Younger Pupils Research Articles

Biography of Writers as a Motivation for Creative Skills of Primary School Students

In addition to education and training, formation of skills of practical application of the acquired knowledge is the goal of modern school. Therefore, the ability to use what has been learnt as a sample, as an example, is formed in pupils who get acquainted with biographies of writers and poets. Literary works play a special role in the formation of a person's personal qualities and his further development. Presenting information about the author's biography is one of the ways to arouse interest in reading and analyzing a work of fiction. The article argumentatively shows the role of studying the biography of the writer as a motivation in teaching for the development of creative abilities of younger pupils. The biographical method should be used as an element, which helps to prepare children to perceive and analyze the studied literary work.

Possibilities of music preferences measures in younger school age children

The musical-preference framework of a child at younger school age is gradually formed and shaped. The study outlined the possibilities of measuring musical taste at a younger school age and draws attention to the real specifics that this entails. We verified the newly created instrument - Musical Preference Questionnaire of Younger Pupils - MPQ-YP on 84 pupils (n=84) aged from 6 to 10 years (Mage=8.23). The 3-factor solution, which divides MPQ-YP into 3 categories of music genres - reflective and unconventional music; energetic and rhythmic music; optimistic and complex music, turned aout to be satisfactory. Psychometric properties are adequate, MPQ-YP seems to be sufficiently valid (construct and content validity) and reliable (measure of internal consistency and split-half reliability). Pilot descriptive results of younger schoolchildren's musical taste provide information about recognized musical genres and their preferences. The findings can be applied to the practice of music educators, music philetics and music therapists.

Early childhood education contingencies for sustaining learning during school closures: Lessons from preschool remote education home visits in Indonesia during the COVID-19 pandemic

Maintaining kindergarten education amid emergency situations is difficult. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the difficulties faced by early childhood education institutions in ensuring that children continue education despite school closures and prolonged social isolation. The transition from in-classroom learning to remote learning, which was mostly online for older age groups, was especially complicated for younger pupils due to their nature and limited family resources. In contrast, numerous kindergartens in Indonesia initiated home visit programs that enabled children to learn face-to-face with their teachers and peers during the school closure periods. The purpose of this study was to examine how the home visit program for early childhood education was implemented and how teachers and parents viewed this emergency alternative to online learning. A qualitative case study was employed as a method of inquiry. Nine parents and four teachers from a single kindergarten in South Tangerang, a suburb of Jakarta, participated in this study. The data revealed the home visit program’s implementation involved the following measures: dividing children into small groups, a teacher visiting each group’s assigned home once or twice per week for 45–90 min, enforcing health measures, and giving daily activities for students to complete with their parents. Teachers stated that the home visit program was helpful but had significant faults. Among the benefits were the following: It helped children comprehend learning materials, piqued their interest, and served as a possible alternative due to a family’s lack of resources such as electricity, internet connectivity and quota, educators’ competency in implementing online learning, and parents limited or unavailable devices. Meanwhile, some disadvantages of home visits included the following: Parents felt obligated to entertain their children’s teachers and peers, some students were unable to study due to distance, additional time and energy was spent on media preparation and learning activities, and the risk of exposure to COVID-19 was increased. In the future, unexpected health hazards or other situations may occur. These findings indicate the need for early childhood education institutions to be more prepared, develop a strategy and adjust their instructional approaches to respond rapidly to changing circumstances when required.

USING 5E INSTRUCTIONAL MODEL WITH ICT SUPPORT IN TEACHING LOWER SECONDARY STUDENTS ON THE TOPIC OF LIGHT REFLECTION

The educational process has become more accustomed to active classroom engagement. Physics teaching should focus more on young pupils’ investigative journey. This research investigates the effect of the ICT-based 5Es instructional model on the conceptual understanding and science process skills of grade 6 pupils on light reflection. The 5E Model stands for Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate. The study used a mixed-method design involving 24 students participating in a 5E-based intervention. The pre- and post-test results showed a significant improvement in conceptual knowledge and science process skills. Statistical analysis using paired t-tests and Cohen's d found that the 5E Model has significantly improved students' conceptual understanding of the topic and their science process skills. The study also used a phenomenological analysis and identified three critical themes that contributed to the success of the intervention. These themes were high interest and excitement in using laboratory materials, collaboration among students in exploring light reflection, and teacher scaffolding and facilitation to help students overcome challenges. The 5Es Model, which involves engaging, examining, explaining, elaborating, and evaluating stages, was highly influential in keeping students interested and enthusiastic throughout the learning process. The study confirms that the 5Es instructional model positively impacts students’ science process skills and conceptual understanding. Using both quantitative and qualitative analyses provides a thorough understanding of the intervention’s effectiveness and offers recommendations for improving the implementation of the 5Es Model in science education. This study recommended providing professional development opportunities for teachers to enhance their skills in implementing the 5Es instructional model. Regular workshops, collaborative sessions, and opportunities for knowledge exchange can equip teachers with up-to-date teaching strategies and insights.

