on peers’ emotional states (described as ‘a domino effect’), a need to feel cared for by, and trust, adults, and desire for autonomy over their time. Children attributed mistrust in adults to adults disregarding seemingly incidental events which felt significant to children. Children experienced ‘doing well’ as equating to academic attainment, conveying a fixation with test scores, using language of ‘correctness’ and efficiency. Shame pervaded when ‘correctness’ was not achieved, with children describing being ridiculed for poor test scores. Recommendations for schools to support children’s hedonia include prioritising wellbeing curricula and emotional literacy, greater staff reflexivity, and prioritisation of pupil voice. To foster children’s eudaimonia, recommendations include the need for teachers to provide formative, personalised feedback for pupils focused on the learning process, and the need for Government to embrace a range of ways pupils can feel successful beyond academic attainment.

Assessing children’s writing products using curriculum-based measures of writing (CBM-W)

AimWriting is key to academic success and job opportunities later in life. Nevertheless, every year children leave primary school struggling to write and few assessments enable schools to reliably identify and target weaknesses in children’s writing. This study explored curriculum-based measures of writing (CBM-W) for assessing writing in primary schools in the United Kingdom (UK).MethodTwenty-seven children from a Year Five class in an English primary school responded to a narrative prompt administered for five minutes once a fortnight for a 10-week period. Children completed a standardised assessment of writing quality (the WIAT) prior to the first CBM-W assessment. CBM-W measures included number of words written (WW), words spelled correctly (WSC), correct word sequences (CWS; any two adjacent words used correctly in context) and correct minus incorrect word sequences (C-IWS).FindingsAll four CBM-W measures demonstrated concurrent validity in relation to the WIAT and captured significant differences in writing performance between children with and without a SEN. Measures also captured pupil growth, demonstrating the utility of CBM-W both as a tool for screening and progress monitoring.LimitationsThe small sample placed limits on the generalisability of findings. Additionally, piloting the equivalence of the writing prompts used in this study may have reduced the risk of measurement error.ConclusionFindings demonstrate the technical adequacy of CBM-W and promising evidence of its potential use by teachers, SENCOs and EPs to assess the writing of primary school children in the UK.

Associations between trajectories of obesity prevalence in English primary school children and the UK soft drinks industry levy: An interrupted time series analysis of surveillance data.

Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are the primary source of dietary added sugars in children, with high consumption commonly observed in more deprived areas where obesity prevalence is also highest. Associations between SSB consumption and obesity in children have been widely reported. In March 2016, a two-tier soft drinks industry levy (SDIL) on drinks manufacturers to encourage reformulation of SSBs in the United Kingdom was announced and then implemented in April 2018. We examined trajectories in the prevalence of obesity at ages 4 to 5 years and 10 to 11 years, 19 months after the implementation of SDIL, overall and by sex and deprivation. Data were from the National Child Measurement Programme and included annual repeat cross-sectional measurement of over 1 million children in reception (4 to 5 years old) and year 6 (10 to 11 years old) in state-maintained English primary schools. Interrupted time series (ITS) analysis of monthly obesity prevalence data from September 2013 to November 2019 was used to estimate absolute and relative changes in obesity prevalence compared to a counterfactual (adjusted for temporal variations in obesity prevalence) estimated from the trend prior to SDIL announcement. Differences between observed and counterfactual estimates were examined in November 2019 by age (reception or year 6) and additionally by sex and deprivation quintile. In year 6 girls, there was an overall absolute reduction in obesity prevalence (defined as >95th centile on the UK90 growth charts) of 1.6 percentage points (PPs) (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.1, 2.1), with greatest reductions in the two most deprived quintiles (e.g., there was an absolute reduction of 2.4 PP (95% CI: 1.6, 3.2) in prevalence of obesity in the most deprived quintile). In year 6 boys, there was no change in obesity prevalence, except in the least deprived quintile where there was a 1.6-PP (95% CI: 0.7, 2.5) absolute increase. In reception children, relative to the counterfactual, there were no overall changes in obesity prevalence in boys (0.5 PP (95% CI: 1.0, -0.1)) or girls (0.2 PP (95% CI: 0.8, -0.3)). This study is limited by use of index of multiple deprivation of the school attended to assess individual socioeconomic disadvantage. ITS analyses are vulnerable to unidentified cointerventions and time-varying confounding, neither of which we can rule out. Our results suggest that the SDIL was associated with decreased prevalence of obesity in year 6 girls, with the greatest differences in those living in the most deprived areas. Additional strategies beyond SSB taxation will be needed to reduce obesity prevalence overall, and particularly in older boys and younger children. ISRCTN18042742.

