Classroom Resources Research Articles

Code-switching as a Linguistic Resource in the Fijian ESL Classrooms: Bane or Boon?

Code-switching is an unintentional linguistic phenomenon that defines a shift from one language to another by the speaker of a language. This study will address the role of code switching to students’ L1 in their ESL classrooms and whether it expands interaction in these classrooms. Alternative language that is used in this paper for comparison and examples purpose is Fiji Hindi. The gap perceived in this area needs to be addressed towards the domains of sociolinguistics and applied linguistics in the ESL classrooms teaching milieu. Henceforth, the study draws on data collected from lower secondary ESL classrooms in the selected high schools of Ba, Fiji. The study has incorporated data gathering procedures: questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The findings ought to indicate that code-switching should be seen as an optimistic language learning strategical tool as part and parcel of the ESL classrooms discourse. The research is calling for sensitising teachers of ESL about the helpful uses of code-switching knowing the fact that Fiji is a second language speakers’ of English country. Therefore, the novelty of this research would call for methods and syllabi of teaching ESL instructions to integrate code-switching in a judicious and occasional manner, wherever possible in the English language curriculum.

Partnering Teachers and Scientists: Translating Carbohydrate Research into Curriculum Resources for Secondary Science Classrooms

Since 2015, a partnership between the Canadian Glycomics Network and the University of Alberta’s Centre for Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education has provided opportunities for high-school teachers to immerse themselves in academic research environments. Drawing upon this experience, the teacher participants have created a library of glycomics-themed bilingual teaching resources that are curriculum-linked and feature current, local research with global impact. These resources are shared freely on the Internet. This article presents an overview of the program and discusses feedback from participating teachers and researchers.

Instructional Note: Hermit Crabs to the Rescue: Using Creative Nonfiction as a Bridge to Academic Prose

This article describes a one-session classroom activity that employs an unusual creative nonfiction genre (the hermit crab essay) to initiate first-year writers into the practice of successfully integrating academic research in their work. I share step-by-step instructions for implementation, along with classroom resources and materials necessary to conduct the assignment.

The use of Web 2.0 tools and cooperative projects in German language teaching

The article discusses and analyses several Web 2.0 tools, and identifies important features of using them in German language teaching. The term Web 2.0 stands for a number of interactive and collaborative Internet resources, using which the user not only consumes passively the content of certain resource, but also acts as a direct provider of information. In particular, the peculiarities of functioning such Web 2.0 resources as Etherpad, Padlet, Mindmap, Wordle, Podcast, Webquest and Voicethread, are considered. The main qualities of these services are identified. They are accessibility, ease of use, the possibility of communication and cooperation, including distance learning, the use of “collective mind”, the possibility of creating and preserving information, visualising the educational content, creating conditions for selfeducation and self-development of students. The author points out that the rational use of Web 2.0 resources in foreign language classrooms fully corresponds to modern principles of neurodidactics in the educational process. In particular, the use of Web 2.0 contributes to increasing motivation and intensification of learning a foreign language, gives innovative characteristics, communicativeness, creativity, cognitive and gaming character, effectively supports teacher’s work, promotes autonomous and group work, corresponds to the principles of “multi-channel training”, helps to eliminate language and psychological barriers, is accompanied by positive emotions and indicators of academic success, which are prerequisites for motivation and effective communication in a foreign language classroom. The use of Web 2.0 tools also corresponds to the principle of „learning by doing” according to which the human brain functions in such a way that men most effectively perceive and remember the information that they process or develop. The article also dwells on cooperative educational projects as a means of increasing motivation for foreign language learning. The unconditional advantages of such projects include authentic foreign language communication, establishing links with native speakers, as well as with those who study foreign languages, intercultural exchange, interesting and relevant topics for young people, individual scheduling of time for assignments.

Pedagogical design capacity of lower-secondary mathematics teacher and her interaction with curriculum resources

Various curriculum resources emerged in the last decades, but the textbook still remains the most used teaching and learning resource in mathematics classrooms. In this paper, we use a case study to analyze teaching practice of one math teacher. The aim of the study is to examine how math teacher interacts with the textbook and teacher guide, especially when teacher offloads on those resources, adapts them or improvises in the classroom. The study was conducted using lessons observations and semi-structured interviews. The results showed that teacher does not favour particular type of resource mobilization. Her interaction with resources can be characterized as a dynamic interplay, where type of resource mobilization exchange between the lessons and within a lesson as well. Moreover, teacher’s mobilization of textbook and teacher guide depends on teacher’s goals and assessment of the most pedagogically beneficial instruction for students.

