Teaching Episodes Research Articles

Delivering Enhanced Milieu Teaching to Toddlers With Down Syndrome via Hybrid Telepractice: A Single-Case Experimental Design.

This pilot study investigated delivering enhanced milieu teaching tailored for children with Down Syndrome (EMT-DS) through hybrid telepractice. In this multiple-baseline design across behaviors study, a speech-language pathologist (SLP) taught EMT-DS to three caregivers and their children with DS (22-40 months) using a hybrid service delivery model. Sessions were conducted in person and via telepractice. The SLP taught caregivers EMT-DS, emphasizing the use of (a) four target EMT strategies: matched turns, expansions, time delays, and milieu teaching episodes; (b) augmentative and alternative communication (AAC; manual signs, speech-generating device); and (c) aided AAC modeling. The SLP provided caregiver instruction following the teach-model-coach-review approach. Caregiver outcomes were the accuracy (primary) and frequency (secondary) of EMT strategy use. Child outcomes were exploratory and included the rate of symbolic communication acts, weighted number of communication acts, and number of different words (NDW). There was a functional relation between the intervention and the accuracy and frequency of EMT strategy use for all three caregivers. All caregivers showed an increase in the accuracy for all four target strategies. Caregivers also increased the frequency of the three EMT strategies: expansions, time delays, and milieu teaching episodes. There were no changes in the frequency of matched turns. Caregiver use of EMT strategies maintained for 6 weeks post-intervention. After caregivers learned EMT strategies, gradual increases in the rate of symbolic communication acts and NDW occurred for all three children. Results demonstrate the preliminary efficacy of using a hybrid service delivery model to teach caregivers EMT-DS. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.27115252.

Teachers’ Questioning Practices in Chinese Secondary Biology Classrooms

AbstractAcross the curriculum, the questions that teachers ask in class direct learners’ attention to key subject matter, and shape what they learn. This paper examines the types of questions that Chinese school Biology teachers ask, and considers how and why they vary their questioning in the context of scientific practices. Six teachers from four schools in Xi’an City in mainland China took part. Three lessons were observed for each teacher, followed by interviews in which teachers were asked to focus on specific teaching episodes and explain their questioning. Findings reveal that teachers’ questions were mostly closed-ended, but in certain types of lessons their questions were more open and they used questions to manage class discussion. Teacher questioning is affected by personal beliefs, institutional working practices, and external policy shift, and teachers experienced tension in navigating between these factors. The results have important implications for policy and practice; for example, teacher educators need to recognize the complexity of teacher questioning and encourage teachers to discuss the challenges associated with asking more open questions, while policy-makers need to acknowledge the impact their decisions can have at the classroom level.

The Effectiveness of Individualized Morphosyntactic Target Identification and Explicit Intervention Using the SHAPE CODING System for Children With Developmental Language Disorder and the Impact of Within-Session Dosage.

We investigated the effectiveness of a highly individualized morphosyntactic intervention using the SHAPE CODING™ system delivered at different dosages. Eight children with developmental language disorder aged 8;0-10;10 (years;months) received 10 hr of explicit individualized intervention for morphosyntax delivered in 30-min individual sessions once per week for 20 weeks. Following at least four baseline probe tests, two grammatical targets per session received explicit instruction until they reached criterion (90%), when the next target was introduced. To control for session length and teaching episode density, either both targets received 20 teaching episodes per session or one target received 10 teaching episodes and the other 30. Maintenance testing of completed targets was also carried out. Scores on probe tests post-intervention were significantly higher than during the baseline phase (d = 1.6) with no change during the baseline or maintenance phases. However, progress during the intervention phase was highly significant. One participant showed significantly faster progress with intervention, while one (with the lowest attention score) made little progress. When considering progress relative to cumulative intervention sessions, progress was faster with 30 teaching episodes per session and slower with 10. However, when cumulative teaching episodes were used as the predictor, all three within-session dosages showed very similar rates of progress, with the odds of a correct response increasing by 3.9% for each teaching episode. The targets that were achieved required an average of 40-60 teaching episodes. With the exception of one participant, the individualized intervention was highly effective and efficient. Thus, the individualized target identification process and intervention method merit further research in a larger group of children. The cumulative number of teaching episodes per target provided across sessions appeared to be key. Thus, clinicians should aim for high teaching episode rates, particularly if the number of sessions is constrained. Otherwise, intervention scheduling can be flexible. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.25996168.

