Fourth Grade Primary School Research Articles

A Reading Comprehension Program for Primary School Students

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of the reading comprehension program prepared for primary school fourth grade students on students’ reading comprehension skills. In this context, students’ attitudes toward reading, reading motivation, fluent reading skills and reading comprehension strategies were considered in the study. The research was ­carried out with a quasi-experimental design. The research was carried out with 353 students. The reading comprehension skills development program prepared by the researcher was applied to the experimental group for a total of 30 hours for 15 weeks. After the implementation of the program, posttests were applied to the experimental and control groups. The students in the experimental group of the reading comprehension program developed according to the results of the research; reading attitude, reading motivation, reading speed, prosodic reading and reading comprehension scores increased significantly compared to the scores of the control group students.

Effect of reciprocal teaching on comprehension, attention, rapid naming and working memory

This study aims to evaluate word callers attending the fourth grade of primary school in terms of rapid naming, verbal working memory, and attention skills, and to examine the effect of the reciprocal teaching approach on the development of word callers' reading comprehension skills. The study group consisted of 25 word callers and 21 independent readers. Fourth-grade students who are at the independent level in word recognition skills and at the level of frustration in reading comprehension skills are defined as word callers. On the other hand, students who are at the independent level in both word recognition and reading comprehension skills are defined as independent readers. According to the findings, difficulties in rapid naming, verbal working memory and attention skills are common characteristics of word callers. On the other hand, with the reciprocal teaching approach applied for 12 weeks, significant improvements were achieved in the reading comprehension skills of word callers. In this direction, it can be interpreted that the reciprocal teaching approach eliminated the difficulties experienced by word callers.

Narrative based online career group counseling program: an explanatory sequential design

AbstractThe aim of this study is to determine the effect of the Narrative Based Online Career Group Counseling Program on the career exploration, career and talent development self-efficacy, and career development of fourth grade primary school students. An explanatory sequential mixed-method design was used in the study. A 2 × 3 quasiexperimental design was used in the quantitative part, and a focus group interview was used in the qualitative part. The results showed that the program had a significant impact and could support career development in children. Thus, a career program with proven effectiveness that can be implemented in schools has been emerged.

GASEKO: Scramble Game Media to Increase Elementary School Students’ Learning Independence

The lack of diversity in digital media and the low degree of student learning independence in primary schools prompted this development inquiry. In order to help fourth graders become more self-reliant learners, this study seeks to develop a realistic, practical, and successful economic scramble game (GASEKO) for classroom usage. The goal of this research was to analyze the extent to which fourth grade primary school pupils were able to learn independently, and the subjects’ included students, learning technology experts, and subject matter experts. The five-stage ADDIE model—which is used in this development study—consists of the following steps: analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. A questionnaire or surveys are the tools utilized for gathering information. Fifteen primary school pupils in the fourth grade participated in the product trial. Qualitative, quantitative, and statistical descriptive analytic methods were employed to examine the study data. We can conclude that GASEKO media is a viable, practical, and effective strategy for enhancing the learning independence of fourth graders based on the following evidence: (1) GASEKO media has strong credentials from expert validation; (2) GASEKO media has very good credentials according to student responses; and (3) GASEKO media significantly impacts fourth graders' learning independence. This study's findings suggest that GASEKO media can broaden the range of educational resources available to schools, leading to more engaging and effective lessons for students.

The effect of creative drama method in 4th grade primary school values education

The main purpose of this study is to determine the effect of creative drama method on the acquisition of "Responsibility", "Respect" and "Patience" values by fourth grade primary school students. The study was designed using the parallel mixed model, which is one of the mixed method designs. The study group of the research consists of primary school 4th grade students studying in a public school in the fall semester of 2018-2019 academic years. There were 42 students in the experimental group and 40 students in the control group. The research data were collected through the "Responsibility Scale", "Respect Tendency Scale", "Patient Behavior Scale", "Student and Teacher Diaries", "Teacher Interview Form" and "Personal Information Form". In addition, data were obtained with the "Word Association Test" to determine the conceptual change in values before and after the implementation. All in all, it has been established that the use of the creative drama method in values education is very effective in adopting values, embodying in-class learning, and encouraging the students to develop positive attitudes about the values discussed.

