Mental Health and the ESL Classroom: A Guide for Teachers Working with Refugees.

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Lucey, Moira; Chaffee, Marcia; Terry, Diane; Le Marbre, Joan; Stone, Betty; Wiencek, Donna

This manual guides English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) teachers by outlining the complex burdens that refugee students carry and setting out concrete steps that ESL teachers can take in order to turn their classrooms into effective and welcoming teaching and learning environments. The seven sections focus on the following: (1) "The Refugee and…

Strategies to Help ESL Students Improve their Communicative Competence and Class Participation: A Study in a Middle School

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Claudia Gómez Palacio

2010-12-01

Full Text Available This article examines a qualitative study carried out at a middle school in North Carolina, the United States of America. The main purpose of the study was to find effective strategies that teachers can use to help ESL students improve their speaking skills and class participation. Results indicated that both communicative and social strategies as well as exposure to independent reading help ESL students improve their communicative skills and class participation.

Lexical Borrowings in the ESL Classrooms in Malaysia

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Thirusanku, Jantmary; Yunus, Melor Md

2013-01-01

This paper attempts to show the use of lexical borrowings in ten teaching materials used by the English as Second Language (ESL) teachers in the ESL classrooms in the National Secondary Schools in the Klang district in Selangor, Malaysia. It also discusses the general and pedagogical implications involved in using lexical borrowings. This paper…

The Effects of Leadership Style on School Culture and Teacher Effectiveness

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Smart, Kristal Carey

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between principal leadership style and school culture and to determine what effect both factors have on teacher effectiveness. This study was based on the perceptions of teachers and principals in Title I elementary schools (Grades 1-5), with high ESL populations in 10 schools within a West…

The teacher is a facilitator: Reflecting on ESL teacher beliefs through metaphor analysis

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Thomas S. C. Farrell

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Metaphors offer a lens through which language teachers express their understanding of their work. Metaphor analysis can be a powerful reflective tool for expressing meanings that underpin ways of thinking about teaching and learning English as a second/foreign language. Through reflecting on their personal teaching metaphors, teachers become more aware of the beliefs that underpin their work. This paper reports the reflections on the prior beliefs of three experienced ESL teachers in Canada through the use of metaphor analysis. The paper attempts to explore the prior beliefs of the three experienced ESL teachers in Canada through metaphor analysis by using the Oxford et al. (1998 framework as a theoretical lens in which to gain understanding of the use and meaning of these metaphors. Results indicated that all three teachers used a total of 94 metaphors throughout the period of the group discussions and interviews, and that the metaphors used most were those related to learner-centered growth, followed by social order, then social reform.

Neighbourhood ethnic diversity buffers school readiness impact in ESL children.

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Puchala, Chassidy; Vu, Lan T H; Muhajarine, Nazeem

2010-01-01

Contextual factors, as measured by neighbourhood characteristics, shape the experiences children have and affect their "school readiness", i.e., whether they are well or poorly prepared for the transition from home to kindergarten. This study assessed the independent effects of individual and neighbourhood factors on school readiness; specifically, it examined whether and to what degree neighbourhood factors modified children's language ability and thus their school readiness in a population of children in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The study included all children attending kindergarten in 2001, 2003 and 2005 in Saskatoon. School readiness and child characteristics were measured by the Early Development Instrument (EDI). The EDI measures child development at school commencement in five domains: physical health and well-being, social competence, emotional maturity, cognitive and language development, and communication skills and general knowledge. Data from the 2001 Census were used to characterize Saskatoon's neighbourhoods. Multilevel modeling examined the independent and buffering or exacerbating effects of individual and neighbourhood factors on the relation between English as a Second Language (ESL) status in children and EDI domain scores. ESL children had significantly lower scores on all EDI domains compared with non-ESL children. Certain factors (e.g., younger age, male, Aboriginal status, having special needs) were significantly related to lower readiness in terms of the emotional maturity, and communication skills and general knowledge domains. Importantly, children who lived in neighbourhoods that were highly transient (with a higher proportion of residents who had moved in the previous year) had lower EDI scores on both domains, and those in neighbourhoods with lower rates of employment had lower EDI scores on communication skills and general knowledge. Neighbourhood ethnic diversity mitigated the negative impact of ESL status on school readiness for both

Pedagogy in Speaking: Challenges Addressed by Teacher-Student in the ESL Context

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Md. Kawser Ahmed

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Teaching speaking is perhaps one of the major challenges for teachers teaching in English as a Second Language (ESL classroom environment. Like writing, speaking is not linear and easy approach to ensure the best utilization among learners.  Since speaking is a real life event and face to face conversation, it needs more sophisticated care, practice oriented session for the students and effective means to implement it in the ESL situation. Even language experts often grope to outline effective and mediocre way to help learners have a good understanding in speaking.  This paper attempts to delineate the focal points where teachers and students face problems in teaching and learning speaking. It immensely chalks out with methodological study, qualitative data analysis and the underlining factors ESL teachers face enormously in the pedagogy of speaking for second language learners. My paper will outline the pedagogical tenets of speaking in the realistic non-native set ups and diagnose the impediments faced by learners when they are supposed to speak and by teachers when they teach speaking for their students.

Perceptions of school nurses on the challenges of service provision to ESL students.

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Whitman, Marilyn V; Davis, Jullet A; Terry, Allison J

2010-04-01

The number of English-as-as second-language (ESL) students in public schools across the country is rising creating unique challenges for school health services with the introduction of new cultures and languages. This study describes the perceptions of school nurses in Alabama schools regarding the challenges they face when communicating with ESL students and their parents. The population consists of school nurses in Alabama public schools. The obtained sample of 1,429 responses is presented and discussed. Urban school nurses were more likely to have access to an interpreter, yet they were more likely to rely on an ESL student to act as a translator when speaking to his/her parents. Kindergarten through elementary school nurses were more likely to witness an increase in ESL students and encounter difficulty communicating with these students and their parents. School nurses have a unique opportunity to engage parents of ESL students in the health of their child, thus it is vital that they be provided with cultural facts and encouraged to use interpreter services to lessen language barriers.