Exploring teacher educator pedagogical decision-making about a combined pedagogy of social justice and meaningful physical education

Teacher educators shape curriculum in the pedagogical decisions they make ( Lunenberg et al., 2007 ). Yet, evidence is lacking about how physical education (PE) teacher educators make decisions about what to include in their teacher education pedagogies. Four teacher educators in four different PE teacher education (PETE) programmes collaborated to examine their decision-making as they explored ideas related to Meaningful PE and social justice pedagogies. Insight into how teacher educators make decisions can add nuance to understanding pedagogical decision-making in PETE. A self-study of teacher education practices frame supported collective and individual interrogation of our decision-making processes. Data included planning documentation for each teaching episode ( n = 42), individual reflections ( n = 33), recordings of conversations with critical friends ( n = 15), and recordings of collective meetings ( n = 8). Pedagogical confrontations ( Moran et al., 2019 ) provided a lens for each teacher educator to gain perspective and insight into their decision-making related to Meaningful PE and social justice pedagogies The findings are presented in the form of four individual cases that illustrate the distinct story of each teacher educator’s engagement with Meaningful PE and social justice pedagogies. Teacher educators’ decisions were guided by their purposes and influenced by their contexts. Additionally, peers were an important source of pedagogical confrontations to influence decision-making practices. This research contributes to the understanding of innovation in PETE by illustrating how clarity about priorities promotes deliberate decision-making by teacher educators resulting in adoption or rejection of innovation.

Grammar intervention using graduated input type variation (GITV) for pre-primary children: A single-case experimental design study

Purpose This study examined the early efficacy of a new theory-driven principle of grammar intervention, graduated input type variation (GITV). Method Three Cantonese-speaking children, aged between 4;01 and 5;10, with oral language difficulties participated in this single baseline within-participant single case experimental study. The children received a total of 300 teaching episodes of the target serial verb construction via focused stimulation and recast over 10 30- to 45-minute sessions. The 30 exemplars of the target included low type variation of the verbs in each of the first five sessions, followed by high type variation in the remaining sessions. Result Visual analysis revealed that all children improved their performance in the target construction but not the control vocabulary in the probes, suggesting a treatment effect. Maintenance of treatment effects was also observed in all children. Positive results in across-behaviour generalisation to the untrained construction were observed in all children. Generalisation to other less structured linguistic contexts and to the narrative retell discourse context was minimal and observed in one child only. Conclusion Preliminary evidence suggested early efficacy of GITV as a principle for grammar intervention. Modifications in the research methodology are recommended for future studies involving children with developmental language disorder.

An analysis of students’ perceptions of teachers’ questioning in secondary biology classrooms

Secondary students’ perceptions of teachers’ questioning have not been clarified in the literature, but these perspectives are invaluable as they help to make sense of what students notice about teachers’ questioning and enhance teachers’ questioning skills. In this study, eight students from three schools in Xi’an City, aged 12 to 16, were interviewed individually with teaching episodes and student drawings used to elicit in-depth perspectives during those interviews. The findings indicated that students demonstrated sophisticated and thoughtful reflections on open and closed questions, on how teachers used questions differently in two types of classes, on scenario-based questions that asked them to think from the perspective of a scientist, and on other aspects of teacher questioning. The students expressed a preference for scenario-based questions and valued questioning that demonstrated teacher power and authority less and supported student engagement in knowledge construction. These findings have several important implications for teaching and learning and teachers’ professional development: for example, using students’ views to encourage teachers to think about scenario-based questions.