Investigation of e-learning readiness levels of primary school students studying in rural

This study was conducted to determine the e-learning readiness of fourth grade primary school students in villages and towns. The research was designed in descriptive survey model from quantitative research methods. The study group of the research consisted of 165 students, 85 of whom were male and 80 of whom were female. Of these students, 149 live in the village and 16 in the town. The "E-Learning Readiness Scale", which was adapted into Turkish by Bircan et al. (2022), was used as a data collection tool in the study. The research data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent groups t-test and one-way ANOVA. As a result of the research, it was found that the e-learning readiness of fourth grade primary school students studying in rural areas differed significantly in favor of girls in terms of gender variable; it differed significantly in favor of computer ownership and internet connection in terms of having a computer and internet connection at home; it did not differ significantly in terms of having a tablet.

Engaging Students’ Literacy Participation Using Audio Visual Storytelling

The aim of this study is to engage students literacy participation using audio visual storytelling to the students of primary school in the fourth grade. Every day in the first period time of school activities, students would have literacy time whether it was reading stories, books, telling stories, and sharing experiences in front of the classroom. Day by day this kind of activities bored the students. Many students preferred to talk to each other rather than spent the literacy time properly. In this case, the researcher gave another way to engage students literacy participation by giving them audio visual storytelling in order to make all students got the benefit of literacy. The participants of this research were 27 students of fourth grade in primary school. Before the audio visual story telling was given to the students, there were 68% of the students were not participated in the literacy time. After the audio visual story telling was given, all of the students got participated (90%) in the literacy. This research was held at the third months of the odd semester. Literacy was given every day. Audio visual storytelling was given for a week. This is a descriptive research because which described systematically the existing phenomena under the study. Engaging students participation in literacy, in order to motivate them in English literacy time would improve their capability in other skills as well such as: listening, reading, vocabulary, writing, speaking and grammar. The researcher found out that audio visual storytelling is useful to engage students literacy participation in the classroom.

The effect of intelligence games on primary school fourth grade students' problem solving skills

Bu çalışmada ilkokul dördüncü sınıf öğrencileri ile oynan zekâ oyunlarının problem çözme becerileri üzerinde etkisini belirlemek amaçlanmıştır. Bu amacı gerçekleştirmek üzere deneysel bir araştırma tasarlanmıştır. Araştırma, Balıkesir ili Kepsut ilçesinde 4. Sınıfta devam etmekte olan bir ilkokuldaki 40 öğrenci ile yürütülmüştür. Araştırma desenine dayalı olarak 20 öğrenci kontrol ve 20 öğrenci deney grubunu oluşturmuştur. Araştırma 8 haftalık bir süreci kapsamıştır. Bu süreçte deney grubunda bulunan öğrencilerle zekâ oyunları oynanmıştır. Kontrol grubundaki öğrenciler normal eğitim sürecine devam etmiş ve herhangi bir ilave çalışmaya katılmamışlardır. Araştırmada öğrencilerinin problem çözme becerilerini belirlemek amacıyla veri toplama aracı olarak Sezgin (2011) tarafından ilköğretim öğrencileri için geliştirilen “Problem Çözme Becerisi Ölçeği” kullanılmıştır. Araştırma verilerinin analizinde parametrik koşullar sağlanamadığından gruplar arası karşılaştırmada Mann Whitney-U Testi ile analiz yapılmıştır. Grup içi karşılaştırmalarda ise Wilcoxon İşaret Testi ile analiz yapılmıştır. Analiz sonuçlarına göre; öntest puanları açısından kontrol ve deney grupları arasında manidar farklılık olmadığı ancak deneysel işlem sonrasında grupların sontest puanları arasında yapılan karşılaştırmada deney grubu öğrencileri lehine istatistiksel açıdan manidar farklılık olduğu gözlenmiştir. Grupların öntest-sontest puanlarına dayalı yapılan analizde kontrol grubu puanları arasında farklılık gözlenmemiştir. Deney grubunda ise öğrencilerin sontest puanlarının öntest puanlarına göre istatistiksel açıdan daha yüksek olduğu belirlenmiştir. Araştırmanın sonuçları, öğrencilerin problem çözme becerilerinin gelişimi üzerinde zekâ oyunlarının anlamlı etkiye sahip olduğunu göstermektedir.