Unlocking Cognitive Horizons by Exploring the Influence of Maps on Primary School Pupils: An Examination Conducted in North Macedonia

This study thoroughly investigates the effects of utilizing maps as educational tools for children, aiming to enhance pupils' cognitive abilities and improve the overall educational system within primary schools. By exploring the potential benefits of incorporating cartographic materials into the curriculum, this research sheds light on their positive impact on children's intellectual growth and the educational framework at the elementary level, such as primary schools. The primary aim of this investigation is to deliver an interactive and compelling educational resource tailored for pupils aged between 7 and 10 years old. Pre-test and post-test were conducted with 377 primary school pupils in Tetovo, North Macedonia. Employing a comprehensive mixed-methods approach and through a meticulous analysis of the potential benefits of integrating maps into the pedagogical framework, this study aims to provide valuable insights into the positive effects they can have on children's skill acquisition and the overall efficacy of the educational system. Ultimately, the findings of this study are expected to inform educational stakeholders by furnishing empirical evidence on the advantages of incorporating maps into the learning process for young learners, thus contributing to more effective educational practices. The study's findings demonstrate a predominantly favorable reception, emphasizing the efficacy and educational utility of the maps and atlases among young pupils. The analysis shows that employing the maps and atlas led to an average enhancement in pupils' learning abilities, with an approximate mean increase of 31.45%.

The impact and sustainability of the prevention project 3! Winter Life Camp on young pupil’s knowledge on accident prevention and behaviour in winter alpine terrain

The impact and sustainability of the prevention project 3! Winter Life Camp on young pupil’s knowledge on accident prevention and behaviour in winter alpine terrain

Strengthening sustainable consumption behavior in high school students: Evaluation of an experiential training intervention targeting psychological determinants

Designing effective educational measures constitutes a key area of action for achieving global sustainability goals. Therefore, the present study examined a training addressing sustainable consumption practices in plastic reduction, fashion and food. An interactive training was held in a German comprehensive high school with grade 11 students, addressing psychological drivers of sustainable consumption behavior, namely, awareness and knowledge, emotional, rational and value-based factors. The training was evaluated in a pretest(t1)/posttest(t2)/follow-up(t3) design. Final self-report data was obtained from 77 pupils in t1 and t2 and 56 pupils for all three points of measurement. Results of a repeated measures MANOVA indicate significantly higher levels of all outcome variables directly after the training. Significant long-term effects emerge on the knowledge of sustainable consumption alternatives, anticipated feelings of guilt, perceived norms in the individual’s social environment, perceived control over one’s own behavior, as well as sustainable consumption behavior in everyday life. Taken together, results suggest the training to be an effective instrument for furthering actual sustainable consumption practices of young pupils. Its implementation during school hours with regular-sized classes offers a low expenditure educational approach for sustainable consumption.

Children Challenging Industry: improving young pupils’ engagement with science through links with industry

ABSTRACT Perceptions of science, industry and related careers are not well-understood in children below age 11, with many potentially influential factors needing research. The Centre for Industry Education Collaboration at the University of York has run the Children Challenging Industry programme (CCI) since 1996. The CCI consists of components designed to place curriculum science in a real-world context, aiming to improve knowledge about and attitudes towards STEM-focused industry, pupils’ STEM career aspirations and attitudes towards science. Professional development for teachers and training for industry partners are also important elements of the CCI, but they are not the focus here. In this evaluative study, 508 children aged 9-11 from 23 English primary schools in two UK areas, completed pre- and post-intervention online questionnaires in the academic year 2019-2020 to gather quantitative and qualitative data on their perceptions. The quantitative data were compared across different groups and time points, and qualitative data was explored thematically. The data suggest that the CCI generally positively increased children's experiences of science learning, particularly where baseline awareness of industry was low. The outcomes showed that the positive impact of the CCI on attitudes towards science, and knowledge of industry, including STEM careers in industry, was statistically significant.