Multiple Intelligences and ESL Teaching and Learning: An Investigation in KG II Classrooms in One Private School in Beirut, Lebanon

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Ghamrawi, Norma

2014-01-01

This study examined teachers' use of the Multiple Intelligences Theory on vocabulary acquisition by preschoolers during English as a second language (ESL) classes in a K-12 school in Lebanon. Eighty kindergartners (KG II, aged 5 years) and eight teachers constituted the sample. The study used mixed methods, including observations of videotaped…

A Quantitative Investigation of ESL Teacher Knowledge in Australian Adult Education

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Yazdanpanah, Lilly K.

2015-01-01

English as a second language (ESL) teaching is partly a thinking process in which teacher knowledge plays a pivotal role in making instructional choices (Breen, Hird, Milton, Oliver, & Thwaite, 2001). The present study contributes to understandings of teacher knowledge by exploring the types of knowledge, which practicing teachers value in…

School Context and the Effect ESL Placement on Mexican-Origin Adolescents' Achievement.

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Callahan, Rebecca; Wilkinson, Lindsey; Muller, Chandra

2008-01-01

OBJECTIVES: Immigrant adolescents' academic achievement is crucial to our future economic stability, and Mexican-origin linguistic minority youth in U.S. schools generally demonstrate lower levels of achievement. English as a Second Language (ESL) programs provide an institutional response to these students' needs, the effect of which may vary by the proportion of immigrant students in the school. MEASURES: Using propensity score matching and data from the Adolescent Health and Academic Achievement Study (AHAA) and the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), we estimate the effect of ESL placement on Mexican-origin achievement for first-, second-, and third-generation adolescents separately in schools with many and few immigrant students. RESULTS: The estimated effect of ESL placement varies by both immigrant concentration in the school and by students' generational status. CONCLUSIONS: We find that ESL enrollment may be protective for second-generation Mexican-origin adolescents in high immigrant concentration schools, and may prove detrimental for first-generation adolescents in contexts with few other immigrant students.

Flipped Learning for ESL Writing in a Sudanese School

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Abdelrahman, Limia Ali Mohamed; DeWitt, Dorothy; Alias, Norlidah; Rahman, Mohd Nazri Abdul

2017-01-01

Sudanese students seem to lack proficiency in writing English. In addition, teachers continue to use traditional, teacher-centered methods in teaching English as a second language (ESL). The flipped learning (FL) approach where video lectures are assigned as online homework before class, followed by learning activities during class, might be able…

School Context and the Effect ESL Placement on Mexican-Origin Adolescents’ Achievement*

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Callahan, Rebecca; Wilkinson, Lindsey; Muller, Chandra

2010-01-01

Objectives Immigrant adolescents’ academic achievement is crucial to our future economic stability, and Mexican-origin linguistic minority youth in U.S. schools generally demonstrate lower levels of achievement. English as a Second Language (ESL) programs provide an institutional response to these students’ needs, the effect of which may vary by the proportion of immigrant students in the school. Measures Using propensity score matching and data from the Adolescent Health and Academic Achievement Study (AHAA) and the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), we estimate the effect of ESL placement on Mexican-origin achievement for first-, second-, and third-generation adolescents separately in schools with many and few immigrant students. Results The estimated effect of ESL placement varies by both immigrant concentration in the school and by students’ generational status. Conclusions We find that ESL enrollment may be protective for second-generation Mexican-origin adolescents in high immigrant concentration schools, and may prove detrimental for first-generation adolescents in contexts with few other immigrant students. PMID:20354570

Strategies to Help ESL Students Improve Their Communicative Competence and Class Participation: A Study in a Middle School

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Gómez Palacio, Claudia

2010-01-01

This article examines a qualitative study carried out at a middle school in North Carolina, the United States of America. The main purpose of the study was to find effective strategies that teachers can use to help ESL students improve their speaking skills and class participation. Results indicated that both communicative and social strategies as…

Perspectives on Teacher Quality: Bilingual Education and ESL Teacher Certification, Test-Taking Experiences, and Instructional Practices

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Lemberger, Nancy; Reyes-Carrasquillo, Angela

2011-01-01

This descriptive exploratory study looked at the certification process, test-taking experiences, and instructional practices of a group of graduate bilingual education (BE) and English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) teachers to understand why some had problems passing teacher certification tests after completing their degrees. The study surveyed 63 BE…

Cultural Competence in Alberta Schools: Perceptions of ESL Families in Four Major School Boards

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Ngo, Hieu V.

2012-01-01

Complex linguistic, acculturative, and social needs of English-as-a-second-language (ESL) learners challenge the K-12 education system to develop cultural competence in working with culturally diverse families. This study surveyed 242 self-identified ESL students and their parents from four of Alberta's major school boards. Results of the survey…

THE PRONUNCIATION COMPONENT IN ESL LESSONS: TEACHERS’ BELIEFS AND PRACTICES

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Shanina Sharatol Ahmad Shah

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Research has shown that teachers’ beliefs on teaching and learning exert an influence on their actual classroom practices. In the teaching of English pronunciation, teachers’ beliefs play a crucial role in the choice of pronunciation components taught in the ESL classrooms. This paper explores teachers’ beliefs about teaching English pronunciation in Malaysian classrooms and the extent to which these beliefs influenced the teachers’ classroom instructions. Employing a multiple case study of five ESL teachers in secondary schools, this study investigated the beliefs the teachers have formed about pronunciation focused areas and classroom practices in teaching English pronunciation. Data were collected through actual classroom observations and semi-structured interviews with the teachers and students. The findings of the study found that ESL teachers seem to believe that pronunciation skills are to be taught integratedly with other English language skills. Results also indicate a discrepancy between these teachers’ beliefs on the focused areas of pronunciation and the stated curriculum specifications.  Additionally, the ESL teachers seem to have vague and contradictory beliefs about pronunciation focused areas. These beliefs are based on their previous language learning and professional experience as well as other contextual factors such as examination demands and time constraints. As a result, these beliefs lead to the pronunciation component being neglected despite it being stipulated by the curriculum.

BALL (Blogs Assisted Language Learning: Are Malaysian Secondary School Students Prepared to Use Blogs in ESL Learning?

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Zurainee Ariffin

2014-10-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to find out second language learners' perceptions on the use of blogs in their learning process. Participants were 20 secondary school students from a suburban school in Kelantan, Malaysia. The students read articles, discussed in their respective groups and posted their comments in their group blogs in two kinds of learning environment; being supervised face-to-face and virtually.  A survey and also oral interview were administered to elicit participants' perceptions on the use of blogs. The results showed that although the incorporation of blogs in ESL learning were perceived positively among the learners, teachers need to be aware of several factors affect the effectiveness of using this technology in their teaching such as students’ gender, personality and learning preferences.  This paper also provides some pedagogical implications in the use of blogs for ESL learning.

