Primary School Subjects Research Articles

Pencil or Keyboard? Boys’ Preferences in Writing

Handwriting is an important subject in primary schools, especially in the Early Years. The importance of writing skill is now seen as a debate with the increasing demand on children to learn technology skills to help them with 21st Century learning—how to write on the keyboard effectively. The topic is important because handwriting is an essential life skill to have with or without technology. In this study, I looked at the importance of both in the context of the qualitative case studies in three schools in Melbourne, Australia. The aim of the research is to explore how do students understand the learning of handwriting and keyboarding in schools? This qualitative case study employed a Thematic Analysis approach in which the central intention was to understand the lived experience of six Year 6 boys across three schools and their attitudes to writing and technology. In this article, I addressed the importance of teaching handwriting to primary school students, especially in the first four years of their school life from Foundation to Year 3. The findings suggest that teachers should continue explicitly teaching handwriting to their students despite the heavy reliance on technology in today’s lifestyle.

Mothers’ perspectives and engagements in supporting children’s readiness and transition to primary school in Indonesia

ABSTRACT The purpose of this research is to analyse the nature of mothers’ perspectives and engagements in supporting children’s readiness and transition to primary school. This research considers how mothers in Indonesia prioritise certain aspects of school readiness and implement these in practice. This study was conducted using a qualitative approach. There were 35 mothers who agreed to take part in the FGD (Focus Group Discussion). The results showed that there were three key variables that emerged from mothers’ perspectives and engagements in supporting their children, those are academic skills urgency, practical issues and mothers’ expectations toward school. The findings of this study have demonstrated that most mothers focused on teaching academic skills with the aim of making their children be ready to learn subjects in primary school. This study concluded with directions for informing mothers to facilitate children with experiences that prepare them for the transition. The importance of collaboration with teachers is also discussed.

PENGARUH MEDIA POP UP BOOK TERHADAP KETERAMPILAN MENULIS SISWA PADA MATA PELAJARAN BAHASA INDONESIA SD

The purpose of this research is to use of pop up book media for writing skills in Indonesian primary school subjects. The method used in this research is meta-analisys method. This research begins by formulating the topic to be examined, than make a statement of the problem, and than stage the collection of relevant articles to collect data. The data is obtained from online journal searches through Google Scholar. The keywords used are “Pop up book” and “elementary school writing skills”. From search results there are 8 articles. The data obtained were analyzed again using quantitative method. Based on the results of Pop Up Book media analysis it can be proven to improve students’ writing skills by an average before being given treatment is 57.58 and after being given treatment is 76.05 so that increases is 18.47.Keywords: Pop up Book Media, Skills Writing, Indonesian

Mechanisms of Moral Disengagement Used to Justify School Violence in Sicilian Primary School.

This study investigated the mechanisms of moral disengagement most commonly used to justify school violence in Sicilian primary school. The main objective of this study was to analyze the mechanisms of moral disengagement that are set in motion by those involved in situations of school violence (victims, aggressors, and bystanders) in Sicilian primary school. Likewise, the differences by gender and age are investigated. A total of 113 subjects in primary school were recruited (56.6% girls). The ages ranged from 8 to 11 (M = 9.56, SD = 0.99). The first scale used was the Bullying Inventory by Olweus (1993) in the Italian translation by Genta, Menesini, Fonzi, Costabile, and Smith (1996) and the questionnaire on moral disengagement developed by Caprara, Barbaranelli, Vicino, and Bandura (1996) is also used. The regression analysis showed that the sociodemographic variables and the mechanisms of moral disengagement are different depending on a person’s role (aggressor, victim, or bystander). Moral justification predicted the role of victim in school violence, dehumanization predicted the role of the aggressor (and gender), and the disclosure of responsibility (and dehumanization) predicted the role of the bystander in school violence. The conclusions of this study will facilitate the prevention of school violence, for example, by promoting social integration and minimizing situations of school violence (emphasizing morality, ethics, etc.), thereby establishing balanced and satisfactory interpersonal relationships.

Revisiting Primary English Teachers’ Critical Reflections on Coursebook Usage

In Germany, where every federal state has a different educational philosophy and diverse legal circumstances, the practices of English teachers vary considerably. In Bavaria, where the present study was conducted, English only became a mandatory primary school subject in the school year 2005-2004. Because a specific training for becoming primary school English teacher was only integrated into the university curriculum after that year, the majority of current primary school English teachers have not been trained to teach this subject so they lack the methodological background. Therefore, coursebooks with detailed teaching ideas and pedagogical explanations for lesson planning become an essential part of their profession providing guidance and feeling of security. Some German scholars have noted; however, these teachers mostly devise other materials like worksheets to replace or supplement the English coursebooks (Fuchs et al., 2010). The present study aims to critically reflect on perceptions, preferences and expectations of English teachers at German primary schools concerning their coursebook usage. After presenting and discussing the research results, the paper proposes some ideas for striking a balance between teaching English with and without a coursebook. Different stakeholders can thus collect useful ideas for improvement, including teacher trainers, teachers, student teachers, school administrators, and publishers.