The Investigation of critical thinking disposition among Chinese primary and middle school students

PurposeCritical thinking has become the essential competency for students in the 21st century. the purpose of this study is to understand the present situation critical thinking disposition among Chinese primary and middle school students. Methodthe study surveys of 18,737 students from the fourth grade of primary school to the twelfth grade of senior high school in 13 provinces in China using a self-designed questionnaire, and interviews 25 primary and middle school students in depth. ResultThe results show that: (a) The average critical thinking disposition score of Chinese primary and middle school students is 7.33 point, indicating room for improvement. (b) The development of the subordinate dimensions of critical thinking disposition of Chinese primary and middle school students is unbalanced, students perform better in open-mindedness and curiosity, but struggle with truth-seeking spirit and independent thinking. (c) In terms of the change of academic stage, the critical thinking disposition of students is generally improving, but the relationship between critical thinking and grade level is not linear, and there is a reverse phenomenon in the dimensions of curiosity and independent thinking. (d) middle school students do not meet the standards and requirements of critical thinking spirit set by the curriculum standards, and they are generally dissatisfied with their critical thinking disposition; (e) Students from cities perform better than those from rural areas in self-examination, open-mindedness, inquisitiveness and evidence-based reasoning.

The Second Case of Bardet-Biedl syndrome from Iraq: An educational article and expert opinion

Background: Bardet-Biedl syndrome and Laurence-Moon syndrome are rare autosomal recessive disorders with a similar phenotype. They are characterized by the gradual development of phenotype which includes cone-rod retinal dystrophy, obesity, and hypogonadism in males. Other associated abnormalities include learning disability and renal abnormalities. The two conditions are differentiated clinically by the presence of spasticity and the absence of polydactyly in Laurence-Moon syndrome. In 2002, we reported the first patient with Bardet-Biedl syndrome. The boy had polydactyly, obesity, retinal degeneration, and was hospitalized at the University Hospital in Al-Kadhimiyia because of the development of chronic renal failure. Patients and methods: The case of a 9-year-old obese Kurdish girl who had polydactyly of the hands and feet associated with reduced visual acuity is described.Results: A 9-year-old obese Kurdish girl had polydactyly of the hand and feet associated with reduced visual acuity that was attributed to myopia which was partially corrected with eye glasses. The parents were unrelated, and her younger 5-year sister had polydactyly of the feet only. No other family member known to have polydactyly. Both sisters had their extra-digits removed surgically. The girl was studying at fourth grade primary school and the parents reported no learning disability. Fundoscopy showed normal optic disc and periphery of the retina. The presence of retinitis pigmentosa was excluded. However, the foveal reflex was reported to be abnormal by the oophthalmologist. Electroretinography showed evidence of cone-rod dystrophy.Conclusion: The second case of Bardet-Biedl syndrome from Iraq is reported. The current evidence-based expert opinion suggests the use of long tem supplementation of citicoline, co-enzyme Q10 and lutein with hope of retarding the progression to blindness.

Relationships between Digital Reading Motivation, Turkish Lesson Attitude, Reading Anxiety and Reading Comprehension of Fourth Grade Primary School Students

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between reading anxiety, digital reading motivation, Turkish lesson attitude and reading comprehension levels of fourth grade primary school students. The design of the research is relational research model. The study group consists of 123 students studying in the fourth grade of primary school. Digital reading motivation scale, reading anxiety scale, Turkish lesson attitude scale and reading comprehension tests were used as data collection tools. SPSS 26 program was used in the analysis of the data. According to the results of the research; there is a significant negative relationship between reading anxiety and reading comprehension and a significant positive relationship between Turkish lesson attitude and digital reading motivation. There is no significant relationship between Turkish lesson attitude and reading comprehension and between digital reading motivation and reading comprehension. Relational analyses can be expanded by studying the psychological factors that affect students’ reading with different study groups. Thus, arrangements can be made to improve students’ reading regardless of grade level.

