Camtree Digital Library (Univ. of Cambridge)
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What system can I set up in my class in order to manage discipline?
Get PDFContext: The study addresses discipline management in a secondary school in Gouana, Mali, involving students aged 13 to 17. It focuses on the challenges of maintaining classroom discipline in large and diverse classes.
Aims: To identify effective strategies for managing discipline within the classroom, aiming to enhance the educational environment and student engagement.
Methods: The research utilized surveys for both teachers and students, internet research for additional insights, and implemented an action plan based on findings. It evaluated the impact of these strategies through video recordings and peer observations.
Findings: Key strategies identified included enforcing school rules, promoting group work, organizing the classroom effectively, engaging students with interesting topics, and beginning classes with warm-up activities. Preliminary results suggested improvements in student behavior and engagement.
Implications: The study highlights the importance of a structured approach to discipline management, incorporating both preventive and interactive techniques to create a conducive learning environment
What is the impact of developing active listening skills (using roles) on pupils’ understanding of new topics?
Get PDFBackground and purpose: Active listening has been proposed to give the best outcomes for learning.
Aims: The aim of this study was to see if encouraging active listening through the use of different roles aids pupil understanding of new topic areas. This study was carried out across a range of different age groups (from Year 8 to Year 12; ages 12-17) and different subjects (geography, psychology and learning support) to see the effectiveness of allocation of roles to active listening and retention of new information.
Methodology: A cycle of observation was scheduled where each teacher would be observed by two others, starting with an observation of a geography lesson being taught to 13-14 year old pupils. Each teacher planned their own lesson and identified key pupils for the observers to focus on during the lesson. After each lesson the triad met to discuss strengths and weaknesses of the lesson in order to adapt the teaching focus for the next lesson in the sequence.
Findings: Adapting to given roles allows pupils to focus on certain pieces of information. When they are instructed to focus on certain parts of the information being presented it allows pupils to understand their specific area more quickly. However, the tasks do have to be well thought through and allow for collaboration later on so that pupils can put their part of the information back into the ‘whole’. It is also important to take into account other aspects such as the subject information being presented, the dynamic of the class, their age and experience of oracy tasks. This study suggested that active listening may be more effective for older pupils (sixth form age 16-18) as they are more established with their basic learning techniques and also potentially approach lessons in a more focused manner as they have chosen the subject and have their sights set on their targets for Higher Education. It would be wise to trial different active listening tasks with a range of classes to establish the most effective form of active listening for different age groups.
Implications for practice: This study suggested that active listening can be encouraged through the allocation of different roles and that this, in turn, can produce effective learning of new topic areas. It was also found that the technique may be more effective for older pupils and needs adapting for those in younger year groups
The use of grammar in writing
Get PDFContext: In Ethiopia, at Ethio Parents School, a study was conducted with Grade 11 students aged 16 to 17. This educational setting aimed to address the persistent grammatical errors in students' writings despite an existing writing program.
Aims: The study aimed to explore effective strategies to support students in using grammar correctly in their writing, focusing on the students' feelings towards grammatical errors and the activities they engage in to avoid such mistakes.
Methods: The researcher utilized questionnaires, reflective journals from students, and teacher reflections to gather data. Thirty-six students and four English teachers participated, offering insights into the teaching and learning of grammar.
Findings: The study revealed that real-life writing tasks and peer corrections were effective in helping students use grammar properly. Students expressed unease at public correction of errors but preferred collaborative learning and peer feedback. Activities like gap-filling and text analysis were favored for learning grammar.
Implications: The findings underscore the importance of real-life context in grammar instruction and the positive impact of peer feedback. Incorporating collaborative and interactive grammar activities can enhance student engagement and understanding
Increasing the participation of female students in speaking class
Get PDFContext: The study was conducted at Dilachen General Secondary School in Addis Ketema, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, focusing on the participation of female students in speaking lessons. The school serves around 2,400 students from Grades 9 to 12, with the study focusing on 50 Grade-12 students, aged 17 to 19. Despite their academic achievements, female students showed reluctance to participate in speaking activities, which are essential for mastering English as a Foreign Language.