Episodes of Teaching, Assessing and Testing: Analysis of Teaching Listening in Pakistan

Listening ability helps students to enhance their comprehension level of spoken language. As observed by Ahmed (2016), the students will only get a high-quality score if they listen and understand the teacher attentively. This study aimed to identify the listening proficiency gaps in Pakistani language learning, teaching, and testing systems. The study used Richard's (2008) framework (CLAP) to compare listening tests with student performance. The format and validity of the language proficiency test administered mainly in Pakistan (IELTS) were investigated regarding the teaching and learning practices. All the test takers (15) participated in a standard IELTS listening test with one of their teachers. The results identified three significant factors interfering with listening comprehension performance include, the need for listening assessment in the examination system of schools, colleges, and universities. Secondly, teaching listening depends on theoretical knowledge and need for listening practice in classrooms of second language learners. Further, the study attempted to find evidence to support the claim that Pakistani students can perform better in proficiency scores if presented with it in their teaching and testing system. Accordingly, a model is designed to fill the gaps in learning for language learners as future language teachers in Pakistan. The findings of this study would help design listening performance tests and realize learning potential, devise a listening assessment system, and develop valid large-scale and classroom-based proficiency tests.

The Spectrum of Teaching Styles and models-based practice for physical education

This paper provides a rationale for The Spectrum of Teaching Styles (The Spectrum) as a pedagogical model in teaching physical education (PE). Building on prior discussions/debates ( SueSee et al., 2021 ), we will contest the view that the concept of teaching styles is different from that of a pedagogical model. In doing so, we highlight the most central aspects of The Spectrum and explain fundamental characteristics that warrant its representation with existing pedagogical models. The paper demonstrates for teachers how The Spectrum details the ‘how’, ‘when’ and ‘why’ of their pedagogical decisions, in understanding how they may meet educational outcomes for increased curriculum alignment, or successful enactment of models-based practices. The contention we present is The Spectrum is valuable to PE teachers in understanding the context-specific realities of teaching episodes and therefore improving teaching and learning practices in PE by helping teachers align their pedagogy with their desired learning outcomes.

Mediation in Mathematics Teaching and Learning in Deaf Education: Algebraic Thinking

The proposal of inclusive education in the education of deaf children does not limit the issues of access to communication. Bilingual education is necessary for their learning and cognitive development, also considering their way of interacting and organising life. Objectives: To investigate how mediation is done through signs and instruments in appropriating algebraic knowledge by deaf students attending non-special schools. Design: The design experiment based on educational design research (EDeR) has been chosen as the methodological path. Setting and participants: The teaching episodes were developed with two deaf students from two state public schools in a municipality in Paraná, Brazil. Data collection and analysis: Field diaries and video recordings of teaching episodes were used for data collection. The collected data were analysed through the use of content analysis. Results: Mediation through signs and instruments is the key point for high-quality teaching, as it establishes connections between the student’s previous experiences and the mathematical concepts in consolidation. Conclusions: Visuality is reaffirmed as essential for the development of mathematical contents, especially in the development of algebraic thinking in the education of deaf students. It also points out the need to expand investments in universal education of quality to guarantee human and material resources for public schools.

“You Have to Do It Like the Duckies Hatch Their Egg”: Parent and Sibling Teaching of Conceptual and Procedural Knowledge in Early Childhood

ABSTRACT This study investigated parents’ and siblings’ knowledge use during naturalistic teaching episodes in the home. Thirty-seven middle-class families were observed for six 90-minute sessions (siblings aged 4 and 6 years). Parent and sibling teaching sequences were coded for knowledge type (conceptual, procedural), conceptual subcategories (social conventional behavior; game discussions; academic concepts; problem solving) and procedural knowledge subcategories (game procedures; general skill procedures). Research Findings: Findings indicated no significant mean difference between mothers’ and fathers’ and older and younger siblings’ conceptual and procedural teaching. However, parents taught proportionally more conceptual knowledge than siblings, indicating that siblings taught proportionally more procedural knowledge compared to parents. In terms of conceptual subcategories, parents taught more social conventional behaviors, whereas siblings taught more academic concepts. Siblings also taught more general skill procedures compared to parents. Practice or Policy: Overall, our findings indicate that the home environment is a rich context for the naturalistic teaching of conceptual and procedural knowledge by both parents and siblings, thus advancing our understanding of the role of family dynamics on children’s learning and development.

