Teacher-directed Approaches Research Articles

Impacts of cooperative learning and a teacher-directed approach on the reading achievement of socio-economically disadvantaged students

Impacts of cooperative learning and a teacher-directed approach on the reading achievement of socio-economically disadvantaged students

P.R.E.P. and Teacher-Directed Approaches: Effectiveness on Grade Eleven Students’ Oral Rhetoric

Oral rhetoric has always been an integral aspect of any student's academic learning. However, most students struggle in the classroom due to some speech factors. This study investigated the effectiveness of the P.R.E.P. and teacher-directed approaches in improving the quality of oral rhetoric in Grade eleven students. Moreover, quasi-experimental research design was used in this study, the control group was subjected to teacher-directed approach while the experimental group was subjected to Point, Reason, Example, and Point (P.R.E.P.) approach. The quality of students' oral rhetoric performance was assessed using a rubric that encompassed the following canons: invention, arrangement, style, memory, and delivery. Both groups scored consistent increase in Good level in all canons of oral rhetoric; there is a significant difference in the participants’ oral rhetoric rating before and after the interventions; the two groups differed significantly in their oral rhetoric in the arrangement canon, with the PREP approach group having a higher mean increment. Findings of this study revealed that both oral rhetoric strategies were comparably effective in helping students frame meaning into their spoken discourse. It is recommended that English programs consider fostering innovative speaking approaches in the teaching and learning of the English language.

Use IoT in Physical Education and Sport in China Schools

While the school sports program model is typically established in secondary schools, it has received much less attention paid to physical training at the university. In this study, 110 Chinese university students were split into six groups. One group used sport education, and the other used a more traditional teacher-directed approach. Pupils were tested on how well they could play games, how well they did, and how much they knew. All of the people got better over the course of a 16-week period. People who went to sports high school got better grades than people who did not go to sports high school. Students may be encouraged to achieve the goals of Chinese university physical education by the highlights of sport education that have been displayed to spur understudies in past investigations (for example, being important for a group, contending in a way that is formatively suitable, and taking on different jobs). PES might have the option to make a one of a kind commitment to the improvement of youngsters’ fundamental development abilities and actual capacities, which are significant antecedents to partaking in later way of life and donning proactive tasks further down the road. Interactive abilities and conduct, confidence, and preschool perspectives might benefit from outside input when they are introduced in the correct manner. At times, they can likewise assist with scholastic and mental turn of events. Audit: many of these advantages will not come from simply participating in sports. They will be influenced by the way students and their teachers, parents, and coaches who work with them work together. Physical activities that take place in environments that emphasise positive experiences, diversity, and everyone’s involvement and that are run by teachers and coaches who are committed and trained, as well as parents who are supportive and informed, can have a big impact on how these activities turn out and how likely they are to have positive effects.

Teacher Engagement with Young Children: A Case Study on Early Childhood Development Center of Nepal

The Government of Nepal’s Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has a provision for an Early Childhood Education and Development (ECED) center in each school. Accordingly, schools are managing early childhood education and development centers in order to provide a better early learning and development environment for young children. However, the availability of quality human resources is still a critical issue. Keeping the existing reality in view, this study explored how early childhood teachers engaged with their young children (students) by implementing varied early learning activities. We deployed a case study approach and analyzed the cases of two teachers who have worked as early childhood teachers for more than five years. Observation and in-person in-depth interviews were conducted for both cases in this study. Single unit analysis for two cases was applied to analyze and draw meaning and implications of the study. This study finds that in order to engage young children in early learning, the teacher-directed approach could be useful, with the teacher taking multiple roles: as a planner, as an environment creator, as a decision maker and as a transformative practitioner.