Exploring ESL Teacher Beliefs and Classroom Practices of CLT: A Case Study

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Rahman, Mohammad Mosiur; Singh, Manjet Kaur Mehar; Pandian, Ambigapathy

2018-01-01

This paper presents a case study that investigated and compared the stated beliefs and observed classroom practices relating to Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) of two ESL teachers. The findings of the study revealed that both the teachers hold similar complex beliefs that mostly contradict the philosophy of CLT. The practices were not in…

Feedback from the Field: What Novice PreK-12 ESL Teachers Want to Tell TESOL Teacher Educators

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Baecher, Laura

2012-01-01

Programs in the United States that certify PreK-12 teachers in English as a second language (ESL) must meet high and consistent standards in their preservice preparation. However, there is little empirical evidence on the degree to which such preparation actually meets the needs of teachers once they begin their careers. Teaching English to…

Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A Case Study of ESL Teacher Educator

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Liu, Siping

2013-01-01

This single-case study focuses on the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of a university faculty member teaching Second Language Acquisition to elementary teacher candidates. The research questions address the pattern and development of PCK for ESL teaching. Based on data from classroom observation, interviews and document review, the study finds…

Investigating Nigerian primary school teachers’ preparedness to adopt personal response system in ESL classroom

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Alaba Olaoluwakotansibe Agbatogun

2012-03-01

Full Text Available This study investigated the extent to which computer literacy dimensions (computer general knowledge, documents and documentations, communication and surfing as well as data inquiry, computer use and academic qualification as independent variables predicted primary school teachers’ attitude towards the integration of Personal Response System in English as a second language (ESL classroom. Seventeen (17 Nigerian primary school teachers trained on why and how to effectively use Personal Response System (PRS in ESL classrooms was the sample for the study. Data for the study were gathered through the use of Clickers Attitude Questionnaire (CAQ, Teachers’ Computer Literacy Questionnaire (TCLQ and Computer Use Questionnaire (CUQ. Descriptive statistics such as simple percentage, mean and standard deviation, and inferential statistics such as Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient, and Multiple regression were used for data analysis at 0.05 significance level. The results show that the teachers’ computer literacy was more in the areas of documents and documentation as well as communication and surfing than in general knowledge and data inquiry. Further findings of the study indicated that general computer knowledge, documents and documentation, communication and surfing, and data inquiry combined to contribute to the prediction of teachers’ attitude towards the integration of PRS. Relatively, documents and documentation dimension was the potent predictor, while data inquiry was not a significant predictor of the outcome variable. Similarly, computer use, computer literacy and academic qualification jointly contributed to the prediction of the teachers’ attitude towards the integration of PRS in ESL classroom. Meanwhile, computer use made the most significant contribution to the prediction of teachers’ attitude towards PRS integration, while academic qualification did not make any significant contribution to the teachers’ attitude

Investigating Nigerian Primary School Teachers’ Preparedness to Adopt Personal Response System in ESL Classroom

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Alaba Olaoluwakotansibe Agbatogun

2012-03-01

Full Text Available This study investigated the extent to which computer literacy dimensions (computer general knowledge, documents and documentations, communication and surfing as well as data inquiry, computer use and academic qualification as independent variables predicted primary school teachers’ attitude towards the integration of Personal Response System in English as a second language (ESL classroom. Seventeen (17 Nigerian primary school teachers trained on why and how to effectively use Personal Response System (PRS in ESL classrooms was the sample for the study. Data for the studywere gathered through the use of Clickers Attitude Questionnaire (CAQ, Teachers’ Computer Literacy Questionnaire (TCLQ and Computer Use Questionnaire (CUQ. Descriptive statistics such as simplepercentage, mean and standard deviation, and inferential statistics such as Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient, and Multiple regression were used for data analysis at 0.05 significance level.The results show that the teachers’ computer literacy was more in the areas of documents and documentation as well as communication and surfing than in general knowledge and data inquiry. Further findings of the study indicated that general computer knowledge, documents anddocumentation, communication and surfing, and data inquiry combined to contribute to the prediction of teachers’ attitude towards the integration of PRS. Relatively, documents and documentation dimension was the potent predictor, while data inquiry was not a significant predictor of the outcome variable. Similarly, computer use, computer literacy and academic qualification jointly contributed to the prediction of the teachers’ attitude towards the integration of PRS in ESL classroom. Meanwhile, computer use made the most significant contribution to the prediction of teachers’ attitude towards PRS integration, while academic qualification did not make any significantcontribution to the teachers’ attitude

Mainstream Teacher Candidates' Perspectives on ESL Writing: The Effects of Writer Identity and Rater Background

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Kang, Hyun-Sook; Veitch, Hillary

2017-01-01

This study explored the extent to which the ethnic identity of a writer and the background (gender and area of teaching) of a rater can influence mainstream teacher candidates' evaluation of English as a second language (ESL) writing, using a matched-guise method. A one-page essay was elicited from an ESL learner enrolled in an intensive English…

Arab ESL Secondary School Students' Spelling Errors

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Al-Sobhi, Bandar Mohammad Saeed; Rashid, Sabariah Md; Abdullah, Ain Nadzimah; Darmi, Ramiza

2017-01-01

English spelling has always been described by many language researchers and teachers as a daunting task especially for learners whose first language is not English. Accordingly, Arab ESL learners commit serious errors when they spell out English words. The primary objective of this paper is to determine the types as well as the causes of spelling…

Factors Inhibiting ESL Learners from Passing California High School Exit Examination: A Narrative Inquiry

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Puente, Belinda

2017-01-01

The problem was that Hispanic English Second Language (ESL) students enrolled in the ESL program had consistently failed the California High School Exit Examination (CASHEE) in greater numbers than their cohorts. The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry was to explore the life stories of Hispanic ESL students in identifying the factors…

Developing Reading Comprehension Modules to Facilitate Reading Comprehension among Malaysian Secondary School ESL Students

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Javed, Muhammad; Eng, Lin Siew; Mohamed, Abdul Rashid

2015-01-01

The study aims to develop a set of 6 Reading Comprehension Modules (RCMs) for Malaysian ESL teachers to facilitate different reading abilities of ESL students effectively. Different skill categories were selected for developing the RCMs. This article describes how and why diverse texts of varying length were adopted and adapted from various…

Enhancing the Impact of Evidence-Based Publications on K-12 ESL Teacher Practices

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Abbott, Marilyn L.; Lee, Kent; Rossiter, Marian J.

