Primary School Programs Research Articles

Challenges experienced by remedial education program in peri-urban primary schools in Zimbabwe. Case study of Riki Primary School in Mashonaland Province, Seke District.

The major concern of the study was that despite having remedial education programs in Zimbabwe schools, the performance in peri-urban primary schools is not below expectation. The purpose was to examine the challenges experienced by remedial education programs in peri-urban primary schools as perceived by remedial teachers, and school administrators. The study used document analysis as the foundation of data collection. Interview questions were used to collect data from teachers and school administrators. Focus group discussions was used to collect data from teachers through using ZOOM online meeting. Qualitative thematic analysis was used to analyze the collected data. The collected data was clustered into themes in line with the study objectives. The findings identified challenges such as lack of remedial learning resources, stigma and discrimination, class size, facilitator expertise, and high teacher-learner ratio. Therefore, the study concluded that remedial education in Zimbabwe's peri-urban primary schools was ineffective. The study recommended that there is need for the government through the Ministry of Education to revise and review the Zimbabwe school remediation policy, train teachers on how to administer remedial lessons, and provide adequate support to promote effective remedial education.

Beyond Hunger: Assessing Influence of School Feeding Programmes on Primary Education Enrolment Rate in Twic East County, South Sudan.

School feeding programmes attract learners in developing countries, improves enrolment rates, academic performance, nutrition and participation. However, challenges like persistent hunger and food scarcity greatly impede their ability to learn and grow. Therefore, in this paper we investigate the influence of school feeding programme on learners' enrolment rates in primary education in Twic East County, Jonglei State, South Sudan. The paper employed descriptive survey design, the sample size was 371 respondents who included; County Education Director (CED,1), Headteacher (10), Teachers (30), Leaners (300), and Parents (PTA, 30). The paper primarily collected data through questionnaires and interviews. The study established that 90% of head teachers, 97% of teachers, 87% of learners, 96% of parents, and one CED acknowledged the presence of the School Feeding Programme (SFP) and meals in primary schools. The paper established that School feeding programmes (SFP) during education in emergencies (EiE) had a positive effect on enrolment rate in primary education in Twic East County, Jonglei State, South Sudan. The paper recommends the upscaling of school feeding programmes to other schools to enhance learners’ participation and academic performance in South Sudan.

Factors underpinning the adoption of a school-based growth mindset intervention: a qualitative study

ABSTRACT This qualitative study explores the motivations, barriers, and facilitators underpinning the adoption of the Mindset Teams programme in primary schools across Scotland. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 teachers across six Mindset Teams schools and 14 wider stakeholders working across local, regional, and national levels. Findings suggested underpinning factors across the socio-ecological model, with differential themes identified, including six supporting school motivations and ten spanning barriers and facilitators, across teacher and stakeholder data. Limitations, implications for school and educational psychology (EP) practice, and suggestions for future school-based mindset interventions are considered.

Preliminary trial of a well-being diary with Japanese primary school students

The well-being of Japanese children has been reported to be low, compared with children in other developed countries. However, there has been a lack of social and emotional education specially designed to promote the well-being of this demographic. To address this gap, the authors developed a well-being diary (WE diary) suited for the Japanese school context during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was a two-arm controlled trial to investigate the efficacy and feasibility of the WE diary using the social and emotional learning approach. The participants comprised Japanese primary school students aged 7–8 (35 females and 34 males) who volunteered for this 8-week program, which was implemented during 10–15-minute extra class periods. The students in the WE diary group and waitlist conditions completed questionnaires at three time points, under the supervision of the teacher. Based on the findings, there were significant positive changes in the scores for well-being and perceived social support, indicating the feasibility of this program in Japanese primary schools. The overall usefulness of the well-being diary among this demographic could motivate researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to promote social and emotional learning in Japanese schools.

Intensity matters in CLIL: Evidence from primary school learners’ receptive skills

The implementation of L2-medium education, exemplified by Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), is becoming increasingly popular in primary schools (García Mayo, 2021). While previous research highlights CLIL's positive impact on linguistic competence (Jiménez-Catalán & Ruiz de Zarobe, 2009), differences in linguistic achievement are often associated with varying exposure hours (Pladevall-Ballester & Vallbona, 2016). Despite CLIL's growing popularity, studies examining linguistic achievement in varying-intensity CLIL programs remain scant. We address this gap by comparing low and high-intensity CLIL programs, alongside a standard English as a foreign language (EFL) program in primary schools. Focused on 11-year-olds' receptive skills, our results show that high-intensity programs significantly enhance proficiency in listening and reading when compared to their lower-intensity counterparts. Distinctions between low-intensity and EFL programs are non-significant. These findings underscore the critical role of the intensity of exposure in shaping the effectiveness of CLIL programs and contribute insights for refining CLIL program design guidelines.