Developing resources to address homophobic and transphobic bullying: a framework incorporating co-design, critical pedagogies, and bullying research

ABSTRACTIn 2016, UNESCO developed recommendations to address homophobic and transphobic violence and bullying, including guidance for the development of classroom resources. According to UNESCO, the effectiveness of interventions depends on inclusive, if not affirming, representations of sexual and gender diversity in learning materials, as well as age-appropriate, culturally sensitive, evidenced-based resources. UNESCO advocates that such resources be produced in partnerships with key stakeholders, including civil society and youth and student organisations. The high-level scope of the document however limits detail on how these elements may practically be realised. The purpose of this article is to critique and build on this guidance to extend its scope and offer further recommendations to achieve the changes it seeks. The article begins by integrating key concepts from the bullying research literature with pedagogical theory to offer a theoretical framework to support the ‘evidenced-based’ approach it advocates. Next, with reference to a case-study, the guidelines are reconceptualised and appended to form an eight-step process to guide resource design and production. The article concludes by noting the central importance of robust consultation and collaboration alongside a strong pedagogical theoretical framework as key foundations for successful classroom resource interventions.

Bringing the Real World of Science to Children: A Partnership of the American Museum of Natural History and the City University of New York

Every child has a right to an education. In the United States, the issue is not necessarily about access to a school but access to a quality education. With strict compulsory education laws, more than 50 million students enrolled in primary and secondary schools, and billions of dollars spent annually on public and private education, American children surely have access to buildings and classrooms. However, because of a complex and competitive system of shared policymaking among national, state, and local governments, not all schools are created equal nor are equal education opportunities available for the poor, minorities, and underprivileged. One manifestation of this inequity is the lack of qualified teachers in many urban and rural schools to teach certain subjects such as science, mathematics, and technology.The purpose of this article is to describe a partnership model between two major institutions (The American Museum of Natural History and The City University of New York) and the program designed to improve the way teachers are trained and children are taught and introduced to the world of science. These two institutions have partnered on various projects over the years to expand educational opportunity especially in the teaching of science. One of the more successful projects is Seminars on Science (SoS), an online teacher education and professional development program, that connects teachers across the United States and around the world to cutting-edge research and provides them with powerful classroom resources. This article provides the institutional perspectives, the challenges and the strategies that fostered this partnership.

Ultimate Women in Science Reading List, Contributions of 20th-century women to physics, and must have resources for equitable STEM classrooms

<i>Ultimate Women in Science Reading List, Contributions of 20th-century women to physics, and must have resources for equitable STEM classrooms</i>

Risk for occupational stress among U.S. kindergarten teachers

The 2011–12 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) was used to examine occupational stress, occupational commitment, and intention to remain in teaching in a nationally representative sample of U.S. kindergarten teachers (n = 744). Teachers who perceived classroom resources as sufficient to meet demands, tended to report they would become a teacher again (86.5%) and reported intentions to remain in the profession (87.6%). However, of teachers who perceived classroom resources as insufficient to meet classroom demands, only 50.2% reported they would become teachers again, and only 61.4% reported they intended to remain in the profession. Logistic regression was used to examine teacher responses to these items while controlling for school- and teacher-level covariates. Teachers perceiving sufficient resources were more likely to report they would become teachers again and intended to remain in teaching (odds ratios = 2.612, 1.863) while teachers perceiving insufficient resources were much less likely (odds ratios = 0.324, 0.327).

A Question (Still) Worth Asking about The Religions of Man

Abstract Based on a lecture first presented at the 2017 annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion (AAR), this paper explores the possible reasons for the continued popularity of the work of the late Huston Smith – carried out in what could be characterized as the pre-history of the North American field’s rebirth in public universities throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s. For unlike other works dating from the 1950s, which are now read, if at all, only as primary sources and thus as evidence of an earlier time in the field, his book (originally entitled The Religions of Man [1958]) presents a dated example worth considering, inasmuch as it is, for many, still the preferred classroom resource for training newcomers to the field.