2017-01-01

The reading of current research-informed publications is an essential component of teacher professional development that has the potential to lead to or reinforce the implementation of effective instructional practices. To our knowledge, no studies have examined kindergarten to grade 12 (K-12) ESL teacher engagement in professional reading related…

ESL participation as a mechanism for advancing health literacy in immigrant communities.

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Santos, Maricel G; Handley, Margaret A; Omark, Karin; Schillinger, Dean

2014-01-01

A reliance on the conceptualization of health literacy as functional skill has limited researchers' views of the adult English-as-a-second-language (ESL) context as a site for health literacy interventions. To explore the contributions of alternative views of literacy as social practice to health literacy research, the authors examined teacher survey data and learner outcomes data collected as part of a multiyear collaboration involving the California Diabetes Program, university researchers, and adult ESL teachers. The survey results (n=144 teachers) indicated that ESL teachers frequently model effective pedagogical practices that mediate social interaction around health content, the basis for acquiring new literacy skills and practices. In the classroom pilot (n=116 learners), the majority of learners reported they had learned about diabetes risk factors and prevention strategies, which affirmed existing healthy behaviors or prompted revision of unhealthy ones. About two thirds of the learners reported sharing preventive health content with members of out-of-school social networks. This study represents a first step in research efforts to account more fully for the mechanisms by which social interaction and social support facilitate health literacy outcomes in ESL contexts, which should complement what is already known about the development of health literacy as functional skill.

ESL and Content Area Teacher Responses to Discussions on English Language Learner Instruction

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Pawan, Faridah; Craig, Daniel A.

2011-01-01

The current study compares the responses and statements of English as a second language (ESL) and content area teachers in discussions about the instruction of English language learners (ELLs). A study on how these two sets of teachers understand the field is important because commonalities and differences in their opinions may have an impact on…

Teachers' Perceptions about Grammar Teaching

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Thu, Tran Hoang

2009-01-01

This study investigates English as a second language (ESL) teachers' beliefs in grammar teaching. A 32-item questionnaire was administered to 11 ESL teachers in a language school in California. The results show that the participants generally believe that the formal study of grammar is essential to the eventual mastery of a foreign or second…

Challenging Inquiry and Building Community: Analyzing ESL and Bilingual Teachers' Narratives

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Musanti, Sandra I.

2017-01-01

The study explores English as a second language (ESL) and bilingual teachers' narratives within a learning community as they collectively engage in reflecting on practices to more effectively support English learners. This longitudinal qualitative study integrates narrative inquiry approach and critical incident methodology. Participants were…

Do Adult ESL Learners' and Their Teachers' Goals for Improving Grammar in Writing Correspond?

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Zhou, Ally A.; Busch, Michael; Cumming, Alister

2014-01-01

Recent research has identified certain goals of adult second language (L2) learners and their teachers for writing instruction in English as a second language (ESL), yet questions remain as to whether students' and teachers' goals correspond in ways that achieve instructional objectives and facilitate L2 development. The present study compared L2…

Malaysian Tertiary Level ESL Students’ Perceptions toward Teacher Feedback, Peer Feedback and Self-assessment in their Writing

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Kayatri Vasu

2016-09-01

Full Text Available In Malaysia, teacher feedback is highly preferred by students, who often believe that teachers know best. Teacher feedback shows them their teacher’s idea of an ideal writing. However, excessive dependence on teachers adds to their workload. Therefore, teachers are increasingly promoting two other alternative methods that are gradually gaining importance. These methods are peer feedback and self-assessment. This study investigates ESL students’ perceptions toward teacher feedback, peer feedback and self-assessment in students’ writing process. Questionnaires, adapted from the instruments in the literature, were administered to 107 randomly selected students in a private local university in Malaysia. Students found feedback given to the content and organization of their writing more useful than feedback provided for their vocabulary and grammar. It was also found that students perceived feedback from teacher, peers and self-assessment all as highly useful. Additionally the results indicated while there was no significant difference (p > .05 between the students’ perceptions toward teacher feedback and self-assessment, they were both perceived as significantly more useful (p < .001 than peer feedback. The students also perceived explicit feedback as significantly more useful (p < .001 than implicit feedback. The results of this study have implications for English language learning-teaching practitioners and researchers. They shed light on the options preferred by students in revising their writing in ESL writing classrooms. Future research on the effects of teacher feedback, peer feedback and self-assessment on students’ writing performance will provide better insight on the preferred methods in ESL writing classrooms in similar settings.

Teaching materials and the roles of EFL/ESL teachers practice and theory

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McGrath, Ian

2013-01-01

Teaching Materials and the Roles of EFL/ESL Teachers is published amidst a decade long increase in academic publications and training courses concerned with the evaluation and design of English language teaching materials. It is timely to consider what effect the advice on offer has had on teachers' practice. Are teachers evaluating materials carefully, using textbooks in the ways expected by textbook writers, developing their own materials, and mediating between materials and learners in the ways advised in the professional literature? The book explores these issues from a variety of

The discourse of causal explanations in school science

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Slater, Tammy Jayne Anne

Researchers and educators working from a systemic functional linguistic perspective have provided a body of work on science discourse which offers an excellent starting point for examining the linguistic aspects of the development of causal discourse in school science, discourse which Derewianka (1995) claimed is critical to success in secondary school. No work has yet described the development of causal language by identifying the linguistic features present in oral discourse or by comparing the causal discourse of native and non-native (ESL) speakers of English. The current research responds to this gap by examining the oral discourse collected from ESL and non-ESL students at the primary and high school grades. Specifically, it asks the following questions: (1) How do the teachers and students in these four contexts develop causal explanations and their relevant taxonomies through classroom interactions? (2) What are the causal discourse features being used by the students in these four contexts to construct oral causal explanations? The findings of the social practice analysis showed that the teachers in the four contexts differed in their approaches to teaching, with the primary school mainstream teacher focusing largely on the hands-on practice , the primary school ESL teacher moving from practice to theory, the high school mainstream teacher moving from theory to practice, and the high school ESL teacher relying primarily on theory. The findings from the quantitative, small corpus approach suggest that the developmental path of cause which has been identified in the writing of experts shows up not only in written texts but also in the oral texts which learners construct. Moreover, this move appears when the discourse of high school ESL and non-ESL students is compared, suggesting a developmental progression in the acquisition of these features by these students. The findings also reveal that the knowledge constructed, as shown by the concept maps created