The Impact of Problem-based Learning on Pre-service Teachers’ Mathematics Pedagogical Content Knowledge

Predictors of teacher effectiveness in relation to student achievement are based on the ability to use a range of evidence-based teaching strategies. Australia’s Teacher Education Ministerial Advisory Group (TEMAG) report that some tertiary providers working with pre-service teachers (PSTs) are using pedagogical practices which are not informed by established research. This paper reports on the impact a student-centred, PBL teaching approach had on third-year Bachelor of Education PSTs’ PCK in a mathematics education subject, compared to a similar group taught using a conventional teacher-directed approach. A quasi-experimental group-by-time design was used to determine the impact of the intervention. Contrary to meta-analyses regarding the efficacy of PBL compared to teacher-directed instruction, findings from this study show the PSTs from the PBL group developed their mathematics PCK as well as those who were taught using a teacher-directed instructional approach, Wilks’ Lambda = .71, F (1, 35) = 14.33, p < .01.

Balancing child-centred with teacher-directed approaches to early education: Incorporating young children’s perspectives

ABSTRACT Child-centred and teacher-directed curricula have long been presented as mutually exclusive approaches to early education. Interestingly, recent research suggests a ‘balance’ of the two yields the best child outcomes, yet how this balance is struck varies considerably across contexts and even studies. In this paper, we use the writings of Russian cultural-historical scholars to examine the orientations of adult and child perspectives. We propose a unifying theoretical model to describe the hypothetical extremities of child-centred and teacher-directed activities as a way that educational leaders may chart children’s activities across this spectrum. Given the moral imperative to provide balance, the model is proposed as a way to approximate it across the child’s day. We also offer two central classroom techniques as pedagogical moves to redress the tension between child-centred and teacher-directed approaches and ensure the morally imperative inclusion of children’s perspectives.

Educational Research for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Recommendations for Music Education

AbstractWhile a significant body of literature is available offering recommendations for teaching music to students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), there is a lack of supporting empirical research. The purpose of this literature review was to examine empirical research conducted between 2013–2019 that studied best practices for teaching students with ASD in general education settings and how this research could inform future lines of inquiry in the field of music education. These findings are examined using the tenets of Disability Studies in Education. I reviewed 47 publications from general education that provided empirical support for best practices for teaching students with ASD. Findings are organized in four sections: “Teacher-Directed Approaches to Instruction,” “Intervention Tools,” “Peer-Mediated Instruction,” and “The Autistic Voice.” Examining this literature provides insights into unique research methods pertaining to data collection with students with ASD and future research related to instruction and support for students with ASD in music contexts.

Mathematical beliefs and self-reported practices of Chinese early childhood teachers in the context of teaching mathematics during block play

ABSTRACT In China, a shift in early math teaching from a teacher-directed approach to a child-centered approach has been recommended. This study explored Chinese teachers’ beliefs about early math teaching and learning, math teaching efficacy, and math-related practices in the context of unit block play. Early childhood teachers (N = 391) from Ningbo, Zhejiang province, participated in this study. The results of a questionnaire-based survey indicated that teachers’ beliefs about math teaching and learning and math teaching efficacy were significant predictors of their math teaching practices during unit block play. Math teaching efficacy mediated the positive relationship between constructivist beliefs and child-centered practices, but not between traditional beliefs and teacher-directed practices. The results have implications for early childhood teacher education in China and future studies on early math teaching and learning.

Teacher-Directed Learning Approaches and Science Achievement: Investigating the Importance of Instructional Explanations in Australian Schools

This study investigated the relationships of teacher-directed approaches with science achievement in Australian schools. The data for this study were drawn from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2015 database and analysed using multilevel modelling (MLM). MLMs were estimated to test the contribution of each item to students’ science achievement scores and to estimate the mediation effect of teacher explanations on these relationships. Only explicit, teacher-directed practices demonstrated a significant, positive association with science achievement. The positive, significant nature of the item ‘the teacher explains scientific ideas’ (B = 29.61, p < 0.001) suggested that this practice should take place in all science lessons. In the mediation model, the explicit, teacher-directed approaches in the inquiry scale revealed a significant indirect effect on science achievement, through the process of the teacher explaining scientific ideas. This indicated that effective explanations also underpin other instructional approaches such as contextualised science learning. These findings, accompanied by an analysis of the teacher-directed items and their relationships to science outcomes, give teachers and policymakers clear guidance regarding the effective use of instructional explanations in the science classroom.