Revisiting Primary English Teachers’ Critical Reflections on Coursebook Usage

In Germany, where every federal state has a different educational philosophy and diverse legal circumstances, the practices of English teachers vary considerably. In Bavaria, where the present study was conducted, English only became a mandatory primary school subject in the school year 2005-2004. Because a specific training for becoming primary school English teacher was only integrated into the university curriculum after that year, the majority of current primary school English teachers have not been trained to teach this subject so they lack the methodological background. Therefore, coursebooks with detailed teaching ideas and pedagogical explanations for lesson planning become an essential part of their profession providing guidance and feeling of security. Some German scholars have noted; however, these teachers mostly devise other materials like worksheets to replace or supplement the English coursebooks (Fuchs et al., 2010). The present study aims to critically reflect on perceptions, preferences and expectations of English teachers at German primary schools concerning their coursebook usage. After presenting and discussing the research results, the paper proposes some ideas for striking a balance between teaching English with and without a coursebook. Different stakeholders can thus collect useful ideas for improvement, including teacher trainers, teachers, student teachers, school administrators, and publishers.

The Use of History in Life Studies Textbooks in Germany

Hayat bilgisi derslerinde tarih konularının yer alması, tarih farkındalığının ve tarihsel öğrenmenin erken yaşlarda inşasında önemlidir. İlkokulda tarih konularının öğretilmesi, pedagojik yaklaşımla doğrudan ilgilidir. Tarihsel öğrenmede, ülkemizdeki gibi, Piaget’nin bilişsel gelişim kuramına yakın bir yaklaşım etkiliyse, çocuğun sihirli yıl olan 12 yaşa kadar somut işlemler döneminde olduğu düşünülür. Soyut içeriğe sahip tarih dersleri ancak bu yaştan itibaren yani soyut işlemler döneminde öğrenilebilir. Egan’ın tarihsel düşünme evrelerine yakın bir yaklaşım etkiliyse, çocuğun mitik evreden (4-9 yaş) itibaren tarih öğrenebileceği savunulur. Böylece öğrenciler tarih konularıyla daha erken yaşta karşılaşır. Almanya’da ilkokul öğrencileri hayat bilgisi derslerinde (Sachunterricht) tarih konularıyla karşılaşırlar. Bu araştırmanın amacı, Almanya’da hayat bilgisi dersi kapsamındaki tarih konularının neler olduğunun ve tarihin nasıl kullanıldığının incelenmesidir. Nitel araştırma desenlerinden durum çalışmasının kullanıldığı araştırmada doküman incelemesi yapılmıştır. Araştırma verileri, hayat bilgisi ders kitaplarından elde edilmiş ve bulgulara, betimsel analiz ve içerik analizi yapılarak ulaşılmıştır. Araştırmanın örneklemini, Almanya’da 3. sınıfta okutulan iki, 3 ve 4. sınıflarda okutulan bir adet hayat bilgisi ders kitabı oluşturmaktadır. Araştırma sonuçlarına göre, “geçmişe bakış, günümüz ve gelecek için öğrenmeyi mümkün kılar” anlayışını benimseyen hayat bilgisi ders kitaplarında; zaman kavramından, değişim ve sürekliliği temel alan çocuğun yakın çevresinden, yaşadığı yerin tarihsel arka planına yönelik yerel tarih konuların yanı sıra ilk insanlardan, doğanın ve doğal unsurların şekillenmesinden, geçmişte ve günümüzde kullanılan eşyalardan, orta çağda yaşamdan konular yer almaktadır. Ayrıca tarih konularının ‘yerel tarih/ mekânın tarihi’, ‘eşya/ nesne tarihi’, ‘sosyal tarih/ gündelik hayatın tarihi’, ‘Orta çağ tarihi’ temaları altında yer aldığı ve değişim ve süreklilik ile kültürel miras farkındalığını sağlamak amacıyla kullanıldıkları anlaşılmıştır.