Understanding Teachers' Pedagogical Knowledge In ESL Vocabulary Teaching

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Maizatulliza Muhamad

2018-02-01

Full Text Available In communicative language teaching classrooms, one of the main emphases is on students’ ability to use the target language for real life purposes. To achieve this goal, teachers may have to ensure that students have adequate vocabulary to express their feelings and ideas. Previous research on vocabulary teaching and learning tends to be quantitative in nature focusing on testing the effectiveness of some techniques. This research study however, is an attempt to understand teachers’ pedagogical systems that influence their practice in actual classroom interactions during vocabulary teaching and learning. In-depth interviews and classroom observations with two experienced Malaysian ESL teachers were conducted. The interviews highlighted the teachers’ beliefs as well as challenges they faced with regards to vocabulary teaching and learning. The classroom observations revealed that their practice was very much a reflection of their own beliefs, based on their own experience as students as well as teachers. The results of this study showcased the fact that teachers operate within the spectrum of their pedagogical knowledge.

Teaching for Diversity: Addressing Diversity Issues in Responsive ESL Instruction

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Fu, Jing

2013-01-01

Student diversity has become a typical phenomenon in American public schools. The impact of increasing diversity on literacy instruction is unchallenged. Teachers reinforce this message by often citing ESL student diversity as a barrier for literacy teaching. In order to better understand the complexity of diversity issues, I explored two ESL…

Meeting the Needs of High School Science Teachers in English Language Learner Instruction

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Cho, Seonhee; McDonnough, Jacqueline T.

2009-08-01

This survey study explored high school science teachers’ challenges and needs specific to their growing English language learning (ELL) student population. Thirty-three science teachers from 6 English as a Second language (ESL)-center high schools in central Virginia participated in the survey. Issues surveyed were (a) strategies used by science teachers to accommodate ELL students’ special needs, (b) challenges they experienced, and (c) support and training necessary for effective ELL instruction. Results suggest that language barriers as well as ELL students’ lack of science foundational knowledge challenged teachers most. Teachers perceived that appropriate instructional materials and pedagogical training was most needed. The findings have implications for science teacher preservice and inservice education in regard to working with language minority students.

Academic achievement and course taking among language minority youth in U.S. schools: Effects of ESL placement.

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Callahan, Rebecca; Wilkinson, Lindsey; Muller, Chandra

2010-03-01

The 1974 Lau decision requires that U.S. public schools ensure a meaningful education for students learning English. English as a Second Language (ESL) placement is an institutional response to the linguistic needs of these students; however, its academic implications remain largely unexplored. Using nationally representative data from the Educational Longitudinal Study (ELS), the effects of ESL placement on college preparatory course enrollment and academic achievement of language minority students are estimated, first with fixed effects regression models and then with multi-level propensity score matching techniques. While numerous school and individual level factors beyond language proficiency predict ESL placement, a significant negative estimated effect of ESL placement on science enrollment and cumulative GPA is consistently found. Perhaps more important, however, no positive effects of ESL placement on the achievement of language minority youth are found when accounting for English proficiency and other potential covariates.

ESL Mentoring for Secondary Rural Educators: Math and Science Teachers Become Second Language Specialists through Collaboration

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Hansen-Thomas, Holly; Grosso Richins, Liliana

2015-01-01

This article draws on data from the capstone graduate course in a specially designed professional development program for rural math and science teachers that describes how participant teachers translated their newly acquired knowledge about English as a second language (ESL) into a mentoring experience for their rural content specialist peers.…

Becoming "Local" in ESL: Racism as Resource in a Hawai'i Public High School

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Talmy, Steven

2010-01-01

Drawn from a 2.5 year critical ethnography in the ESL program of a Hawai'i public high school (Tradewinds High), this article examines racializing and racist conduct directed at Micronesian students by a group of old-timer ESL students, primarily of East/Southeast Asian inheritance. Racialization and racism directed at Micronesians positioned them…

Hidden Losses: How Demographics Can Encourage Incorrect Assumptions about ESL High School Students' Success

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Toohey, Kelleen; Derwing, Tracey M.

2008-01-01

Data from ESL students' records in Vancouver are examined in the light of the BC Ministry of Education's claim that ESL high school students are more successful than students whose first language is English. We argue that the academic achievement of well-to-do students whose parents are skilled workers or entrepreneurs may mask the completion…

ESL TEACHER CANDIDATES' PERCEPTIONS OF STRENGTHS AND INADEQUACIES OF INSTRUCTING CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY DIVERSE STUDENTS: POST CLINICAL EXPERIENCE.

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Wong, Chiu-Yin; Indiatsi, John; Wong, Gary K W

2016-01-01

The present case study examined English as a second language (ESL) teacher candidates' views on their preparedness on instructing culturally and linguistically diverse students. A survey was administrated to a group of ESL teacher candidates at the end of the training program. Results revealed that although the participants received training in culture and instructional strategies, lacking adequate knowledge in students' diverse cultures and languages was reported as a major challenge. Personality traits and knowing specific strategies are reported as their strengths. However, there is a mismatch between the data gathered from the self-ranking component and the open-ended questions. Implications and suggestions are discussed.

Adult ESL Education in the US

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Eyring, Janet L.

2014-01-01

This article discusses the state of the art in the field of "adult ESL" in the US. It identifies the size, characteristics, and settings of adult education and discusses relevant professional standards, assessment procedures, and teacher preparation. Three approaches to noncredit adult ESL education will be presented (Functional…

Placement, Progress, and Promotion: ESL Assessment in California's Adult Schools

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Gonzalves, Lisa

2017-01-01

In California adult schools, standardized language assessments are typically administered to adult English as a second language (ESL) students upon enrollment; students then take these same state-approved tests throughout the academic year to demonstrate progress. As these tests assess only listening and reading skills, schools may use their own…

Success with ELLs: Writing in the ESL Classroom--Confessions of a Guilty Teacher

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DelliCarpini, Margo, Ed.; Adams, Susan R.