Mapping oral feedback interactions in young pupils’ writing

ABSTRACT The quality of feedback interactions, when young pupils write, influences their learning processes. Still, teachers tend to use feedback that provides little information to enhance pupils’ understanding and learning regarding their literacy skills. More knowledge about feedback interactions for young pupils as they write is needed. Thus, we wanted to investigate: What characterises oral feedback interactions in classrooms between teachers and young pupils while pupils write? Observations were collected using video recordings from 14 second-grade classrooms in Norway (pupils 7 years old). Seventy-two hours of video-recorded lessons were studied using thematic analysis. The results show a pattern where teachers praise general ability at the self-level and correct specific mistakes at the task level, less information about writing strategies is provided.

The MTSK model as a tool for designing tasks for teacher education

This paper studies the knowledge developed by a group of sixty-two pre-service primary teachers during a training session on the definition of a polygon and the mathematical practice of defining. We explore the knowledge developed by pre-service teachers when they carry out a series of training tasks oriented around the practice of defining with primary pupils, within the theoretical framework of the Mathematics Teachers’ Specialised Knowledge model, and using videos of an authentic lesson as prompt. Data were collected by means of video recordings of the implementation of the training tasks, in conjunction with the pre-service teachers’ own written observations as they watched the recorded lesson. A content analysis was carried out on the collected data using the Mathematics Teachers’ Specialised Knowledge model. The results highlight the way in which knowledge of the mathematical practice of defining is constructed, along with the mathematical objects involved in this practice, and pedagogical aspects of defining with young pupils. They also illustrate how a sequence of tasks oriented around a model of teachers’ knowledge can contribute to the development of this knowledge in initial training programmes, and more especially provide orientation about the training of pre-service teachers in the mathematical practice of defining.

Learning Irish and learning through Irish: a child’s perspective

ABSTRACT Irish Medium Education (IME) is a form of immersion education which uses extensive exposure to the Irish language to meet the language needs of children, helping them develop proficiency in the target language. In many cases, both in the Republic of Ireland and in Northern Ireland, children in IME come from homes in which English is the dominant language, and so immersion school staff play a pivotal role in developing children’s second language proficiency. This paper considers young pupils’ perspectives on their experiences of learning Irish in an immersion setting and focuses on what they understand to be the purpose of learning Irish and learning through the medium of Irish. These insights are based on the nature of their learning experiences and the support they have received from others. Children’s responses highlighted their feelings about the Irish language, their understanding of the process of learning Irish and those people who had been involved in helping them develop proficiency in the second language.

Творчий розвиток молодших школярів засобами художньої діяльності

The article is devoted to the actual and socially significant problem of creative development of children in the process of artistic activity. The younger school age as the initial stage of socialization of the child requires special attention. It is with the admission of the child to the institution of general secondary education that a purposeful pedagogical influence on his personality becomes possible. Artistic activity in the educational process is an essential basis in the creative development of children. After all, this contributes to the formation of the personal position of the child, the desire for self-expression, the development of cognitive interests, the formation of skills to understand the artistic image, etc. Creative development relies on a set of values, beliefs, and ideas that define what is important, valuable, and acceptable in life for a particular person or community. The article reveals the methodological aspects of the creative development of younger students in the process of artistic activity, methodological recommendations on the creative development of younger schoolchildren by means of artistic activity are highlighted, the pedagogical possibilities of artistic activity in the creative development of younger schoolchildren are determined and the ways of creative development of younger schoolchildren by means of artistic activity are outlined, the stages of creative development of younger schoolchildren in the process of artistic activity are determined, efficient methods and technologies of creative development of younger pupils in art lessons are allocated. The article reveals the main psychological and pedagogical prerequisites that ensure the creative development of younger students in the process of artistic activity, determines the place and role of art lessons in the creative development of younger students. The focus is on using a variety of artistic techniques, such as drawing, sculpting, appliqué, paperoplasty, etc., which stimulate the creative development of children and help younger students to express their emotions and feelings through artistic images and express themselves through the creation of their own works. The results of the study can be used in planning and conducting art lessons and other creative activities with children of primary school age.