The Impact of Khan Academy Learning Platform on Mathematics Achievement in Primary School Fourth Grade Students

This study aims to examine the effect of the Khan Academy learning platform on students' achievement in mathematics lessons. In the study, the difference between the achievement levels of the experimental and control groups was tested using a pre-test post-test control group design. The study group consists of primary school fourth grade students attending the support and training course. The study was conducted with a total of 60 students. The students in the experimental group were provided with mathematics course contents via the Khan Academy learning platform, and teaching was carried out using these contents. The students in the control group were taught mathematics with the Education Information Network (EBA). Firstly, a pre-test was applied to both groups, and the achievement levels of the students were recorded. Then, the Khan Academy learning platform was introduced to the students in the experimental group, and this platform was used in mathematics lessons. The students in the control group were introduced to EBA, and this platform was used in mathematics lessons. After a certain period of time, the post-test was applied to both groups, and the achievement levels of the students were measured again. The difference between the achievement levels of the experimental and control groups was statistically analyzed using the data obtained. As a result of this analysis, it was concluded that the Khan Academy learning platform had a greater effect on students' achievement in mathematics.

How Do Pre-Service Primary School Teachers Evaluate Gender Equality in Primary School Science Textbooks?

Textbooks play a key role in shaping students' images of society and its actors. Based on the importance of this active role, in this study, third and fourth grade primary school science textbooks were examined in terms of gender equality by female pre-service primary school teachers who will become the practitioners using these textbooks. Thus, this research aims at revealing the experiences of pre-service primary school teachers based on their examination of primary school science textbooks and the evaluations used in their textbook reviews. The research was conducted using a phenomenology research design in the context of a qualitative method. Ten female pre-service primary school teachers participated in the study, which lasted seven weeks, and the data were collected through a textbook review report and a semi-structured interview form. A content analysis method was used to assess the data. The results of the study were discussed within the framework of five main themes: gender distribution, gender roles and stereotypes, the role of the teacher, the role of the textbooks, and science textbook evaluation tendencies. Suggestions were made based on these reviews.

Pathogenesis and Intervention Study of Idiopathic Scoliosis in Elementary and Middle School Students

Scoliosis, also known as lateral curvature of the spine or spinal lateral deviation, is a three-dimensional spinal deformity characterized by the bending of one or multiple segments of the spine to the side accompanied by vertebral rotation. It appears in the shape of an "S" or "C" and can cause pain during standing, walking, or lifting heavy objects, leading to a reduction in physical activity. Scoliosis is the most common spinal disorder among children and adolescents. Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) refers to scoliosis that occurs during the teenage years and its etiology remains unclear. AIS is a spinal condition characterized by a three-dimensional deformity in the coronal, sagittal, and axial planes, with a Cobb angle of 10 degrees or more. The global prevalence of AIS ranges from 0.47% to 5.2% (Erwin et al., 2020; Konieczny et al., 2013). According to a study by Qiu Guixing et al., the prevalence of scoliosis in China is estimated to be approximately 0.6% to 2.0%, with 90% of cases being AIS. Jia Juanjuan et al., conducted a scoliosis screening of 8,026 students in Jiaxing City in 2019, with initial screening identifying 218 positive cases. Among them, 132 cases were confirmed through X-ray examination, estimating a scoliosis prevalence rate of 5.46% among primary and secondary school students in Jiaxing City. Chen Xiaosheng, Ru Shouhang et al., conducted a scoliosis survey among students from the fourth grade of primary school to the second grade of high school in various districts of Shenzhen City from January to December 2020, with the results showing a scoliosis prevalence rate of 5.01% among primary and secondary school students in Shenzhen City. The prevalence rate was higher in females than males and increased with age. If scoliosis in adolescents is not promptly and effectively treated during their growth process, the spinal deformity can rapidly progress and lead to various complications. For example, scoliosis can cause changes in the shape of the ribs, resulting in unequal thoracic cavity volume and breathing difficulties. Prolonged restricted breathing can lead to complications such as chest tightness and shortness of breath. Additionally, scoliosis can affect the functioning of abdominal organs, leading to pulmonary dysfunction and hypoxia, and in severe cases, it can cause cardiorespiratory failure. Furthermore, scoliosis not only affects the physical health of patients but also their mental well-being. The physical appearance changes caused by scoliosis deformity can potentially lead to psychological disorders.

