Student Teacher Engagement Research Articles

"Inspired to be a teacher seriously": An autoethnography of student engagement in a Vietnamese TESOL training programme

TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) training programmes in Vietnam often emphasise the significant alignment of academic knowledge with practical classroom methods. However, an intricate yet underexplored topic is understanding the dynamic engagement of student teachers in those programmes to investigate the complexities of such alignment. Therefore, this research examines factors influencing student teachers’ in-class engagement following a 120-hour TESOL training programme at an institution in Vietnam. This autoethnographic study analysed a TESOL teacher trainer’s reflections on student teachers’ engagement in the programme, using artefacts in the form of anonymous and open-ended short-text feedback from 30 students across approximately eight months. The reflection and feedback responses were analysed thematically, anchored in a framework emphasising the three facets of in-class engagement, i.e., cognitive, emotional, and behavioural dimensions. Through the analysis, three themes were constructed: (1) theoretical-practical synthesis: how TESOL-related concepts are blended with concrete teaching examples; (2) pedagogical climate: the teacher educator’s critical role in creating a receptive and engaging learning environment; and (3) professional pathway clarity: the student teachers’ understanding of their future roles and trajectories in the TESOL arena. The research’s findings provide TESOL educators with crucial insights into student teachers’ engagement with teaching methods that synthesise both theoretical and practical components. Moreover, the research enriches the academic discourse, underscoring the potential of using the cognitive, emotional, and behavioural engagement triad as a diagnostic tool to understand students’ learning experiences in TESOL training programmes.

Student Teacher Engagement in Teacher Indirect-Focused Written Corrective Feedback (IFWCF) in a Tertiary EFL Writing Classroom

Teacher feedback becomes essential things for student-teachers. It assists them in evaluating learning progress. However, student-teachers’ engagement is under-explored. This present study is objective to showcase Indirect-focused written corrective feedback (IFWCF). This case study focused on investigating the combination of indirect-focused written corrective feedback (IFWCF) simultaneously to the higher education students in Indonesia who engaged affectively, behaviorally, and cognitively in narrative writing class. This study uses the narrative inquiry method. The data were collected from students’ reflective journals and their corrected worksheets as teacher’s feedback and interviews. The results indicate that effectively, students engage IFWCF positively although two participants by birth felt confused and frustrated. Cognitively, students think of making plans to follow up on IFWCF, and behaviorally, they materialize the plans to fix the corrected worksheets. In conclusion, the implementation of IFWCF in writing courses has pedagogical implications for EFL students.

Student Perceptions and Experiences in Mathematics Classrooms: A Thematic Analysis

Classroom experiences contribute to learners' perceptions and interest in a particular subject. The present study aims to understand students' perception of mathematics learning by exploring their classroom experiences. The study sample consisted of 17 eighth-grade students in English-speaking urban schools in South India. The data was collected through a semi-structured interview schedule. The thematic analysis presents five themes – student personal factors, teacher-related, content-related, classroom environment and utility value. Teachers’ characteristics and mathematics content were the essential factors contributing to students' perceptions and experiences. The study highlights the utility value of the content to help students see the application of the subject in real-world situations. Understanding students' perception of mathematics learning would help to choose appropriate content and teaching methods in the curriculum. The study highlights the need for educational and psychological interventions, focusing on student-teacher engagement and curriculum development to enhance mathematics learning.

Enhancing Student Engagement: Harnessing “AIED”’s Power in Hybrid Education—A Review Analysis

Hybrid learning is a complex combination of face-to-face and online learning. This model combines the use of multimedia materials with traditional classroom work. Virtual hybrid learning is employed alongside face-to-face methods. That aims to investigate using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to increase student engagement in hybrid learning settings. Educators are confronted with contemporary issues in maintaining their students’ interest and motivation as the popularity of online and hybrid education continues to grow, where many educational institutions are adopting this model due to its flexibility, student-teacher engagement, and peer-to-peer interaction. AI will help students communicate, collaborate, and receive real-time feedback, all of which are challenges in education. This article examines the advantages and disadvantages of hybrid education and the optimal approaches for incorporating Artificial Intelligence (AI) in educational settings. The research findings suggest that using AI can revolutionize hybrid education, as it enhances both student and instructor autonomy while fostering a more engaging and interactive learning environment.