ТЕОРЕТИЧЕСКИЕ ОСНОВЫ ФОРМИРОВАНИЯ СМЫСЛОВОГО ЧТЕНИЯ КАК УНИВЕРСАЛЬНОГО УЧЕБНОГО ДЕЙСТВИЯ

The authors consider the problem of achieving the unity of personal, metapedmetic, substantive educational results, drawing attention to the formation of such cognitive universal educational action as the «basis of notional reading of the text». The presented results of the analysis of school educational programs on leading educational subjects in primary and basic schools reveal a lack of coherence, continuity in the formation of this universal educational action. The main reason is seen in the inconsistency of interpretations of the concept of notional reading, in unsettled definitions, which is the result of the inconsistency of the advancing theoretical provisions (psychological, psycholinguistic, didactic). The lack of teachers’ competence in the formation of notional reading as a cognitive universal educational activity is explained by the lack of scientific and pedagogical materials on theoretical coverage of the problem and practical solutions. A diverse analysis of the history of the concept of notional reading is directed by the authors to correlate it with the concept of the reading consciousness, which, in turn, is conjugated with the concept of the teaching consciousness. This ensures the consideration of the problem of semantic reading in the context of the problem of forming a conscious attitude of younger schoolchildren to the mastery in reading. Thus, the search for its solutions is carried out in the key of a subjective approach, in the direction of developing conscious meanings of reading among junior schoolchildren, which means bringing to the students’ consciousness the importance of mastering their skills to read texts to solve specific cognitive problems in accordance with adequate motives and goals of activity. The article provides authors’ data on correlation of the self-esteem of junior students’ skills in reading with the attitude to it as a leisure activity, the regularity of its implementation, and dominant motives. The authors attribute the weakly expressed dynamics of the development of general educational and cognitive meanings of reading in primary education to insufficient pedagogical consideration of the cognitive interests of younger schoolchildren in the educational content of reading, their ability to navigate the functional and typological features of texts. In this regard, the concept of functional reading is touched upon, a critical assessment is given of the unjustified narrowing of its meaning to a purely pragmatic one.

The training of masters of pedagogical education to the integrated teaching of the schoolchildren in mathematics and computer science

Problem and goal. The single subject area “Mathematics and Computer Science”, provided by existing standards, implies the need to introduce the integration of teaching these subjects in primary and secondary schools; the training for such teaching is one of the goals of the implementation of the master’s program “Mathematics in Primary Education”. Methodology. The implementation of the following factors improves the quality of training of the masters to the integrated teaching of the schoolchildren in mathematics and computer science: the training of the masters is based on the competencies that they assimilated in the stages of their previous training, in particular in undergraduate studies; the developed integrated content of the modular training, implemented in the system of specialized disciplines, allows to implement the systematic, fundamental and invariance training of the masters; the readiness of the masters to the integrated teaching the schoolchildren in mathematics and computer science includes the formed competencies in the selection of teaching content and the use of educational electronic resources; taking into account various factors of using information and communication technologies in the educational process, forming an idea of the role of informatization of education in society, its language, methods and means, and their quality control. Results. The practical activities of masters in creating the electronic courses for organizing online-learning were implemented, a system of computer tasks was created for the integrated teaching of the schoolchildren in mathematics and computer science. Conclusion. The training of masters to the integrated teaching of the schoolchildren in mathematics and computer science ensures their orientation in information and communication technologies and subsequent competent use of these technologies in their professional activities.

Influence of Cooperative Learning Model of Bamboo Dancing to Students Learning Outcomes in Social Sciences in Elementary School

<p class="Abstract">This research is entitled, The Influence of Cooperative Learning Models Type Bamboo Dancing Against Learning Outcomes of Students in Social Sciences Subjects in Primary Schools. This study aims to describe the implementation and influence of the cooperative model type bamboo dancing on improving student learning outcomes in social science subjects. The research problem formulation was formulated as "Is there any influence of cooperative learning model type bamboo dancing on student learning outcomes on social science subjects in elementary school?" The research method used was an experiment with the nature of quantitative research. The research design used is Quasi Experimental Design. The population of this study were students of the Public elementary School Mandalawangi district Cipatat West Bandung District. The research instrument uses observation sheets and test questions. The results of the test research data show that there is an increase in learning outcomes of students in social studies learning in elementary schools with the use of a cooperative type type bamboo dancing, can be seen from the results of the t-test on the sig (2-tailed) section showing differences in learning outcomes of students in post- the test obtained 0,000 this shows 0,000 <0,05, then H<sub>0</sub> is rejected means that there is a significant difference in the learning outcomes of students between the experimental class and the control class there are differences after treatment. This difference suggests that the experimental class is superior and better the results can be seen through the average social studies learning outcomes of students in the experimental class using bamboo dancing models. Based on the proof of the hypothesis that reads "there is a significant influence on cooperative learning models of bamboo dancing type on the learning outcomes of students on social science subjects in elementary schools", the H<sub>1</sub> hypothesis is accepted.</p>

The portrait of primary school English in Indonesia: policy recommendations

ABSTRACT In response to the need for teaching English in primary education, this exploratory case study examines the enactment of English as a locally-tailored school subject in Indonesian primary schools. Data of this study were collected from multiple interviews with six English teachers teaching in two Indonesian primary schools that offer English as an additional language (EAL). The findings reveal that the status of English as a locally-tailored school subject brings about such problems as no official curriculum guidelines, English teachers’ quality, and a lack of learning resources and facilities. Drawing on these findings, policy recommendations are discussed in this article.