Pedagogy of Learning and Teaching: A Phenomenographic Perspective from Selected Classrooms in Rural South Africa

Classroom practitioners are expected to facilitate effective learning under the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) in South Africa. During this facilitation process, educators are required to become more resourceful in terms of their learning and teaching strategies. This article is based on a case study – within the phenomenographic paradigm – of Grade 9 educators and learners in four rural schools in North West, South Africa. The study focussed on a specific economics and management sciences (EMS) topic relating to the understanding of the value or price determination of the South Africa rand on the foreign exchange market. The article is divided into three parts: firstly, the concepts of phenomenography and the variation theory of learning are explored and constituted as the conceptual framework; secondly, educators’ experiences with the variation theory as a classroom resource for learning; and thirdly, the impact of educators’ classroom experiences with the variation theory on learners’ quantitative and qualitative learning outcomes. The results showed an improvement in the learners’ understanding of the EMS topic studied.

The Impact of Culturally Inclusive Pedagogy on Student Achievement in a Multicultural Urban School Setting

In response to a critical need for culturally inclusive pedagogy for multicultural, urban classrooms, this study describes a project in which 43 in-service and preservice teachers and 175 multicultural urban public school students participated. This study found that the culturally relevant pedagogy significantly enhanced the student attitude toward math and science. The pedagogy also improved student achievement in math and science. In addition, parents or guardians were reported to be a primary human resource for academic support. These findings call for the transformation of teacher education programs and further research on other educational resources for multicultural urban classrooms.

The Effects of a Structured Classroom Management System in Secondary Resource Classrooms

ABSTRACT Comprehensive classroom management that promotes positive student behavior is necessary in secondary school. Techniques must be easy for teachers to manage across multiple class periods and be developmentally appropriate for older students. While previous literature has examined elements of classroom management in isolation, this study introduced five crucial elements of classroom management one at a time and then layered them to create a structured system for high school, special education classrooms. The following elements were introduced in order: (a) establish and teach positively stated expectations; (b) provide specific, contingent praise; (c) implement group contingency reinforcement systems; (d) implement individual reinforcement systems; and (d) apply in-class responses to inappropriate behavior. Three teachers were assisted in developing and using these elements and fidelity measures were obtained. A multiple baseline single subject research design was used to evaluate the effects of the elements on increasing on-task behavior of 36 students in their high school classrooms. Results are consistent with previous literature regarding the efficacy of the selected classroom management elements. Moderate increases in student on-task behavior were noted across phases, with a slight increasing trend as elements were added. Implementation fidelity was variable across phases and participants. Implications of results for practice are discussed.

The use of bicycle desks to increase physical activity in two special education classrooms

BackgroundAlthough the literature has predominantly focused on elementary youth, preliminary findings indicate that attentional benefits may arise from adolescent physical activity as well. Limited research has examined the impact of classroom-based physical activity for secondary students, and no research to date has explored bicycle workstations as a means to improve physical activity within the special education classroom.Participants and procedureTwo special education resource classrooms within a high school took part in the research study. Students were given the option of riding on the bike or sitting on chairs in each classroom. Heart rate, calories, miles, time, and on-task behavior data were collected. In addition, student acceptability of bikes was explored.ResultsThe results indicated that the overall mean heart rate during bike riding was significantly higher than the overall mean heart rate when seated on a traditional chair. Also a significant main effect was found for time on calories expended while riding. No significant results were found for miles or on-task behavior.ConclusionsOverall, students enjoyed the use of bicycles during class, found the bicycle workstations to be beneficial to their learning, and appeared to note as many benefits as limitations with the bicycle workstations. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

TEACHERS’ REFLECTIONS ON THE VISUAL RESOURCES IN ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS FOR VIETNAMESE LOWER SECONDARY SCHOOLS

The prominent role of visual resources in language classrooms has long been advocated, as many argued that images could go beyond providing students with a visual background of the context or arousing motivation (Unsworth &amp; Ngo, 2014). This article explores the roles of the visual resources drawn from an English textbook series used in Vietnamese schools, and the teachers’ reflections on their use of those visuals in practice. A qualitative approach was employed, involving in-depth interviews with teachers, along with an analysis of the visual resources using Kress and Van Leeuwen’s (1996, 2006) framework of grammar of visual design. The findings show that the theoretical perspective resonates with the teachers’ reflection in using visual resources in teaching and learning activities. The findings confirmed the importance of visuals in teachers’ practices, but also highlighted the limitations of some images as useful resources for classroom learning. It was suggested that more attention be given to the multimodal nature of the text, and their significant contribution to meaningful learning activities. The selection of images in language textbooks should be more strategically and theoretically driven in order to prepare language-learning students with the ability to negotiate meanings across semiotic modes.