THE EFFECTS OF CROSS-DISCIPLINARY LIFE SCIENCE INNOVATION IMPLEMENTED BY STUDENTS' STIMULATED STRATEGIES FOR PBL-STEM SELF-EFFICACY

This research used mixed effects to construct a PBL-STEM (problem-based learning with STEM) questionnaire with high validity and reliability. The benefits of PBL-STEM focused on cross-disciplinary and longitudinal research to analyze students' self-efficacy in life science. All 175 university students who attended this course as an elective participated in this research. The purpose was to evaluate students' performance in the cake-baking practice experiential course and to use unpaired samples t-test, one-way ANOVA, and feedback analysis as quantitative and qualitative data. The following are noteworthy results: The t-test showed that five stimulated scales were significantly different and better after the cake-baking PBL-STEM activity. In one-way ANOVA, to engage with more students in STEM activities, improve conceptual learning, and close achievement gaps. The more enthusiastic students are, the more actively they study and think, and the more effectively they improve their PBL-STEM learning. Students' feedback analysis of this teaching activity is beneficial for improving technology, student-teacher engagement, process comprehension, and learning interest. The light of this research will foster a disposition of learning, enhance cake-baking skills, and encourage problem-solving based on their thinking. Keywords: cross-disciplinary, life science, PBL-STEM, self-efficacy

Using theoretical frameworks to analyze democratic student–teacher engagement and autonomous learning for academic achievement in Zimbabwe

Positive student–teacher engagement that fosters independent and supported learning is the fulcrum for academic success. This paper investigates stakeholder opinions on the intrinsic importance of a democratic student–teacher relationship and autonomous learning in mediating students’ academic progress in Zimbabwean secondary schools. This case study’s qualitative data was gathered through interviews and focus groups. We used Foucault’s theory of power relations and the self-determination theory of motivation to frame our findings. The 40 participants from two secondary schools were general teachers (n = 12), guidance and counseling teachers (n = 2), educational psychologists (n = 2), and form 5 students (n = 24), selected through purposive sampling techniques. The data were analyzed using the thematic content analysis approach. Findings revealed participants’ perceptions that democratic student–teacher relationships and autonomous learning opportunities may serve as a panacea to enhance students’ participation, motivation, and overall academic performance. The study recommends in-service training to teachers regarding policies, directives, and public acts that inform and educate on how student–teacher relationships may be enhanced to foster autonomous learning. Future longitudinal studies could investigate the long-term effects of positive student–teacher engagement and teacher-supported autonomous learning on student academic achievement.

Private tertiary students’ unspoken thoughts in learning physical education amidst COVID-19 pandemic: Implications for intervention

COVID-19 Pandemic has impacted Higher Education worldwide, resulting in school closures to enforce social distancing protocols. Educational Institutions face profound changes in planning, implementing, and assessing their system, particularly in the Philippines. There is meager research on how COVID-19 influenced the educational system in the academic profession. As a result, this study utilized a Qualitative Phenomenology Research Design to explore further the information concerning private tertiary students' experiences learning physical education in the context of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Specifically, this study investigated the Private Tertiary Students’ lived experiences, coping mechanisms, and generated sensible suggestions to better implement the Tertiary Physical Education amidst the COVID-19 crisis. Using purposive sampling technique, 35 participants from private tertiary schools in the Cotabato Province in the Philippines took part in this qualitative research. Using open-ended questions as main instrument for the interviews, the necessary data were gathered and analyzed using the framework developed by Miles and Huberman - data reduction; data display; and conclusion drawing and verification. The findings of this study conclude that the lived experiences of private tertiary students were influenced by resource availability, support, and management, teaching and learning strategy, and student-teacher engagement. Improvements to facilities and equipment must be another focus of the school to increase students' learning experiences and boost their interest in physical education, which is essential for obtaining the desired performance rate and level of physical competence in the curriculum. Thus, this study implies that teachers should work conducive to professional growth and must interact with the learners and utilize adequate and efficient teaching strategies for the online learning of physical education. The findings were then used to develop conclusions and recommendations that can be used to improve and design interventions in online learning of physical education in the Philippine Private Tertiary schools.