How do we prepare our youth for a world of big data?

How do we prepare our youth for a world of big data? Nancy Butler Songer, Associate Provost of STEM Education at the University of Utah, considers the importance of developing primary and secondary school programs in STEM fields that support students in developing the competencies with big data. We all know something about Big Data. This term describes massive volumes of structured and unstructured data that influence nearly every decision in our lives. A recent report by the United States National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine stated, ‘We live in a world where nearly every interaction—both personal and professional—is mediated through data’. (1) As dedicated scientists and educators, it is our crucial responsibility to develop and evaluate primary and secondary school programs in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) that can identify and guide students in developing the competencies with data that students need to navigate the Big Data world of the present and future. But what are these competencies?

The impact of the national school nutritional programme in the selected rural and urban primary schools in Mahwelereng circuit

This study evaluated the impact of the national school nutrition program IN the selected primary schools Mahwelereng circuit, Limpopo Province. To date, the (NSNP) reaches almost all schools in the poorest areas and quintiles nationwide. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the demand on the National School Nutrition Program (NSNP) in schools far beyond expectation, even in schools outside quintile 1, 2, and 3. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of the NSNP in the primary schools in Mahwereleng Circuit, Limpopo Province. A qualitative phenomenological study within the interpretive research paradigm was used to explore the impact of the National School Nutrition Programme in primary schools. The researcher, through non-probability convenience sampling, selected a total of 12 primary school teachers from four primary schools in Mahwereleng Circuit. Data from semi-structured interviews was thematically analysed and interpreted to draw findings that answered the research questions. Findings indicated that the NSNP has a positive impact to learners’ welfare and academic performance in schools. The study appreciates the prescribed measures of food to each learner by the Department of Education (DoE). Primary school teachers in the selected schools around Mahwelereng circuit were interviewed individually for 20-30 minutes each in schools on the impact of the National School Nutrition Programme using semi-structured interviews to collect data. The implementation of the national school nutrition programme has a positive impact and established advantageous learning climate and decreased hunger and absenteeism in schools, while increasing enrolment, participation and scholarly execution among the schoolchildren.

Exploring the Free Learning Policy: Analysis of National Assessment Implementation Strategies in Elementary Schools

The need for strategies and understanding of the implementation of the National Assessment program in primary schools, especially in primary schools. Problems include suboptimal understanding of assessment goals and methods, school readiness to adopt this program, and challenges in ensuring that assessments carried out can provide an accurate picture of students' literacy and numeracy skills. So the purpose of this study is to answer the research question, namely how the strategy of implementing the national assessment at SD Negeri Baru 02 Pagi. The research method used is qualitative with a phenomenological approach that will provide an in-depth analysis of the implementation of research. The results of the analysis showed significant improvements in literacy and numeracy skills, with the most significant improvements in the ability to interpret and understand text content as well as in the domains of geometry and reasoning skills. This shows that the strategy of active student involvement in learning has had a positive impact in improving students' literacy and numeracy skills. The results obtained through the implementation of strategies that encourage proactive student involvement in the learning process have been shown to be effective in improving literacy and numeracy skills, which are key elements in the National Assessment program. The implications of these findings highlight the strategic role of effective learning strategies in achieving quality educational outcomes, and emphasize the need to apply the right approach in developing learning strategies to support the achievement of better educational goals.

Opportunities in promoting teacher ethics in Tanzania’s public primary schools through quality school-based professional development programmes

PurposeThis paper aims to unveil opportunities for promoting teacher ethics through quality school-based professional development (S-BPD) programmes to improve teachers’ ethical conduct in Tanzanian primary schools.Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative study uses an institutional ethnography design. The data were collected through interviews, focus group discussion, observation and documentary review. Data analysis was guided by Braun and Clarke’s (2006) framework of thematic analysis.FindingsOpportunities to promote teacher ethics drew on quality S-BPD programmes. These opportunities include interactions with morally committed teachers, introduction of the civic and moral subject, prevalence of teacher misconduct, ideal school leadership and development and access to affordable technology.Practical implicationsThe study provides useful insights into how to reshape teachers’ ethical competences and to link theory and practice in teaching. Moreover, the study suggests school-based solutions to the problem of resource scarcity for teachers to retool their professional competences.Originality/valueThe opportunities revealed are critical for promoting teacher ethics through quality S-BPD programmes in primary schools because teacher ethics is learned. The study offers insights into how to improve teacher ethics in primary schools. It concludes that internalising these opportunities as a whole is vital, as they have the potential to promote teacher ethics in Tanzanian public primary schools.