2009-01-01

When the author first started teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) students, she was incredibly naive about the second language acquisition process. One of the first moves she made was to look at the Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) goals, and she began to think about the purposes and situations in which her…

Professionalization and Exclusion in ESL Teaching

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Breshears, Sherry

2004-01-01

As ESL/EFL teachers, how do we fit into the spectrum between unskilled workers and highly trained professionals? This article examines three features of the traditional professions and applies them to the ESL/EFL context. It considers problems with the lack of mandatory standardized certification, critically assesses attachment to the university,…

Points of Departure: Developing the Knowledge Base of ESL and FSL Teachers for K-12 Programs in Canada

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Faez, Farahnaz

2011-01-01

In this paper I examine similarities and differences between the required knowledge base of teachers of English as a second language (ESL) and French as a second language (FSL) for teaching in Kindergarten through Grade 12 programs in Canada. Drawing on knowledge base frameworks in language teacher education (Freeman and Johnson, 1998; Richards,…

Observing the interactive qualities of L2 instructional practices in ESL and FSL classrooms

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Michael Zuniga

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Discourse features that promote the generation of interactionally modified input and output, such as negotiation for meaning, have been shown to significantly enhance second language acquisition. Research has also identified several characteristics of instructional practices that render them more or less propitious to the generation of these discourse features. While various classroom observation studies have successfully measured the communicative orientation of classroom environments, most of the indicators of interactivity analyzed in those studies were obtained through micro-level discourse analyses and not through macro-level analyses of task-related factors shown to directly influence the interactivity of instructional practices. Such a macro-level scale has potential practical implications for teachers and administrators seeking an efficient tool for assessing and improving the interactivity afforded by a given curriculum. The objective of the present study was therefore to develop macro-level scale to determine the extent to which teachers of French and English as a second language use interaction-friendly instructional practices. Using an observation scheme designed to code data on factors shown to influence interactivity, 63 hours of FSL and ESL classes from secondary schools in the Montreal area were observed and analyzed. Results indicate clear differences between the two groups. While both ESL and FSL classes were less teacher-centered than those observed in previous studies, they were still rated as not-very-interactive. Target language differences showed that the FSL classes were more teacher-centered and characterized by fewer interaction-friendly tasks and activities than the ESL classes. Task characteristics, reasons for ESL and FSL differences and recommendations for improvement are discussed.

Teaching and learning grade 7 science concepts by elaborate analogies: Mainstream and East and South Asian ESL students' experiences

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Kim, Judy Joo-Hyun

This study explored the effectiveness of an instructional tool, elaborate analogy, in teaching the particle theory to both Grade 7 mainstream and East or South Asian ESL students. Ten Grade 7 science classes from five different schools in a large school district in the Greater Toronto area participated. Each of the ten classes were designated as either Group X or Y. Using a quasi-experimental counterbalanced design, Group X students were taught one science unit using the elaborate analogies, while Group Y students were taught by their teachers' usual methods of teaching. The instructional methods used for Group X and Y were interchanged for the subsequent science unit. Quantitative data were collected from 95 students (50 mainstream and 45 ESL) by means of a posttest and a follow-up test for each of the units. When the differences between mainstream and East or South Asian ESL students were analyzed, the results indicate that both groups scored higher on the posttests when they were instructed with elaborate analogies, and that the difference between the two groups was not significant. That is, the ESL students, as well as the mainstream students, benefited academically when they were instructed with the elaborate analogies. The students obtained higher inferential scores on the posttest when their teacher connected the features of less familiar and more abstract scientific concepts to the features of the familiar and easy-to-visualize concept of school dances. However, after two months, the students were unable to recall inferential content knowledge. This is perhaps due to the lack of opportunity for the students to represent and test their initial mental models. Rather than merely employing elaborate analogies, perhaps, science teachers can supplement the use of elaborate analogies with explicit guidance in helping students to represent and test the coherence of their mental models.

The impact of teachers' limited english proficiency on english second language learners in South African schools

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Norma Nel

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The importance of the role of language in teacher education programmes and in children's learning is crucial. This study focuses on the use of English as the language of learning and teaching and its impact on the language development of English second language (ESL student teachers and ESL learners. Against the background of major theories in second language (L2 acquisition and learning, this topic is contextualized within the South African education system. An empirical inquiry was carried out in which portfolios (evidence of practical teaching including lesson plans and learners' work submitted by final year student teachers enrolled at a large distance teaching university for the Advanced Certificate in Education: Inclusive Education were scrutinised. A comparison of teacher and learner written errors was made. Based on the findings, a questionnaire was designed to determine the extent of the impact of teachers' limited English proficiency on learners' English proficiency. The findings of the questionnaire responses are presented. Recommendations are made on how student teachers can improve their teaching practice to ensure quality ESL teacher input and ESL learner performance.

Principals' Leadership Styles and ESL Teachers' Job Satisfaction

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Jackson, K. A'jaydin

2013-01-01

The purpose of this research study was to examine principals' leadership styles and how and what extent it impacted teachers' job satisfaction. Principals' leadership styles were examined by middle and high school teachers' perceptions. This study drew from 10 middle and 10 high schools in a large school district located in Texas. Participants…

Balancing Act: Addressing Culture and Gender in ESL Classrooms

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Johnson, Michelle A.; Chang, Debbie

2012-01-01

ESL educators find themselves teaching a diverse group of students in today's classroom. This study investigated how ESL instructors address diversity in their teaching. The literature review revealed research on the experiences of teachers using culturally responsive teaching strategies. Using qualitative research methods, this study explores the…

Complex Text in ESL Grammar Textbooks: Barriers or Gateways?