A Child-Centred Discourse in Zambian Kindergartens?

This article aims to identify and discuss the existence and strengthening of a child-centred teaching discourse in Zambian kindergartens. The article is based on the understanding that the teacher-directed approach to teaching is a historically based hegemonic discourse within Zambian kindergartens. This means that the teacher-directed teaching discourse dominates thinking in many ways and is translated into institutional arrangements (Hajer, 1995, in Svarstad, 2005, p. 243). Several studies have pointed to the challenges posed by the teacher-directed teaching discourse in kindergartens in Sub-Saharan Africa as a hindrance of pedagogical quality in such institutions, pointing to a child-centred teaching discourse as an important path towards development (EFA, 2015, p. 208, Temba, 2014, p. 110; Mwaura et al., 2008; 2011). This article includes a positive discourse analysis of the Zambian Education Curriculum Framework[1] and a small-scale qualitative study, based on observations from four classrooms in four kindergartens in the Copperbelt province of Zambia. The article focuses on conducting a positive discourse analysis of the elements of child-centred teaching discourse observed in one of the four classrooms. The findings point to the existence of a child-centred teaching discourse in the Zambian Education Curriculum Framework. However, only one of the four Zambian kindergarten teachers seemed to implement teaching practices that could be identified as a child-centred teaching discourse. he elements of a child-centred teaching discourse identified through the positive discourse analysis were: the kindergarten teachers’ professional decisions, good interaction with children, use of a variety of materials, and children’s participation. The findings are discussed in light of the Zambian Education Curriculum Framework as well as theoretical perspectives on child-centred teaching discourse, argumentation theory and children’s right to participation. Finally, the article includes a critical discussion of how the findings may strengthen a child-centred teaching discourse in Zambian kindergartens.

Preschool teachers’ pedagogical beliefs in the field of language education

This paper explores the pedagogical beliefs regarding language education of 1433 German preschool teachers, and the association between these beliefs and teacher and preschool characteristics. Factor analyses reveal a two-factor structure in teachers’ pedagogical beliefs: the more teacher-directed approach “additional language support” and the more child-centered approach “language education embedded into daily routines”. Teachers value both approaches, albeit participants more frequently express child-centered than teacher-directed beliefs. Factors influencing teachers’ beliefs were their age and language spoken at home, and their qualifications and professional development. Implications for future research and teachers’ professional development are discussed based on these findings.

Chicago Area Study 2012 Research Brief #5 Curricular approaches among child care center directors in Chicago west and north side ZIP codes

Introduction The 2012 Chicago Area Study surveyed 229 center directors in 33 ZIP Courricular Approaches among Child Care Center Directors in Chicago West and North Side ZIP The 2012 Chicago Area Study surveyed 229 center directors in 33 ZIP Codes on the West and North sides of Chicago. All centers and preschools that served three and four year olds in these ZIP Codes were eligible, except those located in the public schools. Eligible settings included preschools in churches, private schools, and community organizations as well as preschool programs and full-day care in standalone childcare centers. Fully 70% of eligible directors participated in the study. For simplicity, we refer to all participants as “centers.” We prepared a set of initial research briefs to disseminate basic study findings. Each of these briefs describes a set of data collected in the survey for the sample as a whole and across five types of ZIP Codes. The five ZIP Code types allow us to provide a basic portrait of differences in center characteristics depending on the race-ethnicity and income of the community. The five types of ZIP Codes are: (1) mixed race, low income, (2) majority non-Hispanic Black, low income, (3) majority Hispanic, low income, (4) majority non-Hispanic White, middle-income, and (5) majority non-Hispanic White, high income. The cutoffs between low/middle and between middle/high incomes are $48,500 and $70,000 respectively (about two and three times the federal poverty line for a family of four in 2011). We define a location as being a majority of one race-ethnicity if the ZIP Code is comprised of at least 50% of that racial/ethnic group (see CAS 2012 Research Brief #1 for additional details). This CAS 2012 Research Brief #5 summarizes directors’ responses to questions about their use of child-centered and teacher-directed approaches to learning, their engagement in specific reading and math activities, and their use of particular curricula.