Aims: The research aimed to identify the reasons behind the poor participation of female students in speaking classes, despite their strong performance in other areas. It sought to explore their preferred speaking activities, their behaviour in speaking lessons, and the challenges they face. The broader aim was to find effective strategies to improve their participation and to motivate other teachers to engage in similar research to address classroom issues.
Methods: Data were collected using a questionnaire to capture female students' preferences and difficulties in speaking activities, reflective journals to document the teacher's observations and feelings about the issue, and peer observations to provide an external perspective on student participation. An eight-week action plan was then implemented, which included pre-teaching vocabulary, using visual aids, and creating vocabulary notebooks to build students' confidence and familiarity with speaking topics.
Findings: The study found that the main barriers to female students' participation were a lack of vocabulary, fear of making mistakes, and low self-confidence. They preferred discussion-based activities but were hesitant in more formal settings like presentations. The action plan, which emphasized vocabulary building and visual aids, resulted in increased participation, with female students showing improved confidence and a greater willingness to speak in class.
Implications: This study demonstrates that pre-teaching vocabulary and creating a supportive environment can enhance female students p'articipation in speaking activities. Teachers facing similar challenges might benefit from adopting these strategies to support students who struggle with speaking due to confidence or language barriers. The study also highlights the value of practitioner research in understanding and solving classroom issues
Creating motivation for reading recommended literary texts by teachers-in-training
No full textContext: The study was conducted at the Federal College of Education Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria, focusing on Year 2 students aged 18 to 20 studying English language as a single major. These students, primarily from mid-low socio-economic backgrounds, exhibited a lack of motivation and interest in reading recommended literary texts.
Aims: The aim was to explore the reasons behind students' disinterest in literary texts and to identify strategies to enhance their motivation and engagement with these materials.
Methods: The research utilized a reflective journal, focus groups with literature teachers, and questionnaires distributed to 50 students to collect data on their perceptions and experiences with literary texts.
Findings: Students acknowledged the importance of reading but described the texts as boring, complex, and irrelevant to contemporary issues. The intervention strategies - reading aloud, group reading, and role play - increased student engagement, understanding, and appreciation for literary texts.
Implications: The study suggests the effectiveness of interactive and participatory methods in teaching literature. Implementing varied and engaging instructional strategies can foster a positive learning environment, encouraging students to actively participate and develop an interest in literary studies
How to improve students' pronunciation skills?
Get PDFContext: In a primary school in Samut Sakhon Province, Thailand, Grade 4 to 6 students (10-12 years old) faced difficulties in pronouncing the letters of the English alphabet correctly.
Aims: The study aimed to improve students' pronunciation of English letters/sounds, focusing on overcoming interference from their mother tongue and the complexities of the English spelling system.
Methods: The teacher employed focus group discussions, classroom observations, and a reflective journal to evaluate the effectiveness of pronunciation teaching strategies, including minimal pairs and final consonants practice.
Findings: The interventions led to significant improvements in students' ability to accurately match letters of the alphabet with their corresponding sounds, with two-thirds of the class showing progress. Almost all students reported increased satisfaction and confidence in their pronunciation skills.
Implications: Systematic pronunciation instruction, incorporating warm-up activities, flashcards with minimal pairs, and explicit teaching on the use of lips, mouth, and breathing for pronunciation, can enhance learners' pronunciation skills and confidence
Insights gleaned from a virtues-based post-COVID wellbeing initiative for KS3 students: A case study at an international school in Vietnam
No full textThis case study examines a set of whole-class, virtues-based interventions with a cohort of KS3 students following the COVID-19 pandemic. The cohort was targeted due to perceived difficulties in readjusting to in-person lessons following several years of intermittent social isolation brought about by the pandemic at a critical point in the students' social and emotional development. Interventions were selected to support them, addressing qualities such as empathy, kindness and respect, as well as skills such as living well with differences and expressing self-worth and self-image. This study sought to establish the extent to which targeted, intensive, whole-class interventions can support wellness and behaviour for learning in young adolescents following pandemic-related isolation. To this end, interviews with school staff and in-class observations were carried out, and school documentation was consulted, including behaviour and attendance records, as well as records of English grades before, during and after the pandemic lockdowns. Members of the cohort showed similar responses to pandemic lockdowns as did students in comparable contexts, including disengagement, lower attendance and poorer grades, and more pronounced negative effects for SEND students. School staff acknowledged a positive effect from the interventions, while also crediting the end of school closures and a return to relative normalcy as providing needed stability. Although findings are inconclusive as to the extent to which the initiative supported students, especially when considered in isolation from other variables, this study may serve as a useful base from which to explore further applications of virtues-based interventions for student wellness and behaviour
How can the engagement of pupils who are lacking efficacy in group work situations be improved in exam classes?