An investigation of eighth-graders’ mathematical communication competency and mathematical literacy performance

This study aimed to investigate eighth-grade students’ mathematical communication competency and mathematical literacy performance in a classroom experiment designed based on the mathematical modeling approach. Accordingly, a teaching experiment methodology was applied. Data were collected from three eighth-grade students through the Mathematical Communication Competency Measurement Tools, video recordings of the teaching episodes, student products, and clinical interviews before and after the teaching experiment. PISA mathematics proficiency level and communication competency level assessment schemes were used in the data analysis process. A deductive analysis was performed on the data collected through the clinical interviews, whereas a retrospective analysis was conducted to examine the data collected through teaching episodes. The results showed that the modeling-based teaching experiment helped develop the mathematical communication competency of all participating students. The results also showed that improving students’ mathematical communication competencies increased their mathematical literacy performances.

Peer to Peer vs. Virtual Rehearsal Simulation Rehearsal Contexts: Elementary Teacher Candidates’ Scientific Discourse Skills Explored

ABSTRACT Learning science is a social enterprise that involves students communicating ideas, observations, and findings. Navigating talk between students about scientific concepts and practices is a complex task for teachers. Traditionally, science educators have used a method called microteaching (teaching to peers) as a context for practicing teaching. In this study, science educators created practice sessions called rehearsals, designed for elementary teacher candidates (ETCs) to participate in deliberate teaching episodes using discourse skills followed by instructor feedback. This NSF-supported work explores the use of rehearsals within virtual simulations software called Mursion® (developed as TeachLivE™) as compared to traditional rehearsals by using treatment and comparison groups. This study found that ETCs in both contexts increased in their use of various talk moves between rehearsal timepoints. Compared to the control group, the treatment group was able to address students’ ideas and understanding more frequently in the rehearsal settings as well as the classroom setting (practicum). This finding indicates that ETCs felt comfortable utilizing student avatars when practicing specific teaching skills and were able to transfer some of these skills into the classroom setting. Creating valuable teaching experiences in teacher preparation is essential and this study explores the possibility of using a new innovative context as a space for ETCs to practice those skills.

Outstanding Mathematics Teachers’ Teaching Practices: A Collective Case Study

This collective case study explored the teaching practices of outstanding mathematics teachers who were purposely chosen using a selection guide by a team of mathematics administrators in Panay Island, Philippines. Researcher-made classroom observation tools (COT), interview protocols, field and reflection notes, lesson plans, and focus group discussions from students were used to gather multiple sources of data. Analyses of pedagogical strategies, including the interactive classroom collaborations, and explanations for those decisions from the teachers were included in the within-case analysis and cross-case analysis. The study depicted detailed verbatim interactions between the teachers and the students during actual teaching episodes to give the reader naturalistic examples of the explanation patterns and strategies that the outstanding teachers used to further students’ understanding of mathematical concepts and procedures. The Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers (PPST) framework was used as guide in the analysis, interpretation, and presentation of the results. These outstanding teachers were noted to be exemplary in planning the teaching and learning process, proficient in using teaching and learning resources including ICT, and excellent in managing the classroom; applied successful teaching strategies in the development of critical and creative thinking as well as of higher-order thinking skills; used appropriate formal and non-formal assessment tools; provided feedback to their learners to rationalize and to improve learning; and constantly communicated their learners’ progress and achievements to parents. Keywords: teaching practices, outstanding mathematics teachers, collective case study DOI: 10.7176/JEP/14-12-07 Publication date: April 30 th 2023

Investigating two teachers’ development of combinatorial meaning for algebraic structure