Screen Recording Video in Virtual Learning during Covid-19 Pandemic: Students’ Perspective

In educational institutions, such as universities, the usage of digital tools has been employed to improve the delivery of the curriculum. They could be useful as teaching aids in the event of a COVID-19 epidemic. As a result of these concerns, this research was carried out to find out what students thought about the use of screen recording video in virtual learning activities during the Covid-19 epidemic. A total of 50 students from the English department at Universitas Pamulang participated in this study. To gather information, the authors handed out a questionnaire with ten questions and interviewed four students on the use of virtual learning in the COVID-19 pandemic situation. Students' top five positive responses to screen video recording in virtual learning are: improving the quality of learning, assisting students in learning more effectively, enhancing students' learning experience, student-teacher engagement, and flexibility of time and place, according to the data analysis. They also discovered that no matter how helpful screen capturing video is, teachers' aid and advice are still required.

COMPARISON OF ONLINE VS CLASSROOM DELIVERY OF UNDERGRADUATE BASIC MEDICAL SCIENCES MODULE

ABSTRACT
 BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Corona virus disease (Covid-19) pandemic has impacted lives and institutes globally with serious consequences. No doubt universities are facing immense challenges in this transition to online education. To evaluate the effectiveness of online system of teaching in Covid 19 pandemic as compared to classroom teaching in a basic medical sciences module.
 METHODOLOGY: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Islamic International Dental College, from 15th February to 15th May 2020 on 1ST year BDS students. At the end of their online module, an online feedback questionnaire was given to students. Assessment of the online module was compared with the previous class module assessment to get an insight of their performance. SPSS version 25 was used. Student’s t test was used.
 RESULTS: A highly significant p value was found in both Physiology and Biochemistry online tests as compared to class tests. Regarding feedback, 63(91.3%) students preferred classroom teaching as it enhanced active participation 59 (85.5%) and student teacher engagement 62 (89.9%). Students agreed that queries were addressed during online sessions 57 (70.9%) but they seemed less motivated 21(30.4%) and grasping of difficult concepts was tough 48 (69.5%). Teachers seemed more enthusiastic in online teaching 52 (75.4%), but there was variety of teaching tools used in classroom sessions 65 (94.2%).
 CONCLUSION: Gradually medical universities, faculty and students will adapt with the e-learning but we need to implement innovative and proactive measures for students and faculty to enhance students learning.

A critical approach to active learning

This micro-level study conducted on tow Bangladeshi colleges intended to explore how far learners have engaged actively in the process of learning and teaching. This article (1) examines the nature and character of active learning and (2) elucidates the present approach of learning in practice in the higher education of Bangladesh at the college level affiliated with National University, Bangladesh. The investigation completed by applying the mixture of qualitative and quantitative approaches, though it is primarily focused on qualitative analysis. Data collected based on two cases. In addition, four FGD sessions have arranged with teachers and students and two of them with the teacher and rest two with the students. In this case study, we come across that student-teacher engagement in learning is very low. There are few scopes for reaching students' behavior, motivation levels in the learning situation. Absenteeism is very high in the students as well as in the teacher. Both the learners and instructors involved in learning for a short period of time. Their staying in the institution for short is a barrier to a high level of engagement in teaching-learning. As a consequence, they do not become the anytime, anywhere learner thereby not lifelong learners

Student Teacher Engagement in Co-Teaching Strategies

Recently there has been increasing emphasis on co-teaching experiences for teacher candidates. Despite the significance of collaboration between cooperating teachers and student teachers, limited empirical attention has focused on student teachers' co-teaching experiences. The following study utilized survey data to ascertain if student teachers' use of different co-teaching strategies changed over the course of their student teaching semester, as well as, compared student teacher use of co-teaching strategies in elementary, middle, and secondary program areas. Pilot Study Survey data revealed that approximately one-fourth of the student teacher's time is spent teaching alone. However, the Student Teacher Survey data indicated that the Team Teaching co-teaching strategy increased more than any other co-teaching strategy in all program areas. The study concludes that as teacher education programs seek to maximize the benefits of the co-teaching model, student teachers and cooperating teachers need additional training in ways to utilize all the co-teaching strategies to maximize student learning.

