The Mediating Role of Creating Storyboards for Multimedia Presentations in Relation to Local Wildlife Sites

The use of information technology in conjunction with school visits to a local wildlife area offers a new way of thinking about such places and a richer learning experience. By comparing pupils who were encouraged to plot storyboarded sequences for computer use during their visits to other pupils who produced wall displays, this article suggests that the mediating process of planning storyboards led to a more social and collaborative learning experience. In addition, pupils from storyboarding groups displayed a deeper understanding of the wildlife site and showed greater inclination towards taking part in management decisions than the conventional classes. Such use of information technology in terms of learning processes linked to the generation of electronic sequences by pupils for pupils about humble, local wildlife sites for future use could offer an important contribution to the notion of environmental literacy and citizenship.     

Making decisions about organising the primary classroom environment as a context for learning: the views of three experienced teachers and their pupils

This paper presents the views and perceptions of three experienced teachers about their management of the classroom learning environment. Research was carried out in three different schools using a variety of methods. In this paper reference is made mainly to the teacher interviews and the rating scales completed by their 9–11 year old pupils. The findings are discussed in terms of general educational principles like pupils’ involvement in decision- making, as well as in terms of the importance of specific environmental factors (notably seating arrangements and classroom wall displays). In the three schools there were found to be distinct differences in the teachers’ and pupils’ identification of significant elements within the classroom environment. A need is identified for further research into the ways specific environmental factors may affect children's learning and on the processes by which a classroom culture develops.     

Motivation to Learn and Teach English in Slovenia

This study was conducted in Slovenia, and explored the views of a sample of 226 pupils (aged 14‐15 years) regarding their motivation to learn English and the views of a sample of 95 student teachers regarding their motivation to become a teacher of English. The data consisted of two questionnaires. The first questionnaire asked the pupils to rate the importance of each of 15 reasons for wanting to learn English. The most frequent reasons given by pupils were ‘Because English is an international language’, ‘Because English helps me with advanced study’ and ‘Because English will help me with my future career’. The second questionnaire asked the student teachers to rate the importance of each of 20 reasons in influencing their decision to become a teacher of English. The most frequent reasons given by the student teachers were ‘I enjoy the subject I will teach’, ‘English is important to me’ and ‘I want to help children succeed’. The findings are further explored in terms of the relative importance of the different types of motivation involved.     

Teacher/pupil perspectives on computer-augmented physics lessons on measurement in kenyan secondary schools

The application of computers in Kenya is relatively uncommon, and the facilities and stage of professional and organisational development in Kenya appear to reflect this. This article describes the views of a group of pupils and their teacher regarding the impact of a computer-based instruction (CBI) programme that involved the collaborative learning of a physics course on measurement. Three secondary schools and a total of 118 pupils were studied in three classrooms, one class acting as a comparison. The same teacher taught the same physics content to all three classes using one of two teaching methods, namely: (1) the traditional mode and (2) the CBI mode. Selected students and their teacher were observed and interviewed. The qualitative data analysis methods of comparison and clustering were used to identify pattern and themes within the interview data. Results of the study indicate significant improvements in pupils' learning of physics as well as in the development of positive effects and/or socialisation skills. Accounts by the teacher, as well as those by the students, indicate a perception of the potential of CBI to enhance their learning of measurement concepts and methods. For instance, the study revealed that, apart from its positive influence on the pupils' classroom interaction patterns, the pupils in the treatment groups learned the concepts and methods better than their counterparts in the true control group. Furthermore, the experience influenced the teacher's belief about teaching using CBI to augment physics instruction.     

Irish primary school teachers' experiences with Sport Education

This study examines the degree of active learning, participation and engagement of civic, social and political education (CSPE) pupils through an analysis of interview and focus group data, supplemented with key findings from a survey undertaken with CSPE pupils. The study focuses on pupils’ views of the status of CSPE, their experience of active learning, or its absence, and the benefits pupils derived from active/experiential learning. These findings are presented in terms of gender and school-level differences and are analysed within an appropriate participation framework.

The importance of citizenship education is conceptualised through a review of participation theory and the rationale for engaging pupils in active/experiential learning. It is argued that whilst it is important to engage young people in this type of learning, it can only be achieved if teachers believe in it and are willing to give pupils the appropriate autonomy needed to succeed. Examining pupil accounts of CSPE and active learning reveals there is a disparity in perspective between pupils who, in some schools, have benefited greatly from CSPE (through increased confidence and skills development) and those in other schools, where some pupils appear to have subverted active learning and have benefited little.     