This paper reports on the results of a four-day teaching experiment that supported two algebra teachers to develop a combinatorial meaning for algebraic structure. The purpose of the teaching episodes was to support the teachers (a) to establish a combinatorial understanding for algebraic structure (Tillema & Burch, 2022) by generalizing the cubic identity, a+b3=a3+3a2b+3ab2+b3, as a symbolization of quantitative and combinatorial relationships out of a contextualized problem (Tillema & Gatza, 2016) and (b) to develop a combinatorial meaning as a mobilization of their understanding through a series of algebraic tasks (cf. Thompson et al., 2014). The findings from this study contribute to research literature on teachers’ mathematical meanings within secondary algebra by investigating how teachers’ combinatorial meanings developed and how differences in their combinatorial meanings impacted their algebraic reasoning. The findings demonstrate a combinatorial pathway for supporting the development of expanding and factoring as reversible polynomial operations (cf. Sangwin & Jones, 2017).

Decision Making in English Language Teaching: Unpacking Novice Teachers’ Pedagogical Reasoning

Teachers are constantly involved in the act of decision-making in every moment of the classroom. These decisions are underpinned by pedagogical reasoning, which entails situated knowledge about particular teaching episodes and is reconstructed through teaching practice. The present case study sought to explore the pedagogical reasoning skills that novice English language teachers use in making classroom decisions. Results from a combination of lesson plans, classroom observations, and semi-structured interviews revealed that novice teachers applied their pedagogical reasoning to achieve syllabus objectives and deal with learners' misbehavior. In the absence of previous teaching experiences, they did not tend to reflect on the decisions they made to deal with learners' learning and their teaching. They also lacked consistency in their reasoning process, disrupted by their changing beliefs about learning and teaching. These findings imply the need for the improvement of teachers’ pedagogical reasoning through teacher education programs.

Recreational activity leading to academic interest: A qualitative-narrative study

The effect of pandemic goes beyond inadequacy of acquisition of competency especially in modular distance learning, to non-attendance to school and non-enrolment in school. With the release of DepEd Order No. 34 series of 2022, the start of 5-day classes in all public schools nationwide has become a way of inviting learners who failed to enroll last school year because of non-readiness for distance learning become heightened. With this return of face-to-face interaction, recreation activity for kids last vacation before the start of school year 2022-2023 has become one way of increasing learners interest in social interaction. Lumban Central Elementary School took the opportunity to encourage the participation of intermediate learners, especially those who were out-of-school last year, in a badminton training organized by Lumban Badminton Club. This study focused on narrating the journey of the learners who joined a specific type of recreational activity (badminton training) and their interest in coming back to school. The reason for the establishment of the sports club was detailed in this paper, the three-week program provided to them from orientation to graduation, and the impact of the recreation activity to the learners as evidenced by their enrolment this school year and their continuing study at present. This qualitative, narrative research highlights the importance of recreational activities like sports in heightening the desire of children to socialize, and that includes participation in academic activities which will boost their confidence to achieve something in life. A program of instituting recreational activity for learners with their family was laid down in this study, as the school can implement family day in school compound or in the community this school year or in the coming years as the pandemic totally subsides. Day-to-day teaching episodes is also suggested as continuous improvement project. Recommendation to teachers, school heads, parents and community, high officials and future researchers were laid down at the end of the study.

High school student understanding of exponential and logarithmic functions

We use Action-Process-Object-Schema theory (APOS) to study high school student understanding of exponentiation and their construction of exponential and logarithmic functions. We extend didactic materials similar to those of Ferrari-Escolá et al. (2016) to include exponentials on the rational numbers and to help students construct logarithms as numbers. Qualitative data from the problem-solving activities of two groups of eight students each during a series of teaching episodes suggests that some students can use these materials successfully. The data analysis enabled us to give specific suggestions on how to help other students do some of the constructions needed to understand these functions. Research shows these constructions are difficult for students. The findings of our study led to contributing a new and detailed genetic decomposition that can be tested and improved in future research cycles.