The Effect of Simulation-Supported Inquiry on South African Natural Sciences Learners’ Understanding of Atomic and Molecular Structures

This study investigated the effect of interactive computer simulation-supported inquiry on South African grade 8 learners’ comprehension of atoms and molecular structures. Two sample groups of 34 learners per sample group were used, one acting as a control group who were exposed to a teacher-directed pedagogy while the experimental group used simulations in inquiry-based learning as an intervention to enhance their understanding of atomic and molecular structures. Data were collected by means of conceptual tests, a questionnaire survey, and individual interviews. A statistical analysis of quantitative data gleaned from the post-test showed that the learners in the experimental group performed better than the control group learners. This reflects that the interactive simulations using in an inquiry activity impacted more favorably on the conceptual understanding of learners compared to a teacher-directed approach. The results of the questionnaire survey indicated that learners in the experimental class had a positive experience of using the simulations. They recognized that the simulations enhanced their visualization of abstract concepts, and they reflected on their efficacy in manipulating the simulation.

Interest-driven video creation for learning mathematics

The teacher-directed approach characteristic of the traditional classroom normally adopted by mathematics teachers provides few opportunities for students to develop their mathematical problem-solving skills and little encouragement for them to engage in conversation. Furthermore, this approach might not be flexible to students’ individual learning needs and could generate low interest in mathematics among students. To reduce these learning problems, this study proposes a student-centered learning activity called interest-driven video creation, which adopts interest-driven creator (IDC) theory in its design. By viewing cognitive apprenticeship strategies as subcomponent concepts of the creation loop in IDC theory, this study could articulate and enrich the creation loop model of IDC design in mathematics. In an interest-driven video creation activity, students solved mathematics word problems through individual and group creation of tutorial videos. With these videos, students could teach their fellow classmates by discussing mathematics concepts and sharing ideas. The preliminary results reveal significant improvements in mathematics achievement and show that both high- and low-achieving students have positive attitudes and low anxiety regarding the activity and perceive both mathematics and the learning activity to be highly useful. In addition, the students’ perceptions of the benefits of the activity for learning are positive overall. Students also agree that they enjoy and engage in the video creation activity and that the activity helps them to learn mathematics better and improves their communication skills, teamwork skills, and filmmaking techniques.

A plan for the co-construction and collaborative use of rubrics for student learning

The use of assessment rubrics in the higher education sector is now widespread in a number of disciplines. Typically, these rubrics are constructed by teachers who also tend to be the main users of the rubrics throughout the grading process. In recent years, questions have been raised about this teacher-directed approach and some educators have begun to explore an alternate approach to rubric construction; that is, engaging students in collaboration with their teachers to co-construct assessment rubrics. This paper outlines the processes employed in a project that investigated the co-construction of rubrics within six different contexts. The project aimed to engage students in collaboration with their teachers to co-construct rubrics which are co-owned by teacher and student. A mixed methods approach was utilized to explore the effectiveness of the strategy. Questionnaires, interviews and focus groups were utilized to gather data from both the teacher-participants and student-participants regarding their experiences of being involved in the study. Findings are presented from the perspectives of both students and teachers, relating their views of rubrics and the activity of rubric co-construction. The paper concludes with recommendations for practical approaches to rubric co-construction and future research directions.