Assessments of class climate by primary school children with externalizing behavior problems – An exploratory study

ABSTRACT Children with externalizing behavior problems are likely to show poor school achievements, problems in social interactions with teachers and peers and an elevated school-related stress. Though class climate is a meaningful variable to explain school achievements and aspects of emotional well-being, there are hardly any studies that consider class climate from the perspective of children with externalizing problems. The present study examines the question how children with externalizing problems assess class climate. Furthermore, the study analyzes the possible impact of internalizing comorbidities. The sample of fourth grade primary school children (N = 119) includes 27 students with hyperactive-inattentive and 47 children with dissocial symptoms. Data are analyzed using ANOVAS and hierarchical linear regressions. Externalizing problems coincide with negative assessments of class climate, which are even more negative among students with dissocial symptoms and internalizing comorbidities. While hyperactive-inattentive children primarily focus on a few aspects of class climate (especially unfair teacher decisions), children with dissocial symptoms show more global negative perceptions. The results point to low levels of social participation of children with externalizing problems. Future studies should consider the potential importance of class climate for school-based diagnostics and behavior modification.

Teaching Inclusive Thinking through an Embodied Metaphor: A Developmental Study

The studies framed in embodied cognition that analyze the metaphor of temperature and its relationship with the feeling of inclusion or exclusion always do so in the first person. That is, they take the perspective of the protagonist who is made to feel included or excluded to see how it affects his or her body thermally. However, there are no studies in which the participants morally evaluate other protagonists who are the ones who feel the inclusion or exclusion and the temperature, projecting these feelings onto them. This paper analyzes the relationship between terms related to temperature (cold or heat) and the moral judgements made toward a person who helps and another who does not help. All this occurs in a situation in which the person making the judgement is not involved in the first person and has to put themself in the place of the other. In addition, the possible difference in these judgements is examined by comparing children in the fourth grade of primary school with those in the sixth grade. The results indicate that older children give less extreme responses, but these are more influenced by temperature when it comes to morally judging a lack of help. When the behavior is helpful, they judge it morally the same regardless of temperature. In addition, interaction between the two variables appeared. These results have implications in promoting helping in the classroom in order to promote inclusion and represent a useful and accessible resource for such promotion.

Primary students’ online homework completion and learning achievement

ABSTRACT Online homework has become an important teaching and learning activity due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions. This study explored the relationship between primary students’ online homework completion and learning achievement. It also investigated the moderating effects of key factors including the role of the students and the involvement of their parents on this relationship. Based on a total of 3,210 Chinese online homework assigned in the Spring of 2020 to fourth grade primary school students in Wuhan, China, hierarchical linear modeling was employed to examine the relationship between primary students’ online homework completion and their learning achievement. Simultaneously, the effects of potential moderators including students’ information literacy, students’ prior academic achievement, parental digital self-efficacy, and parent – teacher partnership were investigated. The results showed a significant positive effect of students’ online homework completion on learning achievement. Moreover, students’ information literacy, students’ prior achievement, and parent – teacher partnership positively moderated this relationship. Based on the findings, practical implications for school administrators, teachers, and parents are discussed herein to promote online homework completion and enhance students’ learning achievement.