Immersing First Graders in Poetry: A Genre Study Approach

AbstractPoetry has often been described as the neglected genre despite its potential to engage and motivate students of all abilities in reading and writing. Indeed, poetry provides an excellent forum for the development of literacy skills and strategies in a meaningful context. The author describes how a teacher implemented a poetry genre study in a first‐grade classroom. The author begins by delineating the need for poetry instruction in elementary classrooms and then outlines the structure of the genre study and the variety of teaching approaches used in both reading and writing contexts. The author also shares classroom resources and examples of the literature used to illustrate how the genre study was enacted in her particular context so readers might be enabled to adapt it to suit the needs of other learners.

A National Survey of Teachers of the Deaf on Disciplinary Writing

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to investigate how content area teachers of the deaf integrate writing instruction, and factors that impact content area writing practices. Integrating writing into the disciplines is currently emphasized in order to support literacy and content learning. Teachers of the deaf (N = 134) responded to a national survey that included the following categories of questions: content area writing practices; classroom environment and resources; diverse learners; and teachers’ beliefs. Even though the majority of teachers believed writing to be important for success in their disciplines and feasible to integrate into their classrooms, they reported that teaching students with delayed expressive and receptive language, diverse reading levels, and limited knowledge of academic language presented challenges. Content area teachers of the deaf could benefit from professional development focused on the integration of guided writing practices that offer greater language and literacy support for deaf and hard of hearing students.

Technological resources in the language classroom: managing time, levels and students’ autonomy

This narrative intends to describe tools that are being implemented in English Language classrooms, with public high school students in the Federal Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (IFRS), Campus Bento Gonçalves, in Brazil. They allow teachers to better manage their short time with each group of students, as well as provide a wider range of possibilities of exercises to students with different levels of knowledge of the foreign language. The tools presented here may also be of use for more efficient formal and informal assessment, considering that language teachers usually face a large number of students. Some data related to a survey carried out with students, regarding the use of such tools, are also mentioned. These resources save time and provide a more engaging learning environment, making students more autonomous and collaborative.

Integration of Technology in Teaching of Science at Secondary Level in City Muzaffarabad

It is becoming challenging to prepare learners for technological age and use of technology tools in schools. Teachers are integrating technology in schools for instructional purposes. Integrating technology in many content areas is supporting learning, educational environment and enhancing skills of students. Integration of technology is not merely a synonym of computers. The present study is about the integration of technology in teaching of science. The objectives of the study were to explore the current status of instructional technology tools and resources in classroom at secondary level, to identify the effect on learning attitudes of students and to examine the importance of instructional technology for science teachers. This study focused on the current status of the use of technology in the classrooms and about the use of appropriate teaching skills.100 participants were the sample size of the study. In this study two questionnaires were administered to collect data on availability of technology tools and resources in secondary schools along with exploring the status of integrating technology in teaching science at secondary level in city Muzaffarabad. Data analysis revealed that most of the technology resources and tools are available in secondary school of city Muzaffarabad and secondary school teachers are using them in teaching of science. Integration of the technology while teaching learning process benefits the science teachers in the following ways: eases the pressure on them while teaching, professional development, and classroom management and in enhancing their pedagogical skills. Other dimension of this study can be used to measure the students’ performance and their attitude towards learning while integrating technology in teaching science.

Teaching catholic studies: a study of religious education in senior high school

Catholic Studies is a religious education course used in senior high schools in New South Wales, Australia. The course is not counted for university entrance but meets the requirement for students to undertake religious study whilst in catholic schools. This paper examines the perceptions of teachers on why students take the course and what parts of it they find most and least engaging. In addition, the perceptions of teachers about the course are also reported. The results are discussed in the context of the wider literature of effective teacher student engagement. It argues that two aspects of effective teaching are the capacity of teachers to deal with the content of a course and also the ability to understand and engage with the learning needs of students. One conclusion is that for teacher and student learning in Catholic Studies to be improved, more focused support for teachers needs to be provided. This support would include specialized classroom resources as well as the opportunity for teachers to engage with their peers in a supportive learning community.