Early Multilingualism and Bi/Multilingual Education in Tanzanian Primary Schools: Teachers’ Perceptions

The article investigates early multilingualism in Tanzanian primary schools, focusing on teachers’ perceptions of bilingual/multilingual education. It highlights Tanzania’s rich linguistic diversity, with over 156 languages, and the bilingual education policy using Swahili and English. The study examines language teaching methods, the development of multilingualism with English, and the effectiveness of these methods in fostering language proficiency in young pupils. The research was conducted in three primary schools in the Kagera region and involved structured interviews with 24 language teachers. The findings contribute to understanding multilingual education in Tanzania, presenting implications for teaching strategies and policy development to enhance multilingual proficiency in the educational system.

The Application of Multimedia Teaching in Primary School Classroom

With the rapid development of science and technology, multimedia teaching has become one of the important trends in the field of education. This paper thoroughly explores multimedia teaching in primary school classrooms, focusing on its significance, advantages, and challenges. Multimedia teaching plays a pivotal role in enhancing the educational experience for young learners. Through an in-depth analysis of literature and case studies, this research highlights its profound impact. Multimedia resources, including interactive digital content, videos, and animations, can engage students, enhance comprehension, and create interactive learning environments, fostering intellectual development. However, implementing multimedia teaching is not without obstacles. This study exposes difficulties with using multimedia effectively and how to mix it with traditional teaching methods. To offer practical insights, the study showcases effective approaches and solutions in multimedia education by examining examples of useful methods. Teachers’ perspectives on how to select multimedia, convey information reasonably, and develop multimedia literacy are presented. In conclusion, this paper sets the foundation for the use of multimedia in primary school instruction in the future. It offers practical suggestions for teachers and researchers to improve and broaden the use of multimedia tools, thereby boosting the educational experiences of young pupils.

Театральне виховання та соціальний розвиток учнів з порушеннями інтелектуального розвитку (на прикладі діяльності комплексу спеціальних шкіл у Червйонка-Лещинах, Польща)

The purpose of the article is to substantiate the importance of theatre education in the social development of younger pupils of special schools. The theoretical part presents the theatre education of students with special educational needs, outlines the portrait of students with intellectual disabilities and defines the specifics of the activities of the Complex of Special Schools in Czerwionka-Leszczyny. The practical part of the article presents theatre education in the Complex of these schools based on interviews with the leaders of the drama club and group “Zetki”, on the school's journal and the results of the survey conducted amongst the members of the group. The article proves that theatrical activity promotes integration through the development of interpersonal skills and verbal and non-verbal communication, improvement of visual-hearing-motor coordination, as well as the formation of a sense of empathy and imagination of persons with disabilities. The importance of a friendly atmosphere and mutual acceptance of all participants during theatre activities is emphasised. The authors use the method of theoretical analysis of scientific sources on the research topic; the method of survey, as well as the analysis of the results of empirical research.

The Impact Of English As An Additional Language On Young Pupils’ Reading Skills:, A Case Study Of Oak Tree Primary School

The Impact Of English As An Additional Language On Young Pupils’ Reading Skills:, A Case Study Of Oak Tree Primary School

Teaching Algerian Third-Year Elementary-school Pupils English Vocabulary Through Songs: An Effective Instructional Tool to Enliven English Classes

Research objectives (aims), issues or problems: The study accentuates the significant role that integrating songs into the teaching of English vocabulary has for third-year elementary-school pupils in Algeria. It aims to make English vocabulary acquisition effortless and fun for young learners and seeks to facilitate teaching English as a second foreign language for newly recruited instructors. In fact, a major query of this research concerns the incomprehensible lack of songs, poems, and nursery rhymes in the English textbook for third-year pupils, who are 8 to 9 years old, i.e., at an age when musical activities help them become motivated and interested in class activities.
 Research methods: To test the efficacy of songs in teaching English vocabulary to young third-year learners, the researchers opted for a true experimental research method. An experimental group of 26 pupils was exposed to nursery rhymes about numbers, colors, and family members, while a control group of 25 pupils was taught the same vocabulary items for three weeks using lessons from the textbook only.
 A short description of the context of the presented issue: The experiment took place in one of elementary schools in the city of Mostaganem, where the researchers’ former student works as a teacher of English. The experiment lasted three weeks: from January 10 to January 31, 2023.
 Research findings: The findings of this research indicate that the use of songs considerably improved the average vocabulary scores for the 26 young pupils in the experimental group compared to the control group. Therefore, this research paper concludes that songs enhance natural and effortless vocabulary acquisition among third-year pupils who are learning English for the first time.
 Conclusions and/or recommendations: Moreover, this study encourages elementary-school English teachers to give more pedagogical consideration to the use of children’s songs in teaching English to their pupils so as to enliven the lessons and to raise the pupils’ motivation to learn this foreign language.