Perceptions of Social Adjustment of Hearing-Impaired Pupils in an Integrated Secondary School Unit

The aim of this case study was to investigate issues surrounding the social inclusion of hearing-impaired pupils within a mainstream comprehensive school in a large northern city. The study focused on the four hearing-impaired pupils in Years 8 and 10. Year 7, Year 9 and Year 11 pupils, were omitted on the grounds that they were relatively new to the school (Year 7) or were involved in external examinations (Years 9 and 11). Sociometric questionnaires were completed by the hearing-impaired pupils and their form-group peers. Interviews were carried out with the hearing-impaired pupils, with their form-group peers identified as popular (sociometrically), and with those identified as having few friends. Form tutors and mainstream subject teachers of the hearing-impaired pupils were also interviewed. The data collected suggested that these hearing-impaired pupils were not particularly well integrated socially with their hearing peers. The sociometric data showed the hearing-impaired pupils to be of low status within friendship groups. Interview data from pupils suggested that the hearing-impaired young people's social experience was very akin to that of those children with very low sociometric status, and very unlike that of the 'popular' pupils, those with the highest sociometric status. Of note was the belief of popular pupils that the role of friendship--and the role of communication in establishing and maintaining friendship--was crucial to their happiness in school. Interview data from mainstream teachers suggested that they had little relevant knowledge of the personal concepts and social experiences of hearing-impaired pupils. Recommendations are made to improve the social skills of the hearing-impaired young people, and to foster a greater degree of peer-group support, with some adaptations to their curriculum to stress social learning and communication skills.     

Open-ended problem solving in school chemistry: A preliminary investigation

This paper uses a new set of 14 open-ended problems, designed for 14-17-year-old pupils studying chemistry, to attempt to gain some initial insights into the ways pupils solve open-ended chemistry problems. The emphasis is on how concepts and linkages between concepts influence success in solving such open-ended problems. Pupils worked in groups of three attempting to solve the problems and were encouraged to talk freely, to make notes of their progress, and to note their agreed answers. Evaluation sheets were also completed individually by the pupils after each problem. By studying the interactions between pupils by means of written materials, observation and audiotapes, it was possible to build up a picture of the way the pupils approached the problems and to explore some of the reasons for difficulties they experienced. In the light of the evidence, it is suggested that creating the links between 'islands' of knowledge is an important skill in solving open-ended problems and that this skill is not easily achieved by pupils at these ages. The notion that problem solving is a generic skill which can be taught is questioned.     

Religious Identity Development of Adolescents in Christian Secondary Schools: Effects of School and Religious Backgrounds of Adolescents and Their Parents

This study examines religious identity development of pupils at Dutch schools for secondary education (mean age 16.4). With the help of a theoretical conceptualization of “religious identity development” empirical research is carried out. Main question is whether differences in terms of religious commitment and exploration between pupils of the four participating schools can be explained by religious denominations of pupils and the importance the pupils' parents attach to worldview. It is concluded that school in general has no significant main effect on religious commitments and explorations of pupils. Religious backgrounds of pupils should be taken into account. Because pupils themselves do indicate that school has influence on the way they look at life, further research is needed in which specific school aspects (like the way pupils evaluate religious education) should also be taken into account.     

Relationships between Pupils’ Sociocultural Background,Instruction in School and Writing Achievement

The aim of this study was to explain differences between pupils’ achievements in composition. A theoretic causal model of factors of importance to pupils’ proficiency in writing has been tested with data collected in the Swedish part of the IEA‐study. These data involve the pupils’ sociocultural background, the teachers’ experiences and the teaching of writing. The pupils’ marks for an argumentative composition represent the standard of their achievement in writing. The present analysis includes pupils in grade 9 of the Swedish compulsory comprehensive school. The causal model was verified concerning the relationships between pupils’ sociocultural background and their writing achievement. However, no relationships could be found between teaching in school and pupils’ achievement, a result which is discussed critically.     