An assessment of barriers to implementation of school health program in primary schools in Ido/Osi, Southwest, Nigeria: a qualitative study

An assessment of barriers to implementation of school health program in primary schools in Ido/Osi, Southwest, Nigeria: a qualitative study

<span>Building compound-sentence exercises for 5<sup>th</sup>-graders in competency-based teaching</span>

Surveying compound-sentence exercises types in the Vietnamese-Language subject of the 2006 Primary School Program and those currently in some primary schools, Dong Thap province, the article clarifies a number of issues on building compound sentence exercises teaching 5th-graders for competency development. In particular, the article focuses on those exercises aligned with 3 lesson types in the cognitive-level order: awareness, understanding and application. These exercises provide teachers with more resources to apply to teaching; thereby, helping students identify the structural features of compound sentences and use them effectively in communication.

Victorian (Australian) parents are receptive to the idea of a primary school-provided lunch program: A mixed-method survey

School-provided lunch programs offer numerous benefits to primary school students including improved school attendance and performance, reduced undernutrition, reduced food insecurity, the opportunity to learn healthy eating, and the development of healthy dietary habits(1–3). Australia does not have an ongoing national school-provided lunch program that provides food for all students. To successfully implement a school-provided lunch program in Australian primary schools, it is essential to obtain the opinions of all key stakeholders, including parents. This study aimed to examine Victorian primary school parents’ opinions about a potential school-provided lunch program. An online cross-sectional survey with open- and closed-ended questions was conducted in Victoria, Australia, in 2022. Descriptive statistics and chi-square analyses were performed using SPSS software; thematic analysis was carried out using NVivo. Three hundred and fifty-nine parents responded to the survey. Fifty-seven percent of respondents said they would allow their child to participate in a school-provided lunch program, 34% were unsure and only 9% said they would not. The opportunity for hot-cooked lunches at school and the perceived convenience for parents were the top two reasons for favouring such a program. Fifty-eight percent were in favour of hybrid-type funding from both the government and parents, while 30% were in favour of being fully funded by the government. The most preferred amount to pay per meal was AUD5-6 (43%), followed by AUD3-4 (25%). When respondents were asked to rate the importance of six options in school-provided lunches (vegetarian, nut-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free, and vegan options), almost one-third of them selected having ‘vegetarian’ options as important or very important, whilst one-fifth selected ‘nut-free’, ‘dairy-free’, and ‘gluten-free’ options as important or very important. There were no associations between the parents’ or children’s socio-demographic characteristics and the likeliness of letting their children use school-provided lunches, funding preference, the amount willing to pay for school lunches, and the importance of different options. Respondents’ written responses revealed that they expected school-provided lunches to be healthy and made from whole food and cater to the special dietary and cultural needs of their children. Their other expectations included food being tasty and offered in a child-friendly way, having a variety of food offered, and having backup options if the children would/ could not eat those meals. They also expected enough time to be provided for eating lunches so children could eat and enjoy the meals. The findings of this study suggest that Victorian primary school parents are open to the idea of a school-provided lunch program, but they do have several expectations regarding the menu and time for eating. Program planners could use the findings of this study to create a school lunch program that aligns with the parents’ expectations and preferences.

Primary school science course within scope of the educational programs implemented in Turkey

In this study, educational programs that have been used from past to present were examined chronologically to better analyze the nature of the current Science program in primary schools in Turkey. In this research, in which the document analysis method was preferred among the qualitative research methods, official documents published by the Ministry of National Education and its affiliates were used as the data source. The obtained documents were analyzed by content analysis method. The Science course programs used in the past in the country were discussed from a multidimensional perspective. The distinctive features and orientations that have appeared in the programs over the years have been examined in line with the nature of time. As a result of the research, it is seen that the Science program in Turkey today focuses on the skills of individuals to solve daily life problems in their environment to adapt to the 21st century people in parallel with the developments in science education in the world.