A review of the ICT subject implementation in schools: a perspective of Lusaka Province (Zambia)

This paper highlights the effects brought about by the implementation of the Information Communication Technology (ICT) subject in the Zambian primary education curriculum. In particular, it shows how various schools have implemented the new subject, its effects on schools, challenges faced with implementing the subject and remedies to counter the challenges. The paper then outlines and discusses findings of a study designed to investigate the effects in implementing the ICT in education subject in primary schools using data obtained from ten schools under Lusaka Province. Conclusions are drawn and suggestions made to address challenges and improve the subject adoption rate. Despite multiple policies around the importance and implementation of ICTs, the paper warns that without proper resources, infrastructure and administrative support, the effective implementation of the ICT in education subject cannot be achieved.

Science learning for children with learning disabilities

The purpose of this study is to identify students with learning disabilities in science subject in inclusive primary schools. The first stage of the study involves a screening interview, in which the researchers identify the responses of students with learning disabilities to science learning. To gather data for the study, teachers are given questions to respond to: how do teachers teach science to students with learning disabilities? And what are the difficulties in teaching science to students with learning disabilities? In addition, students are also asked if they like certain subjects and why. The second stage of the study involves classroom observation to see how students learn science. Identifying problems experienced by students with learning disabilities when studying science allows the researcher to either confirm or disprove the assumption that students with learning disabilities need different method of teaching or learning science. The finding of this study will benefit those who care about learning disability education. It is also directly related to my next research on science learning method for students with learning disabilities.

Primary music teachers’ efficacy in Hong Kong’s inclusive classrooms

ABSTRACTThis study analyses responses (n = 309, across 94 schools) to the General Self-Efficacy Scale (Zhang and Schwarzer [1995]. “Measuring Optimistic Self-Beliefs: A Chinese Adaptation of the General Self-Efficacy Scale.” Psychologia: An International Journal of Psychology in the Orient 38 (3): 174–181) from Hong Kong primary teachers of inclusive music classes. Analysis of these results sheds light on the impact that contextual reforms have on these non-core subject music teachers’ practice. Respondents’ perceived self-efficacy is moderate – characterised as a see-saw relationship between their personal and external domains. A possible behavioural intervention suggests professional-sharing being further enriched were current Education Bureau’s in-service SEN courses to be inclusive of all primary school subjects, including music. Specific factors that underpin these respondents ‘moderate’ self-efficacy are identified as forming two clusters, human resource management and stress, with possible behavioural interventions for these being outlined.

The Difficulties of Theoretical and Applied Learning for Mathematics Subject in Primary Schools

Mathematics one of the important subject in primary schools, it is the best criteria for evaluating the ability of students level for learning and understanding. The problem is the students felt weakness and anxious in mathematics subject especially those students in the grade one to three, moreover, sometimes they fail in mathematics become to a factor to fail other scientific subjects, for these reasons the teachers should be teaching mathematics carefully and use modern methodologies for teaching mathematics. This study aims to find the factor of difficulties of teaching mathematics in the primary classes as well as the complexities in the mathematics curriculum in these classes. For addressing this issue, we use a sampling method for collecting data and analyzing method for analyzing data collected. For collecting real data, ten relative questions proposed then answered by one hundred teachers through their experience and their knowledge. The result of the study shows that the mathematics subject needs to improve through teachers’ experience and to improve the mathematics curriculum. Moreover, this results leads for the teachers to solve general issues of mathematics in the primary school, especially among grade one to grade three.

The construal of English as a global language in Korean EFL textbooks for primary school children

ABSTRACTReflecting the continued rise of English as a global language, English as a foreign language (EFL) has become a compulsory primary school subject across many non-English-speaking countries. This trend has been accompanied by publishers’ investment in the development of EFL teaching materials for young learners. Such materials rely heavily on images, with relatively sparse writing in English and the children’s first language. This study examines EFL textbooks for the year in which EFL is first introduced as a compulsory primary school subject in South Korea. Specifically, we analyse whether and how the multimodal resources used in five EFL textbooks approved by the South Korean government for use in Grade 3 address the curriculum requirement to present English as an important bridge connecting different countries. The critical multimodal content analysis of textbook characters and their interactions suggests that a general western bias and implicit support of native-speakerism are still existent in Korean EFL textbooks.