Transforming a Didactic Lecture into a Student-Centered Active Learning Exercise—Teaching Equine Diarrhea to Fourth-Year Veterinary Students

Problem-solving abilities, creative and critical thinking, communication skills, and teamwork are now recognized as fundamental determinants of professional success, especially in vocational professions, such as veterinary science. Tertiary education is now obliged to provide opportunities for students to become proficient in these qualities. With this in mind, the principal author, an equine science senior lecturer, attempted to increase student engagement by developing a new active learning, student-centered one-hour teaching episode on ‘equine diarrhea’, to replace the traditional didactic lecture format. The aim of the study, therefore, was to share the principal author’s journey in the development and implementation of this active learning episode and to explain why it represents a simple but effective method of promoting student engagement. In addition, the adaptation of this method into an online teaching and learning format is briefly discussed. The effectiveness of this active learning method is also explored by comparing it with the traditional didactic method of delivery. Students in the active learning class reported that the learning activity had enhanced their skills in clinical reasoning, problem-solving, and communication. They also described themselves as active participants in the learning process. Students in the traditional didactic class reported that they were satisfied with the time allocated to the lecture, felt that the lecture was well organized and managed, and subsequently felt adequately prepared to answer conventional examination questions relating to equine diarrhea. Other issues, such as student resistance to changes in teaching formats, the effectiveness of group work or teamwork, levels of student confidence within an active learning environment, and the importance of high-quality facilitation during active learning activities, are also discussed in this paper. Although the active learning method described is not novel, the authors hope that fellow educators, across any tertiary discipline, might find that the method described represents a quick and simple method of transforming a single didactic lecture into an enjoyable and engaging learning activity.

Generalization outcomes of Sound Production Treatment (SPT) for acquired apraxia of speech: relationship to treatment dosage

ABSTRACT Background Dosage is an important aspect of treatment for acquired apraxia of speech (AOS) that has received little attention. Knowledge concerning the association of dosage to treatment outcomes is crucial for informing clinical practice and treatment research. Dosage metrics, representing the number of treatment sessions and teaching episodes (TEs) required to achieve specific performance milestones with Sound Production Treatment (SPT), have recently been provided for treated items. Aims The current investigation was designed to extend AOS dosage research to untreated items. Methods and Procedures Retrospective analyses were performed using data from a previously reported SPT study (Wambaugh et al., 2017) in which 20 speakers with AOS received two applications of SPT with different practice schedules (i.e., SPT-Random and SPT-Blocked). Probe data were used to determine achievement of the following milestones: 1) change above baseline; 2) clinically relevant improvement; and 3) mastery. Follow-up data were used to examine the relationship between the dosage metrics and maintenance of accuracy. Outcomes and Results On average, change above baseline and clinically relevant improvement was achieved for untreated items following 9–10 and 7–8 treatment sessions, respectively. Mastery of untreated items occurred for 45% of targets, following an average of 16–17 treatment sessions. TEs varied widely for all dosage metrics. No statistically significant differences were found between practice schedules for any of the dosage metrics. Better maintenance was associated with earlier achievement of performance milestones. More treatment sessions and TEs were required to meet performance milestones for untreated items in comparison to treated items. Conclusions This study provides dosage metrics for response generalization outcomes which can be used for planning and guiding treatment for AOS.

A Mathematics Teacher Educator’s Feedback Affecting Teachers’ Design of Hypothetical Learning Trajectories for Teaching Patterns

This qualitative research presents how a mathematics teacher educator’s feedbacks to two lower secondary school mathematics teachers affects their design of hypothetical learning trajectories regarding teaching patterns and their teaching practice. The data comes from a web portal, which was designed as a professional development tool for mathematics teachers. The teachers communicated with a mathematics teacher educator online, and prepared lesson plans, as well as receiving feedback. After implementing their designs, they also uploaded teaching episodes to the web portal, after which they received feedback. We triangulated data that came from the lesson plans, mathematics teacher educator’s feedback and videos of teaching practice. The data were analysed within two lenses: the Knowledge Quartet and the Hypothetical Learning Trajectory. The findings reveal that through the feedback given by the mathematics teacher educator, the teachers substantially progressed in designing hypothetical learning trajectories and developed their professional knowledge, in particular regarding the foundation, transformation, and connection dimensions of the Knowledge Quartet.