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Lesikin, Joan

2000-01-01

Suggests that English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) teachers assess prospective textbooks by comparing real-life user's actual knowledge of the author's assumed student knowledge. Through examination of charts and page excerpts of two ESL grammar textbooks, demonstrates that access to the pedagogical knowledge demands sophisticated formal knowledge,…

Ethical Issues in Addressing Inequity in/through ESL Research

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Lee, Ena

2011-01-01

This article outlines a researcher's struggles with conducting "ethical" research when her case study reveals racializations faced by a minority teacher in a Canadian ESL program. How might becoming privy to research participants' experiences of inequity in ESL education complicate the notion of research ethics when "doing the right…

"Does a Spider Have Fur"?: A Teacher's Journey in Building the Confidence to Blend the English Language Learning of ESL Students with Inquiry-Based Science

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Zeegers, Yvonne; McKinnon, Heather

2012-01-01

This paper describes one aspect of an ESL teacher's journey, in which her voluntary involvement in a series of science-based professional learning events inspired her to use language-based objectives to develop and teach an integrated unit of work with ESL students. Her willingness to modify her usual pedagogical practice and the inspiration she…

Differences in Perceived Approaches to Learning and Teaching English in Hong Kong Secondary Schools

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Mak, Barley; Chik, Pakey

2011-01-01

This paper investigates differences in approaches to learning and teaching English as a second language (ESL) as reported by 324 mixed-ability Grade 7 Hong Kong ESL students and 37 ESL secondary school teachers with different backgrounds. Information about participants' perceived approaches to learning/teaching English were collected through a…

ESL Instruction and Adults with Learning Disabilities. ERIC Digest.

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Schwarz, Robin; Terrill, Lynda

This digest reviews what is known about adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) learners and learning disabilities, suggests ways to identify and assess ESL adults who may have learning disabilities, and offers practical methods for both instruction and teacher training. Topics covered in some detail include identifying and diagnosing learning…

Re-Examining Teacher Translanguaging: An Ecological Perspective

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Allard, Elaine C.

2017-01-01

A growing body of recent scholarship has demonstrated that translanguaging is a natural and characteristic practice of bilinguals that also has great promise as a pedagogical tool. This ethnographic study examines the use of translanguaging by two teachers in a suburban high school ESL program. There, teacher translanguaging played an important…

A Pedagogical Framework for Technology Integration in ESL Classrooms: The Promises and Challenges of Integration

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Yang, Sha; Walker, Victoria

2015-01-01

Technologies have the potential to support language teaching and learning, but English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers in the United States (U.S.) either sparingly use technologies for instruction or use them at low level. Although previous research has indicated some promises and challenges faced by U.S. ESL teachers with integrating…

The Short Circuit Hypothesis of ESL Reading--Or when Language Competence Interferes with Reading Performance.

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Clarke, Mark A.

1980-01-01

Examines a sampling of current ESL reading instruction practices, addressing the concern that the lack of a generally accepted theory of L2 reading constitutes a major obstacle to teaching and testing ESL reading skills. Summarizes the results of two studies and discusses their implications for ESL teachers. (MES)

English Language Learners in Canadian Schools: Emerging Directions for School-Based Policies

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Cummins, Jim; Mirza, Rania; Stille, Saskia

2012-01-01

This article attempts to provide ESL teachers, school administrators, and policymakers with a concise overview of what matters in promoting academic success among learners of English in Canadian schools. We review research focused on bilingual and biliteracy development, the nature of academic language, and the roles of societal power relations…

Reaching teen farm workers with health and safety information: an evaluation of a high school ESL curriculum.

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Teran, S; Strochlic, R; Bush, D; Baker, R; Meyers, J

2008-04-01

While childhood agricultural injury has long been recognized as an important public health issue, most research has focused on family farms and there have not been many interventions targeting hired youth. This study evaluated the impact of a high school English as a Second Language (ESL) curriculum, designed to provide teen agricultural workers with the knowledge and tools to protect their health and safety in the fields. Using a quasi-experimental design, the research consisted of two intervention groups and a comparison group, and included over 2,000 students from communities that lead California in agricultural production. The research findings revealed that the curriculum had significant impact in terms of increases in knowledge and attitudes, and nearly half of those interviewed after a summer of working in the fields reported implementing new behaviors to protect their health and safety. The curriculum also had extended effects in the broader community, as the majority of students reported sharing the new information with others. The study found that a school-based ESL curriculum is an effective intervention to reach and educate teen farm workers and that ESL classes can serve as a much-needed access point for young farm workers.

Investigating Nigerian Primary School Teachers' Preparedness to Adopt Personal Response System in ESL Classroom

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Agbatogun, Alaba Olaoluwakotansibe

2012-01-01

This study investigated the extent to which computer literacy dimensions (computer general knowledge, documents and documentations, communication and surfing as well as data inquiry), computer use and academic qualification as independent variables predicted primary school teachers' attitude towards the integration of Personal Response System in…

Go East, Young Teacher!

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Lucenta, Lindsey

2011-01-01

Because China is the world's fastest growing economy, the Chinese school system has a huge demand for English teachers at all levels. Teaching English as a second language (ESL) offers a plethora of benefits, such as developing a more critical approach to cultural understanding, more opportunities for travel, overseas experience during a time of…

Teacher Education that Works: Preparing Secondary-Level Math and Science Teachers for Success with English Language Learners Through Content-Based Instruction

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Margo Elisabeth DelliCarpini

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Little research exists on effective ways to prepare secondary mathematics and science teachers to work with English language learners (ELLs in mainstream mathematics and science (subsequently referred to as STEM classrooms. Given the achievement gap that exists between ELLs and their native-speaking counterparts in STEM subjects, as well as the growing numbers of ELLs in US schools, this becomes a critical issue, as academic success for these students depends on the effectiveness of instruction they receive not only in English as a second language classes (ESL, but in mainstream classrooms as well. This article reports on the effects of a program restructuring that implemented coursework specifically designed to prepare pre-service and in-service mathematics, science, and ESL teachers to work with ELLs in their content and ESL classrooms through collaboration between mainstream STEM and ESL teachers, as well as effective content and language integration. We present findings on teachers’ attitudes and current practices related to the inclusion of ELLs in the secondary-level content classroom and their current level of knowledge and skills in collaborative practice. We further describe the rationale behind the development of the course, provide a description of the course and its requirements as they changed throughout its implementation during two semesters, and present findings from the participants enrolled. Additionally, we discuss the lessons learned; researchers’ innovative approaches to implementation of content-based instruction (CBI and teacher collaboration, which we term two-way CBI (DelliCarpini & Alonso, 2013; and implications for teacher education programs.

Teaching More Than English: Connecting ESL Students to Their Community through Service Learning

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Russell, Natalie M.