Incorporating lesson study in ITE: organisational structures to support student teacher learning

ABSTRACTLesson study is a collaborative model of professional development that provides teachers with the opportunity to learn from the planning, conduction and reflection of a specifically designed research lesson. Lesson study is increasingly incorporated in initial teacher education (ITE) and calls have been made to further detail the lesson study structures that support student teacher learning. In this paper the core organisational elements of incorporating lesson study in ITE are investigated as a comparative case study situated in two distinct educational and cultural settings: one in Ireland (post-primary) and the other in Norway (primary). Qualitative data, including student teachers’ planning notes, research lesson designs, and observation notes from live research lessons, were analysed and findings reveal three structural factors for the incorporation of lesson study in ITE. First, defined roles of mentor and university teachers as knowledgeable others; second, the engagement of student teachers at each phase of lesson study, with the inclusion of case pupils; and third, the conduction of the lesson study cycle on both university campus and in the classroom. These findings contribute to the growing literature of lesson study in ITE and may support the inclusion of lesson study in ITE programmes.

Reforming teacher education in Nigeria: Laying a foundation for the future

Teacher educators in Nigeria receive limited professional development, particularly regarding the instruction of early grade reading skills. As part of the USAID-funded Northern Education Initiative Plus project, Florida State University faculty provided intensive teacher educator professional development to staff at four Teacher Education Institutions in northern Nigeria. Positive impacts on teacher educator knowledge, skills, and attitudes were observed related to content and pedagogical knowledge, use of participatory teaching and learning activities in the college classrooms, and improvement in student teacher engagement and learning. Continued success of the implemented model for training will be dependent upon national adoption and scale up.

Exploring the nature and implications of student teacher engagement with development education initiatives

In this article, the authors outline and discuss the findings of a research study, which explored student teacher engagement with development education (DE) interventions implemented within Professional Master of Education (PME) programmes across eight Irish Higher Education Institutions. Interpretivist methods were employed incorporating questionnaires administered to 536 student teachers pre and post the DE intervention and 6 focus group discussions conducted with 26 student teachers. Findings indicate that the capacity of PME students to engage with development issues and integrate DE into their teaching has strengthened considerably because of their participation in the intervention. However, in order to build upon this more must be done with respect to: strengthening student teachers’ knowledge of development issues; embedding DE further across PME programmes; enhancing practical engagement with DE on School Placement and prioritising DE-related research and reflection. Findings align with a conceptual understanding of DE as a complex system.

Multimedia based qualitative assessment methodology in eLearning: student teacher engagement analysis

Multimedia-based Electronic learning (eLearning) is an effective method of knowledge transfer. Multimedia-based eLearning provides the opportunity to the students that they can use once delivered and recorded video lecture any time. Multimedia tools and its applications if used in eLearning enable the students and teachers to take such kind of advantages. Multimedia applications provide the advantages to students and teacher in eLearning but challenges are also striking features. One of the challenges is to measure and analyze visual engagement and visual attention for teachers and students respectively. Visual engagement of the video lecture is measured and analyzed to verify the effectiveness of the teachers’ lectures. In the same way, the visual attention for the students is also be measured and analyzed. We have presented a qualitative assessment methodology and an algorithm for both of the measures and their correlation. Covariance and relationship between the two measures are the key technique of this paper. Multimedia-based software tools have been developed for this purpose. Results of both the tools are very interesting and promising. They are interpreted using descriptive and graphical statistics.

Enhancing learning with the social media: student teachers’ perceptions on Twitter in a debate activity

Abstract This paper presents research focused on the educational experience of students using the microblogging platform Twitter for debate activities in three groups in different teacher education programmes at the University of the Balearic Islands, Spain. The implementation of this technology-based task in a face-to-face class was introduced as an innovative experience as a way of enhancing student learning and fostering participation in the context of formal learning. The educational objectives of these activities, besides working on the topics of the debate, were to empower student teachers’ Personal Learning Environments, engage student participation and enhance their use of social media and mobile devices for learning. Student perceptions were assessed by means of a questionnaire completed by them at the end of the courses. Tweets related to the debate were also collected in order to obtain some statistical data on student participation. Data collected allowed the researchers to observe student teacher engagement with the use of Twitter for the debate activity and its impact on their learning and understanding of the debate topic. Results also showed positive perceptions towards the use of social media in education and students’ willingness for future use, learning opportunities from Twitter and the use of mobile technology were also envisioned. Finally, conclusions argue the implications for practice of the current study and highlight some issues for further research, such as the exploration of new and innovative uses for teachers’ professional development and the empowerment of new activities and habits in learning on the move.