Tro, musikalske røtter og anerkjennelse i en krysskulturell kontekst

Artikkelen dreier seg om betydningen av å anerkjenne egne og andres musikalske røtter. Utgangspunkt for tematikken er hvordan opplevelser av ubehag kan oppstå i situasjoner der religiøst musikalsk innhold er brakt spontant inn i undervisningen av musikklærerstudenter. Artikkelen bygger på erfaringer fra egen lærerutdanningspraksis og kvalitative data samlet inn i forbindelse med mitt doktorgradsprosjekt (Strøm, 2016). Intervjuer med ungdommer som vokser opp i en krysskulturell kontekst danner artikkelens kjerne. Disse dataene brukes for å belyse forholdet mellom religiøs tro og musikalsk identitet samt ressurser og utfordringer som noen av disse ungdommene kan kjenne på i utøvingen av sine musikalske aktørskap. Artikkelen anvender Stones’ (2005) strukturasjonsteori, kalt «strong structuration», som utgangspunkt for å si noe om forholdet mellom aktør og struktur. Jeg ønsker med denne artikkelen å argumentere for krysskulturbegrepets relevans i en musikkundervisningssammenheng samt bidra til økt forståelse for og anerkjennelse av elevers religiøse musikalske røtter og identitet i musikkfaget i grunnskolen.

Challenges in tackling environmental concerns in indigenous education in Mexico

This article analyses the curriculum document called Indigenous language: Curriculum parameters, basic education, indigenous primary, that outlines study programmes for indigenous languages in Mexico, specifically for the Indigenous Language Subject in primary schools prescribed by the General Department of Indigenous Education (DGEI) of the Public Education Secretary (SEP) in 2008. The curriculum document will be analysed for its inclusion of topics and concerns pertaining to the environment, nature, biodiversity and indigenous territories. This analysis is relevant because the Indigenous Language Subject is the only curriculum area that has been designed by indigenous teachers, as part of their struggle to see their languages and cultures placed on a level with Spanish. Two important issues stand out from the analysis. Firstly, the curriculum document recognises community elders and parents as bearers and builders of indigenous knowledge concerning the environment. Second, it recognises that children learn from everyday cultural practices such as farming crops, local food production, etc. However, the analysis also revealed matters of concern, and these should be treated as challenges to be overcome.

Challenges in tackling environmental concerns in indigenous education in Mexico

This article analyses the curriculum document called Indigenous language: Curriculum parameters, basic education, indigenous primary, that outlines study programmes for indigenous languages in Mexico, specifically for the Indigenous Language Subject in primary schools prescribed by the General Department of Indigenous Education (DGEI) of the Public Education Secretary (SEP) in 2008. The curriculum document will be analysed for its inclusion of topics and concerns pertaining to the environment, nature, biodiversity and indigenous territories. This analysis is relevant because the Indigenous Language Subject is the only curriculum area that has been designed by indigenous teachers, as part of their struggle to see their languages and cultures placed on a level with Spanish. Two important issues stand out from the analysis. Firstly, the curriculum document recognises community elders and parents as bearers and builders of indigenous knowledge concerning the environment. Second, it recognises that children learn from everyday cultural practices such as farming crops, local food production, etc. However, the analysis also revealed matters of concern, and these should be treated as challenges to be overcome.

Phenomenon-Based Learning for Teaching ICT Subject through other Subjects in Primary Schools

Due to the lack of practical usage of the learned subject, traditional learning is becoming an obstacle in front of further knowledge gaining. Classical learning methods are out-dated for the modernized world that required more productive, collaborative, and more curious individuals. Therefore, a new learning method is essential to provide knowledge and skills to pursue world development without falling behind. The purpose of this study is to find the positive effects of using Phenomenon-Based Learning (PhenoBL) as a studying approach in teaching ICT skills to students and its impact on giving the motivation and improving ICT skills for students at primary schools of Sulaimani city in Iraq. The key method is to teach ICTs through other classes with a universal as PhenoBL, the cross-curricular approach which is built into the classes. Then, a survey is established to uncover the reason behind making students learn about the ICT from places other than school and shortage in keeping those skills in student’s mind for a longer time. Our results showed that using Phenomenon-based learning students’ scores are improved by more than 10% which makes using this method significantly effective. Furthermore, using phenomenon-based learning allows the student to keep and maintain gained skills for longer periods of time.