Get PDFBackground and purpose: The purpose of this research is to investigate how the engagement of exam-class pupils, who are lacking efficacy in group work situations, can be improved. The pupils were perceived by the teacher as conducting themselves in an unproductive manner when previously given tasks involving group work.
Aims: To observe a number of different approaches to how students integrate in group work within a DT classroom, and to draw conclusions about the impact of choosing particular group work situations on the oracy skills of discussion, interaction and listening and responding to their peers.
Study design or methodology: The teachers used a research lesson study design and observed classes in three different observation cycles. The observation methodology was to observe dynamic interaction between pupils when they self-selected who they worked with in a group situation, compared with when the teacher selected the groups. The particular class involved was 20 in size, comprising 14 boys and 6 girls, and the same class was observed on each occasion.
Findings: Students who self-selected their own groups often worked well together, despite not placing themselves in a group that their teacher perceived as the most effective. Some students, when allocated a group by the teacher, felt unable to orally participate effectively in that particular group setting, and they did not have the opportunity to demonstrate effective oracy skills in either their small-group interactions, nor in feeding back verbally to the wider class when summarising or evaluating their work.
Implications for practice: Teacher judgement of the effectiveness of groups remains a vital component of effective group work, but it can be tempered with the notion that self-selecting friendship groups may still produce effective outcomes from an oracy and workflow perspective. Other factors, including clear allocation of roles within the group, motivation of the individuals concerned, familiarity with teammates and individual personality traits likely play a part, but were beyond the scope of these observations within the time limit set
How to encourage the writing of varied sentence structures in writing tasks?
Get PDFContext: This study was conducted in a large secondary school in Nonthaburi, Thailand, with Grade 12 students (18 years old). The research focused on exploring methods to encourage the writing of varied sentence structures in writing tasks.
Aims: The aim was to identify effective teaching strategies and techniques that can help students improve their writing skills by formulating longer, more complex sentences.
Methods: The teacher employed peer observations, focus groups with students, and interviews with language teachers of different subjects to evaluate the effectiveness of sentence-writing activities and feedback methods.
Findings: Students preferred activities that were easy to do but struggled with going beyond basic sentence writing due to limited vocabulary, grammar knowledge, and fear of making mistakes. The study found that providing models, easy activities, feedback, and additional language support improved students' sentence writing.
Implications: Enhancing sentence writing skills requires a focus on providing students with examples, constructive feedback, and language support, particularly in vocabulary and idea generation. Encouraging practice and revising based on feedback can improve students' confidence and abilities in writing varied sentence structures
Exploratory action research on improving speaking skills in class
Get PDFContext: The research occurred at Nosakhare College of Education in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria, focusing on first-year Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE I) students aged 17 years and above, studying English. It addresses the reluctance of students to participate in speaking activities, motivated by the multilingual environment where English serves as a primary means of communication.
Aims: To identify the reasons behind students' hesitance in speaking English in class and to develop strategies to improve their speaking skills and confidence.
Methods: Utilizing questionnaires, focus group interviews, and a reflective journal, the study sought to explore students' perceptions of speaking English in class, the effectiveness of current teaching strategies, and the challenges faced by students in speaking English.
Findings: Students appreciated speaking English in class and recognized its importance for fluency enhancement. However, they felt scared or shy about speaking in front of peers, struggling with pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary. Introducing think-pair-share strategies, pre-speaking activities, and pronunciation practice led to increased comfort, improved pronunciation, and higher engagement in speaking activities.
Implications: The study suggests that implementing cooperative learning strategies, pre-teaching vocabulary, and fostering a supportive learning environment can improve students' speaking skills and confidence. Interactive activities can promote collaboration and reduce anxiety among students, enhancing their oral communication skills