Mid-day supervisors in English primary schools: a role theory perspective

ABSTRACT This paper presents the findings of a multi-site case study focused on the role of mid-day supervisors in English primary schools. Ethnographic approaches were employed to gain an understanding of the role and how this is experienced by those who undertake it. This included a fully participatory phase where the researcher inhabited the role of a mid-day supervisor. Ethnographic interviews were also conducted. The research found that role strain, caused by a range of factors, as well as whether the role was legitimised or marginalised, had a significant impact on how the role was enacted and experienced by mid-day supervisors.

Recognition and reporting of outdoor learning in primary schools in England

ABSTRACT The Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspects and reports on the quality and effectiveness of educational provision in England. This research explores the extent to which non-mandatory curricular outdoor learning was recognised and reported by Ofsted in their inspections of state-maintained English primary schools (3–11 years) between September 2019 and February 2020. The data obtained from published reports (n = 629) using key word searches indicate mainly positive outcomes for pupils who have opportunities for outdoor learning (42% of reports). Seventy-two percent of comments related to the Early Years Foundation Stage (3–5 years) where access to an outdoor environment or planned daily outdoor activities is a statutory requirement. Inspectors reported on learning and enjoyment outcomes although some identified the need to develop quality outdoor space and learning. The data provide a proxy measure for the extent, nature and status of outdoor learning at a national level.

Do pupils at research-informed schools actually perform better? Findings from a study at English schools

IntroductionAcross the globe, many national, state, and district level governments are increasingly seeking to bring about school “self improvement” via the fostering of change, which, at best, is based on or informed by research, evidence, and data. According to the conceptualization of research-informed education as inquiry cycle, it is reasoned that there is value in combining the approaches of data-based decision-making and evidence-informed education. The originality of this paper lies in challenging common claims that teachers’ engagement with research supports development processes at schools and pupil performance.MethodsTo put this assumption to test, a data-set based on 1,457 staff members from 73 English primary schools (school year 2014/2015) was (re-)analyzed in this paper. Not only survey information about trust among colleagues, organizational learning and the research use climate was used (cf. Brown et al., 2016), but also the results from the most recent school inspections and the results from standardized assessment at the end of primary school. Of particular interest was, as to whether the perceived research use climate mediates the association between organizational learning and trust at school on the one hand and the average pupil performance on the other, and whether schools that were rated as “outstanding,” “good,” or “requires improvement” in their most recent school inspection differ in that regard. Data was analyzed based on multi-level structural equation modelling.ResultsOur findings indicate that schools with a higher average value of trust among colleagues report more organizational and research informed activities, but also demonstrate better results in the average pupil performance assessment at the end of the school year. This was particularly true for schools rated as “good” in previous school inspections. In contrast, both “outstanding” schools and schools that “require improvement” appeared to engage more with research evidence, even though the former seemed not to profit from it.DiscussionThe conclusion is drawn that a comprehensive model of research-informed education can contribute to more conceptual clarity in future research, and based on that, to theoretical development.

Research on English Education and Strategy Analysis of Rural Elementary Schools in China

Primary school English is an important part of basic English education; it is the key factor in the improvement of personal English level in the future. People have generally recognized the importance of learning English today; however, in some rural areas, English teaching has not been placed in the basic discipline; English learning can not get the personal attention of parents, schools, teachers, and even students, coupled with the limited educational and teaching resources; as a result, there are some problems in English teaching in rural primary schools in my country. This article first introduces this subject's background, then analyzes the current status of English teaching in rural primary schools, and proposes corresponding solutions to improve the English teaching level of rural primary schools.

Primary and Secondary School English Reading Instruction from the Perspective of English Subject Key Competencies

Primary and Secondary School English Reading Instruction from the Perspective of English Subject Key Competencies

Coherent Curriculum Design of Primary School English Course in China

Coherent Curriculum Design of Primary School English Course in China

Study on Primary School English Homework Design from the Perspective of Subject Core Literacy

Study on Primary School English Homework Design from the Perspective of Subject Core Literacy

TEACHING VOCABULARY IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOL ENGLISH CLASSES

TEACHING VOCABULARY IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOL ENGLISH CLASSES

Classroom management as a component of primary school English teacher professional training

Classroom management as a component of primary school English teacher professional training

Training Strategies for Creative Thinking Ability in Primary School English Teaching

Training Strategies for Creative Thinking Ability in Primary School English Teaching