Strategies for encouraging behavioural and cognitive engagement of pre-service student-teachers in Bhutan: an action research case study

This action research enquiry interrogates my own teaching practices in the context of new cultures of pedagogy in Bhutan. Teaching at the tertiary level for the last 11 years, I have realised that student engagement, particularly behavioural and cognitive engagement, has not been satisfactory. This motivated me to undertake an action enquiry to improve my teaching to engage student-teachers more in their own learning. The analysis of baseline survey data collected from a class of 29 final-year Bachelor of Education Primary pre-service student-teachers in a curriculum studies module confirmed three areas of concern about my capacity to encourage student engagement: lack of open communication in my classes, lack of care and concern, and inability to provide active learning opportunities. I implemented intervention strategies in my teaching to address these concerns. Ongoing data about the effectiveness of the intervention strategies were collected through observations of lessons by a critical friend and by maintaining a self-reflective diary. Post-intervention data were gathered using the same questionnaire, through interviews conducted by a critical friend with four randomly selected student-teachers and research diaries. I have noticed measurable improvement in all three areas of concern that facilitated enhancement of both behavioural and cognitive engagements of student-teachers. However, I also realise that there is still room for improvement in the areas of motivating students to change their mindset about activity-based teaching and the need for me to show more interest in their personal and professional problems.

Modelling in initial teacher education (ITE): reflections on the engagement of student teachers with cooperative learning in ITE

This study focusses on a group of student teachers who were participants on the Post Graduate Diploma in Education at a Scottish university and assesses their engagement with cooperative learning as a result of their training. The participants were experientially trained in cooperative learning approaches through modelling by their tutor for the Pedagogy and Curriculum module of the course. The course tutor modelled cooperative learning activities and teams were established. Data were gathered in three phases: firstly from the student teachers through questionnaires following their first two placements; in phase two through focus groups and by questionnaires to school departments. The third phase gathered data when the student teachers had progressed to their probation year in schools. This study examines whether the participants felt confident implementing cooperative learning and if they thought this helped them deliver the new curriculum in Scotland, Curriculum for Excellence. It discusses modelling in ITE as a means of developing practice and the partnership between schools and universities.

School Co-ordinators: Leaders of Learning in Professional Experience

It is widely accepted that professional experience or practicum is ‘a critically important part of teacher education courses and is consistently valued highly by student teachers’ (eg Ramsey, 2000; Teaching Australia, 2006; Parliament of Australia, 2007). In Australia and overseas there is a growing emphasis on teacher educators working in partnership with schools to construct professional experiences that maximise student teacher engagement and learning (Parliament of Australia, 2007). The literature on professional experience in pre-service teacher education provides varied and detailed accounts of the roles of the Pre-service Teacher, the Mentor Teacher and the University Mentor (see for example, Gaffey & Dobbins, 1996; Guyton & McIntyre, 1990; Zeichner, 1999). However the School based Professional Experience Co-ordinator, usually the principal or deputy principal, has received very little attention in the literature. The study on which this article is primarily based fills a gap in the existing literature on professional experience with its focus on the School based Co-ordinator role. It will be argued that Co-ordinators are essential in developing ‘new’ school-university partnerships which are necessary in ensuring high quality professional experiences.

Learning from the Past: An account of an oral history project for students in an early childhood teacher education program

Engagement of student-teachers with the community of practice they are entering is central to the formation of their identity as an educator. This paper outlines a teaching and research project that enabled early childhood student-teachers to gain insights into the field through interviewing past teachers and reflecting on their practices. In the process, students became aware of the complexities of their chosen profession, alternative teaching practices and different ways of relating with families. Their responses indicated that the experience had an impact on their identity with the profession, their learning about the nature of history and their understanding of research processes.