The aims of special education schools and units in Kenya: a survey of headteachers

The paper reports a questionnaire survey of headteachers of special schools and special units in Kenya, focusing in particular on their educational aims. The study is located in the broader context of special educational provision and developments in Africa. These include the colonial legacy, the influence of indigenous and traditional concepts of education and disability, and national policies engaging with issues of curriculum and inclusion. The aims the headteachers said were important were wide-ranging and included conventional academic achievement, personal and social development and citizenship, alongside skills of personal care and the control of difficult behaviour. However, the relative emphasis given to different aims suggests that the importance of traditional aims of special education in terms of control, containment and care still outweigh those of a broad and balanced educational provision. Surprisingly, there was relatively little emphasis on the importance of preparation for employment. The analysis suggests that although there have been rapid developments in the provision for special educational needs in Kenya, there remains a gap between the ambitions of national policy and actual provision at school level.     

Thirty Years of Environmental Education in Africa: The role of the Wildlife Clubs of Kenya

The Wildlife Clubs of Kenya (WCK) is the largest grassroots environmental education organization for youth in Africa. Despite three decades of environmental education involving more than one million youth, no documented history exists of the organization or its role in environmental education in Kenya. The objective of this study was to develop a historical perspective of WCK and provide lessons learned for other environmental education programs for youth. This study used document review, participant observation, and semi-structured interviews with 50 respondents. Key success factors revealed by the study include partnerships between motivated individuals and conservation organizations, involvement in high-profile environmental issues, student trips to national parks, impacts on career choices of student, and decentralization of the organization. Critical recommendations for the future include the need to adapt to changing environmental issues and instructional strategies, enhance networking and public relations, incorporate strategic planning into programming, and capitalize on support of former WCK members. This study reflects the importance of documenting the history of environmental education organizations in order to build on past successes and improve program effectiveness for the future.     

浅析小学语文教学中的问题意识

针对目前小学语文教学中,长期存在的不重视培养学生问题意识的现状进行分析,在此基础上,指出培养小学生问题意识的重要性。文章着重提出了可供具体操作的教学策略：融洽师生关系,使学生敢问;改变教学思想和教学策略,让学生想问;指导质疑方法,使学生会问。探究在教学的过程中,使学生发现有价值、有意义的问题,然后进行积极的思维,通过实践、努力,最终解决问题,从而激发学生的潜能,提高小学语文教学效率。     

Teacher Verbal Feedback Directed Towards Secondary Pupils with Challenging Behaviour and its Relationship to their Behaviour

There is a body of evidence that has linked teachers’ verbal feedback to pupils with pupil behaviour. In this study teacher verbal behaviour that was directed towards those pupils that the teachers had nominated as being especially difficult to teach was examined. A series of lessons was observed in a secondary school. The quality and quantity of teacher verbal feedback directed to the class as a whole and to the designated pupils was recorded, as was the on‐task behaviour of the pupils. It was found that the designated pupils were less on‐task than their peers and were more likely to ‘shout‐out’ in lessons. However, they were found to behave appropriately in well run lessons, where on‐task rates were high for all pupils. Teachers tended to give more attention to the designated pupils in the form of positive feedback directed towards their work, but also negative attention directed towards their behaviour. A positive relationship was found between teachers’ use of positive feedback and on‐task rates of the designated pupils. The results are discussed both in terms of the strategies used by teachers but also the effect that labelling of the pupils might have on the behaviour of the teachers and the pupils themselves.     

Pupil perceptions of national tests in science: perceived importance, invested effort, and test anxiety

Although large-scale national tests have been used for many years in Swedish compulsory schools, very little is known about how pupils actually react to these tests. The question is relevant, however, as pupil reactions in the test situation may affect test performance as well as future attitudes towards assessment. The question is relevant also in light of the changing assessment culture in Sweden and other European countries. The main purpose of the present study was to explore how a sample of grade 9 pupils perceived their first encounter with national tests in science, mainly in terms of perceived importance of the test, reported invested effort, and feelings of test anxiety, and how these aspects were related to test performance. Results show that a majority of the pupils seemed to perceive the test as rather important and claimed that they spent effort on the test. There was, however, also a fair group of students who did not perceive the test as very important. Ratings of perceived importance and invested effort and motivation were positively related to performance, particularly for the boys. Many students also reported that they felt anxious before and during the test, but the relationship between test anxiety and test performance was rather weak. Findings illuminate how pupils may perceive and behave in the assessment situation, and point to the need of further studies investigating the psychology of test-taking.     