IMPLEMENTATION OF UNIVERSAL LEARNING DESIGN PRINCIPLES BY MAINSTREAM TEACHER IN INCLUSIVE EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG) has stressed the aspect of inclusive education. In Malaysia, the implementation of the Inclusive Education Program has been implemented, which is the placement of students with special educational needs (SEN) together with typical students in the classroom based on the experience of other countries. It is seen as more effective for SEN to obtain effective social interaction in life. To ensure that this inclusive education can be achieved, a universal learning design (UDL) has been developed. UDL is a framework for improving and optimizing teaching and learning for all individuals based on scientific insights into how humans learn. Therefore, the objective of this study is to identify the level of implementation of universal learning design (UDL) of mainstream teachers in the Inclusive Education Program (IEP) in primary schools in Kota Tinggi, Johor. The sample is a total of 82 mainstream teachers who teach the Inclusive Education Program at the primary school level. The census sampling method was used. The questionnaire that was constructed was adapted from the UDL Framework Scale 2023 and Borang Penskoran Evidens SKPM Gelombang 2 2016 with Cronbach's Alpha coefficient value a = 0.943 was used to collect data. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 29 software was applied to analyze the data obtained. Descriptive analysis found the level of implementation of the 3 principles of UDL in IEP by mainstream teachers at a high level.

Analysis of Students' Creative Characters Through The Reyog Ponorogo Arts Program in Primary Schools

<em>SDS Mutiara Hati Ponorogo established Reyog Ponorogo Art as a program for the Strengthening Pancasila Student Profile (P5) Project with the theme of local wisdom. This program not only provides an understanding of local arts and culture but also has the potential to shape students' creative character. The objectives of this research are: 1) To describe and analyze the creative character of students through the Reyog Ponorogo arts program. 2) Describe the supporting factors for students' creative character through the Reyog Ponorogo arts program: data collection techniques using interviews, observation and documentation. The subjects of this research were phase B, totalling 18 students for the 2023/2024 academic year. Critical thinking skills data was obtained from the critical thinking skills rubric. The analysis was carried out using Milles Huberman's (1984) interactive analysis technique, namely by collecting, reducing, presenting, and drawing conclusions. The research results show that The results of the research show that 1) students who take part in the Reyog Ponorogo arts program are categorized as having very creative characters. 2), supporting factors for students' creative character through the Reyog Ponorogo arts program, including: students' potential, parental support, and support from the school. In conclusion, students who take part in the Reyog Ponorogo arts program are classified as having a very creative character, which is caused by the potential of the students, support from parents, and support from the school.</em><div id="pip-toast"> </div>

Implementation of the project for strengthening the profile of pancasila students in the primary school level mobilization school program in soppeng regency

The aim of this research is to see how the project to strengthen the profile of Pancasila students is implemented which seeks to improve skills in implementing the project to strengthen the profile of Pancasila students, especially in the Third Year 1st Generation Mobilization School Program at elementary school level in Soppeng Regency. The research method used is a qualitative descriptive method, namely research carried out to describe activities, events, phenomena, perceptions of people individually and in groups. An important finding in this research is based on the results that all parties involved in the project activities to strengthen the profile of Pancasila students are very enthusiastic and enthusiastic in implementing the project to strengthen the profile of Pancasila students in their respective educational units. Many parties were involved in the project such as the principal, school supervisor, class teachers, subject teachers, students and outside parties were also involved such as parents of students and the community as well as groups who were experts in their fields such as local traditional leaders, community health center employees, and so on. so that it can strengthen the character of students according to the Pancasila student profile.

Pilot randomized controlled trial of a game-based intervention for teaching basketball in Chinese primary school physical education

ABSTRACT This study aimed to examine the preliminary efficacy and feasibility of implementing a tailored version of the MASTER coach education programme in Chinese primary schools to support physical education (PE) teachers’ basketball lesson design and delivery. A total of 20 primary schools in Beijing, China were recruited, with one PE teacher and their class (N = 715 students aged 10–13 yrs) from each school included in the study and randomly allocated to the MASTER intervention (n = 10) or control group (n = 10). Compared to the control group, a significant difference was observed in the MASTER group for the proportion of playing-form activities delivered during PE (27.65, 95% CI [20.27, 35.03]) and for teachers’ perceptions of confidence (23.92, 95% CI [15.87, 31.92]) and competence (24.12, 95% CI [10.28, 24.71]) to teach. Significant differences between groups were observed for students’ perceived athletic competence (3.56%; 95% CI [3.15, 3.96]), enjoyment (11.83%; 95% CI [10.98, 12.69]), well-being (8.51%; 95% CI [7.02, 10.00]), intrinsic motivation (+0.74%; 95% CI [0.30, 1.17]), introjected motivation (−2.24%; 95% CI [−2.77, −1.70]), and external motivation (−0.49%; 95% CI [−0.90, −0.08]). The MASTER programme was effective in improving teaching practices in Chinese primary schools, and in facilitating improvements in teacher and student outcomes.