Exploring the effects of proximal–distal metaphor on the development of EFL learners’ knowledge of the degree of certainty

The present study was motivated by theoretical considerations in cognitive linguistics associated with the concept projection as well as by theories in cognitive science related to self-directed learning on computers, to apply them in developing Japanese learners’ knowledge of the different degrees of sureness attached to certain, probable, and possible items. It evaluated the relative effects of cognitive and non-cognitive approaches and of self- and teacher-directed approaches on computers. The cognitive approach involved concept projection, a process through which the participants understand an abstract concept, namely the degree of certainty, in terms of the spatial concept of distance, whereas the non-cognitive approach involved rote learning of a list of target expressions related to the degree of certainty. The results of the present study demonstrated that the cognitive approach groups outperformed the non-cognitive approach and control groups in writing, comparison, and categorization tests, and further demonstrated that the cognitive approach is effective as a mnemonic device generating long-term memory encoding. The results of the present study also showed that the self-directed approaches were no less effective than the teacher-directed approaches, and the difference between self-directed and teacher-directed learning did not seem to have had a major impact on the overall performance of the self- and teacher-directed groups.

Pakistani Teachers' Perceptions of Kindergarten Children's Learning: An Exploration of Understanding and Practice.

This paper considers perceptions of children’s learning and classroom practice to support learning in the Pakistani early years educational context. In Pakistan, there is a growing focus on quality provision of early childhood education and building early childhood education teacher capacity. Over the course of one academic year, data were collected from kindergarten teachers in a Pakistani urban school through interviews and classroom observations as part of a larger study. Findings presented in this paper are based on the interview data of two teachers in the sample, a novice and an experienced teacher. Data analysis examined their perceptions of kindergarten children’s learning and of their practice to support kindergarten children’s learning, taking into consideration the gender perspective. The results showed tensions in the teachers’ perceptions which contrasted between a constructivist approach and a teacher-directed skills approach. Perceptions of their practice reflected a formal, teacher-directed approach rather than a constructivist approach and a teacher-directed skills approach to teaching. Several factors, including deep-rooted perceptions as well as curriculum structure, time, number of staff and resources, contributed to this.

Teaching proactivity in the entrepreneurial classroom

This article examines the extent to which a proactive attitude can be considered a component of the entrepreneurial mindset and can be learned in the entrepreneurial classroom. We test the impact on students’ proactive attitude of two different teaching methods: a teacher-directed approach and a self-directed learning approach. We include group potency and emotions as variables that may moderate proactivity learning outcomes. Our sample is composed of 281 Master students in a French business school. Using a mixed methodological approach, the results demonstrate that the proactive attitude can be learned and that collaborative teamwork, a creative team spirit and positive emotions contribute to its development. We offer guidelines for the pedagogical design of EM education, an alternative tool to assess its impact, and a better understanding of emotional factors associated with group potency in student entrepreneurial teams.

An investigation of preservice early childhood teachers’ adoption of ICT in a teaching practicum context in Hong Kong

ABSTRACTThe research reported here investigated the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) by 15 Hong Kong preservice early childhood teachers (PSTs) who had completed a course regarding the use of ICT in early childhood settings as they participated in their first-year teaching practicum. The study examined the preservice teachers use of ICT and their ability to integrate ICT into their teaching practices. The research took place in 7 preschool settings across the Hong Kong Special Administration Region (SAR). The results indicated that preservice teachers used ICT mostly in the context of a teacher-directed approach to learning. The contexts allowed for few child-directed activities and very few child-initiated activities. Similarly, when the preservice teachers incorporated learning activities that used ICT, they initiated and directed most of the activities. The findings from this study indicate that school factors, such as school-level curriculum, ICT infrastructure, and the mentor-teacher’s teaching philosophy exerted a powerful influence on the way that preservice teachers were able to use ICT in their teaching practicum.

“I am not a big man”: Evaluation of the issue investigation program

ABSTRACTThe article evaluates a Czech environmental education program focused on developing competence in issue investigation. In the evaluation, a simple quasi-experimental design with experimental (N = 200) and control groups was used. The results suggest that the program had a greater impact on girls than on boys, and that it increased their internal locus of control and awareness of local environmental issues. The program had no effect on students' self-efficacy in constructively dealing with conflicts or local environmental issues. The article discusses some potentially weak parts of the program theory, which include the dominating teacher-directed approach and the lack of opportunities for students to be actively involved in the solving of issues.