Classroom Teachers' Bias in Assessing Disadvantaged Primary School Students' Reading Comprehension Skills

It is known that the reading performance of disadvantaged students is lower when compared to non-disadvantaged students. It has always been discussed that being disadvantaged affects teachers' bias in scoring students' reading performance. Therefore, the existence and effect of the teacher factor in the low level of reading performance of students in disadvantaged groups is worth investigating. The reading comprehension skills of disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged fourth grade primary school students were assessed in this study. Moreover, whether the classroom teachers were biased in scoring the reading comprehension skills of the disadvantaged students were also investigated. The reading comprehension skills of 48 students, 13 of whom were disadvantaged and 35 were non-disadvantaged, were assessed by three classroom teachers (raters) using an analytical rubric. The data were analyzed using the Many-facet Rasch measurement model. It was found that the classroom teachers were biased in evaluating the reading comprehension skills of disadvantaged students. Likewise, the reading comprehension levels of the non-disadvantaged students were higher than the disadvantaged students.

The Effect of Online Reciprocal Teaching on Fourth Grade Primary School Students’ Reading Comprehension Skills and Reading Motivation

This 9-week mixed-methods study aimed to examine the effect of online reciprocal teaching on fourth grade primary school students’ (N = 30) reading comprehension skills and reading motivation. As data collection tools, the “Reading Comprehension Test” was used to determine students’ reading comprehension levels, while the “Motivation for Reading Questionnaire” was used to determine their reading motivation. Students gave their views on the implementation in a “semi-structured interview form” prepared by the researcher. In the research, within the scope of the quantitative data, arithmetic mean, standard deviation, and t-test were used for the analysis of the data obtained from the pretest and posttest administrations of the reading comprehension test and motivation for reading questionnaire. The qualitative data of the research were analyzed with the “content analysis” technique. It was concluded that the online reciprocal teaching strategies improved students’ reading comprehension skills, while the strategies did not make a difference in students’ intrinsic motivation but increased their extrinsic motivation. According to the findings obtained in the qualitative part of the study, students stated that their vocabulary improved, that they understood the texts they read more easily, and that while they had the most difficulty in the summarizing strategy, they found the predicting strategy to be the simplest. Furthermore, it was concluded that group work increased students’ behaviors such as cooperation and collaboration, whereas they had difficulty in making joint decisions. Some suggestions are made in the light of the study results for researchers and practitioners.

The second case of Bardet-Biedl syndrome from Iraq: An educational article and expert opinion

Background: Bardet-Biedl syndrome and Laurence-Moon syndrome are rare autosomal recessive disorders with a similar phenotype. They are characterized by the gradual development of phenotype which includes cone-rod retinal dystrophy, obesity, and hypogonadism in males. Other associated abnormalities include learning disability and renal abnormalities. The two conditions are differentiated clinically by the presence of spasticity and the absence of polydactyly in Laurence-Moon syndrome. In 2002, we reported the first patient with Bardet-Biedl syndrome. The boy had polydactyly, obesity, retinal degeneration, and was hospitalized at the University Hospital in Al-Kadhimiyia because of the development of chronic renal failure. Patients and methods: The case of a 9-year-old obese Kurdish girl who had polydactyly of the hands and feet associated with reduced visual acuity is described. Results: A 9-year-old obese Kurdish girl had polydactyly of the hand and feet associated with reduced visual acuity that was attributed to myopia which was partially corrected with eye glasses. The parents were unrelated, and her younger 5-year sister had polydactyly of the feet only. No other family member known to have polydactyly. Both sisters had their extra-digits removed surgically. The girl was studying at fourth grade primary school and the parents reported no learning disability. Fundoscopy showed normal optic disc and periphery of the retina. The presence of retinitis pigmentosa was excluded. However, the foveal reflex was reported to be abnormal by the oophthalmologist. Electroretinography showed evidence of cone-rod dystrophy. Conclusion: The second case of Bardet-Biedl syndrome from Iraq is reported. The current evidence-based expert opinion suggests the use of long tem supplementation of citicoline, co-enzyme Q10 and lutein with hope of retarding the progression to blindness.