Rotation-based schedules in elementary schools to prevent COVID-19 spread: a simulation study

Rotations of schoolchildren were considered as a non-pharmacological intervention in the COVID-19 pandemic. This study investigates the impact of different rotation and testing schedules.We built an agent-based model of interactions among pupils and teachers based on a survey in an elementary school in Prague, Czechia. This model contains 624 schoolchildren and 55 teachers and about 27 thousands social contacts in 10 layers. The layers reflect different types of contacts (classroom, cafeteria, etc.) in the survey. On this multi-graph structure we run a modified SEIR model of covid-19 infection. The parameters of the model are calibrated on data from the outbreak in the Czech Republic in spring 2020. Weekly rotations of in-class and distance learning are an effective preventative measure in schools reducing the spread of covid-19 by 75–81% . Antigen testing twice a week or PCR once a week significantly reduces infections even when using tests with a lower sensitivity. The structure of social contacts between pupils and teachers strongly influences the transmission. While the density of contact graphs for older pupils is 1.5 times higher than for younger pupils, the teachers’ network is an order of magnitude denser. Teachers moreover act as bridges between groups of children, responsible for 14–18% of infections in the secondary school compared to 8–11% in the primary school. Weekly rotations with regular testing are a highly effective non-pharmacological intervention for the prevention of covid-19 spread in schools and a way to keep schools open during an epidemic.

Examining Adolescents’ Technology Addiction Levels Before and After COVID-19 Pandemic

Technology may lead to many new problems, especially for students at high school level. The ease of using and accessing technology increases the risk of the younger pupils’ addiction to technology. Problematic uses of technology, especially among high school students, include internet use, instant messaging, online gaming, social networking and computer use. Given the large young population in Turkey, it is important to evaluate the internet-based technologies’ potentially positive effects as well as their undesirable effects. For this reason, the technology addiction levels of high school students before and after the pandemic and the change in technology addiction based on demographic characteristics (owning a computer, socio-economic level, time spent on social networks, grade level) were investigated. The cross-sectional survey method, one of the descriptive research designs, was used in the research. Participants consisted of 304 high school students selected via random sampling method. “Technology Addiction Scale” was used in the research. The data of the study was compared with the data of another study conducted with the same measurement tool and a similar sample before the pandemic. As a result of the research, when the addiction levels of adolescents before and after the pandemic are compared, it is seen that the students in the low-risk group move towards the risky and the addicted groups. In addition, it was determined that the percentage of highly-addicted students increased. It was observed that the students' highest addiction levels were in instant messaging, website use, social network use and online gaming, respectively. While the addiction levels of the participants varied based on the time spent on social networks and online gaming, the interaction effect between owning a computer and the family socioeconomic level also caused significant differences.

A queuing evacuation model with yielding behavior

A new super queue model with yielding behavior is proposed to model the orderly evacuation process of young pupils in a classroom building. A super queue is composed of a super leader and several simple queues. Based on this, a leader-follower model is proposed to model the orderly behavior between pupils in a super queue, and an exclusive channel model is proposed to model the yielding behavior between super queues. Taking the evacuation of a classroom building as an example, the super queues and yielding behavior are reproduced and are very similar to the actual behavior (both qualitatively and quantitatively). Based on the model, scenarios are simulated to analyze the impacts of several factors on evacuation efficiency. The results show the following: (1) The stop-and-go effect greatly affects the overall evacuation efficiency. Therefore, it is necessary for students to maintain sufficient concentration to shorten their reaction time during the stopping and going process, thereby improving the evacuation efficiency. (2) Different yielding strategies have little impact on the overall evacuation efficiency. Therefore, in an actual evacuation case, flexible yielding strategies can be adopted in order to consider the needs of each class. (3) By optimizing evacuees’ behaviors, such as improving their reaction times, the efficiency of an evacuation with queuing and yielding can become close to that of a disordered evacuation. At the same time, due to its higher safety and easier management process, a queuing and yielding evacuation can be a safe and relatively efficient method for real evacuations.