The Influence of Training Teachers on the Implementation of Peace Education Programme in Selected Primary Schools at Nakuru County, Kenya

Peace is a critical component for the development of human beings in the whole world, without peace there can be no development. An atmosphere of no peace is a major cause of physical and economic suffering upon individuals, families, communities, businesses, nations and regions in many countries. In 2007 Kenya experienced incidents of conflicts which led to loss of workforce, learning time and disruption of education services which negatively affected the quality of education across in the county of Nakuru formerly Rift Valley Province. Since then Kenya has put several strategies to promote peace with deep recognition that it is the only vehicle to development, it was on this basis that Kenya introduced peace education programme in the primary schools curriculum since 2008. Peace education sets out to redress this culture of violence and aggression and to inculcate values of peace, the concept of human dignity and human rights with specific reference to economic equity, political participation and ecological balance that could be employed through counseling strategies. This therefore reveals that development of peace education was timely and critical in addressing both short term and long-term societal and national issues that promote conflicts. Peace education is in tandem with the Kenya vision 2030 under the political pillar on security, peace building and conflict management. The purpose of this study therefore was to determine “the influence of training teachers on the implementation of peace education programme in selected Primary schools at Nakuru County, Kenya. The study was carried out amongst standard 8 pupils and teachers. To achieve this objective, the study adopted descriptive survey design and used probability sampling technique in the selection of the study sample. A study sample made up of 138 pupils and 45 teachers was used for the study. Primary data was collected by use of self administered questionnaires and interview schedules, while secondary data was collected from Nakuru County Education offices and libraries. Data collected was analyzed with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences and Microsoft Excel software. The results of the data analysis were presented in form of tabular summaries. Teacher training, resource availability and curriculum content emerged from the study as highly influential factors in the implementation of peace education programme in the schools. The study also revealed the key challenges hindering successful implementation of peace education programme in primary schools which included: lack of trained teachers on peace education, lack of sufficient time and lack of learning and teaching materials. The teachers and pupils’ suggestions were that the Government facilitate training of teachers on peace education and provide sufficient teaching and learning materials. Following this, the study recommended that, the Government of Kenya puts in place policies and measures that could facilitate training of teachers on peace education provide sufficient teaching and learning materials and strengthen programme supervision. The study gave further recommendation to the Kenya Government which could facilitate more uptake and adoption of peace education from primary schools up to university level as well as the entire society as a very important vehicle to foster development and national cohesion. The findings of this study are quite critical and of significant benefit to the Kenya government, communities, policy makers and the teachers in addressing some of the peace education curriculum initiatives and school best practices which will enhance peace promotion and national cohesion among Kenyan people. The implementation of this programme will enable people re-evaluate their behavior and develop commitment and endeavor to promote national values and peaceful coexistence.

Perspectives of the Extended-Day School Program and Whole-Day Classes in Primary Schools in the City of Split, Croatia

Perspectives of the Extended-Day School Program and Whole-Day Classes in Primary Schools in the City of Split, Croatia

The Effect of Verbal Intelligence Games on Primary School 2nd Grade Students’ to the Verbal-Linguistic Intelligence Areas and the Turkish Course Attitudes

The aim of this research is to determine the verbal-linguistic intelligence levels, which is one of the intelligence areas determined in line with Gardner's Multiple Intelligence Theory, and their attitudes towards the Turkish lesson, and to examine the effects of verbal intelligence games on the development of this intelligence area and their attitudes towards the Turkish lesson. This research was carried out using a quasi-experimental design with pretest-posttest control group, one of the quantitative research methods. The study group of the research consists of 2nd grade primary school students studying in public schools in Yeşilyurt district of Malatya province. As data collection tools in the study, the "Multiple Intelligence Scale for Children" developed by Susar Kırmızı (2006) to determine the verbal-linguistic intelligence levels of the students, and the "Attitude Scale Towards Turkish Lesson" developed by Topçuoğlu Ünal and Köse (2014) to determine their attitudes towards the Turkish lesson. used after obtaining necessary permissions. During the research process, the verbal intelligence games "resfebe", "deleted letters", "missing letters" and "cryptic word" games were applied as a lesson hour two days a week for eight weeks. With the control group students, educational activities continued in a pre-planned manner. For the statistical analysis of the obtained data, an appropriate analysis program was used and the statistical data were interpreted by tabulating. According to the research findings, it was concluded that verbal intelligence games were effective in the development of verbal-linguistic intelligence areas of primary school 2nd grade students and in developing positive attitudes towards the Turkish lesson. Based on these results, it has been suggested that activities for verbal intelligence games should be given more place in primary school programs and even mind games should be included in the curriculum as an independent discipline area by associating them with other lessons at primary school level.