Roma pupils’ identification with school in Slovenia and Serbia: case studies

The research presented in this paper aims to challenge the belief held by some education professionals that Roma pupils do not value education. The research sample included groups of Roma pupils from two countries (Slovenia and Serbia) and from different socio-economic backgrounds. The results suggest that the majority of the pupils are aware of the importance of education. However, there are significant differences in their sense of identification with school. Roma pupils from families whose socio-economic background is comparable to that of the majority population are more appreciative of educational success, feel more accepted by teachers and classmates and are better able to connect education with their own lives. Roma pupils from families of lower socio-economic background associate school with failure, discrimination and rejection by teachers and classmates. Barriers to these pupils’ learning and social participation may be related to their tendency to drop out of the compulsory education.     

小学生数学课后复习意识的培养

在学习的过程中,巩固所学的知识最好的方法就是复习。要培养小学生数学课后复习的习惯,应该做到在教学中渗透,让学生意识复习的重要性;通过对比实验,让学生体会到课后复习的重要性;注意反复强化,养成学生良好的课后复习习惯。     

How do teachers in Ireland and England conceptualise dyslexia?

This paper presents the findings of a comparative study using data from questionnaire surveys carried out in England (n=57) and Ireland (n=72). The researchers examine how teachers and teaching assistants who are currently teaching pupils with dyslexia in primary schools describe dyslexia and what may have influenced their conceptualisation. The paper examines teachers' responses both in terms of how they view their pupils presenting difficulties in the classroom, and how far they link these to underlying differences in cognitive processing. The researchers suggest ways in which this might influence their teaching in terms of methodology. Findings have been mapped to the Morton and Frith causal modelling framework. The implications of these findings for the training and support of teachers are discussed in the light of recent national initiatives to improve the teaching of dyslexic pupils in both countries.     

自主学习策略在小学课外阅读中应用的行动研究

为了改变小学生课外阅读效果不佳的现状,笔者选择制订目标与计划、组织与转换、自我评价等8项自主学习策略在所任教的班级中开展了行动研究。结果表明,小学生在自主学习策略的运用上非常需要教师的帮助,而本行动研究有效地提高了小学生的阅读能力,以及他们的阅读效率。学生掌握制订目标与计划、组织与转换等5项策略相对容易,而使用自我评价、自我奖惩等3项策略较困难。     

Gender ‘matters’ in the primary classroom: Pupils' and teachers' perspectives

A recent project involving Year 3 (seven–eight year‐old) pupils and their teachers revealed that ‘gender matters’ differently to boys and girls, and teachers. The study sought to elicit whether pupils and their teachers felt the gender of a teacher mattered to their experiences of schooling. Pupils were concerned about how effective teachers were in carrying out their professional functions and a teacher's gender was subsumed within this. For these pupils, ‘gender mattered’ in terms of the construction of their own gender identities. In contrast, teachers were aware of and attentive to the gender of pupils in managing and organising classroom interactions. The variety of differing views expressed and positions adopted towards the place of gender in teacher–pupil interactions demonstrates the complexity of developing ‘one size fits all’ approaches to tackling gender equity in the classroom.     

When to Randomize: Lessons From Independent Impact Evaluation of Reading to Learn (RtL) Programme to Improve Literacy and Numeracy in Kenya and Uganda

In East Africa, there is great effort directed toward ensuring that there is learning and value for money invested in universal education policies initiated over the past decade. Kenya and Uganda are two countries that typify this effort. The effort includes the work of research organisations such as Uwezo, which assess learning levels; RTI, which assesses language and early grade reading; and the work of African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), which looks at schooling patterns of different households. All these studies paint a disappointing picture both for the universal access Education for All policy and the large sums of money that have been devoted to achieve it. The verdict is that too many pupils in schools are not learning and too many poor ones are excluded from universal public access. Uwezo reports that 70% of pupils in Grade 3 cannot do Grade 2 work, and 9% of those completing Primary 8 in Kenya cannot do Grade 2 work. Answers are not easy to find, so borrowing what has worked elsewhere has been attempted. This article presents one effort toward finding what can work to improve learning for pupils in early grades. It is based on the idea of “Reading to Learn” implemented elsewhere and attempted in East Africa by Aga Khan Foundation and independently evaluated by APHRC using randomization methods. Lessons presented highlight the role and complexities of randomization in addressing the educational challenges in East Africa.