2007-01-01

Language and cultural differences often cause English as a second language (ESL) students to feel alienated from their school and their community. As a result, they tend to make friends primarily within their own ESL classes and avoid interacting with mainstream students and getting involved in school activities. This article describes how…

Technology in Teacher Education: Developing Online Teacher Education Programs Tecnología en formación de docentes: Desarrollo de programas en línea para la formación de docentes

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Khalil Motallebzadeh

2005-10-01

Full Text Available Many ESL/EFL teachers in the Middle East and Central Asia find themselves isolated not only geographically but also professionally from ESL colleagues. They often teach at rural schools where, in some cases, they are the only ESL teachers in the school or even district. These teachers, unlike their counterparts in large urban settings and developed countries, have fewer avenues for obtaining advice, sharing experiences, or finding collegial support. To help such teachers (as well as many novice teachers or even teacher trainees, the most inexpensive and easy-to-do method seems to be to develop a professional online ESL network. This paper, which is part of a study conducted in Iran in 2002, discusses the major considerations and problems one may find developing an online program.Muchos docentes de inglés como segunda lengua o como lengua extranjera en el Medio Oeste y Asia Central se hallan apartados, no sólo geográfica sino también profesionalmente de otros colegas. Usualmente enseñan en escuelas rurales donde, en algunos casos, son los únicos maestros de inglés de la escuela e incluso del distrito. Estos docentes, a diferencia de sus homólogos de grandes contextos urbanos y países desarrollados, tienen menos oportunidades de obtener consejo, compartir experiencias o encontrar apoyo. Para ayudar a esos docentes, principiantes e incluso educadores de maestros, la manera más económica y fácil es desarrollar una red profesional de enseñanza del inglés como segunda lengua. Este artículo hace parte de un estudio realizado en Irán en el año 2002 y discute las consideraciones y problemas más importantes que se pueden hallar al desarrollar un programa en línea.

Smartphones Promote Autonomous Learning in ESL Classrooms

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Viji Ramamuruthy

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The rapid development of high-technology has caused new inventions of gadgets for all walks of life regardless age. In this rapidly advancing technology era many individuals possess hi-tech gadgets such as laptops, tablets, iPad, android phones and smart phones. Adult learners in higher learning institution especially are fond of using smart phones. Students become passive in the classrooms as they are glued to their smart phones. This situation triggers the question of whether learning really takes place while the students are too engaged with their smart phones in the ESL classroom. In this context, the following questions are framed to investigate this issue: What type of learning skills are gained by using smartphones in ESL classrooms? Does smartphone use promote the autonomous learning process? To what extent do learners rely on the lecturers in addition to the usage of smartphones? What are the learning satisfactions gained by ESL learners using smartphones? A total of 70 smartphone users in the age range 18 to 26 years participated in this quantitative study. Questionnaires eliciting demographic details of the respondents, learning skills, learning satisfaction, students' perception on teacher's role in the ESL classroom and autonomous learning were distributed to all the randomly chosen samples. The data were then analyzed by using SPSS version 16. The findings revealed that smartphone use boosted learners’ critical thinking, creative thinking, communication and collaboration skills. In fact, learners gain great satisfaction in the learning process through smartphones. Although learners have moved toward autonomous learning, they are still reliant on the teachers to achieve their learning goals.

Critique of a language enrichment programme for Grade 4 ESL learners with limited English proficiency: a pilot study

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Mirna Neli

2008-05-01

Full Text Available Some Grade 4 educators have expressed feelings of ineptitude regarding the support of ESL (English Second Language learners with limited English proficiency as they do not know how to support these learners effectively. Their litany emphasises ESL educators' need for supportive and preventive intervention. A Story-based Language Enrichment Programme (SLEP was compiled to suit the needs of educators teaching Grade 4 ESL learners with limited English proficiency. The programme was designed to maintain or improve the English proficiency of ESL learners. An intervention research method was followed to test the efficacy of SLEP. Forty teachers implemented SLEP over a six-week period. Thirty-nine teachers provided constructive feedback at the end of this period. Between 92% and 100% of the participants rated SLEP positively. Rural participants suggested some refinements to the programme. The overall conclusion was that SLEP makes a useful contribution to ESL practice.

Grammatical competence of ESL teachers

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Mafisa, Palesa J.

2002-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this article is to report on a study investigating the grammatical competence of English Second Language teachers in secondary schools. This study came about as a result of the widespread concern that these teachers may not always be competent enough in English. We determined the teachers’ familiarity with standard English grammar as well as their acceptance of Black South African English features. The findings indicate that teachers had problems with the grammatical structures tested and accepted some Black South African English grammatical features as correct usage. Die doel van hierdie artikel is om verslag te doen oor ‘n studie wat die grammatikale vermoë van onderwysers van Engels Tweedetaal-onderwysers in sekondêre skole gemeet het. Die studie is gedoen na aanleiding van ‘n wydverspreide besorgdheid dat onderwysers van Engels nie altyd vaardig genoeg in Engels is nie. Ons het die onderwysers se bekendheid met standaard-Engels grammatika vasgestel asook hul aanvaarding van Swart Suid-Afrikaanse Engelse grammatikale verskynsels. Die bevindinge dui aan dat onderwysers probleme het met die grammatikale strukture wat getoets is en dat hulle sekere Swart Suid-Afrikaanse Engelse grammatikale verskynsels as korrek aanvaar.

FAR FROM THE CITY LIGHTS: ENGLISH READING PERFORMANCE OF ESL LEARNERS IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF RURAL PRIMARY SCHOOL

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Tintswalo Manyike

2012-09-01

Full Text Available In this paper, the findings of a research study, in which the English reading performances of Grade 7 English Second Language (ESL learners in four different types of rural primary school which use English as the language of learning and teaching (LoLT were observed, are examined and how poor scores can be partly explained by the social context of learners and schools is explored. Although the Language in Education Policy in South Africa seeks to distribute and maintain the linguistic capital of the official languages through its support of multilingualism, the predominant preference for English as the LoLT in schooling disadvantages most ESL learners and perpetuates inequality in learner outcomes. This situation is exacerbated in certain school contexts such as those in rural settings. Bourdieu’s theory of linguistic capital and Coleman’s distinction between school social capital and home social capital are used as theoretical frameworks to the empirical inquiry undertaken in this study. The findings indicate a difference in the grammar and comprehension scores of learners in the respective participating schools as well as a sharp difference in the performance of learners in the different types of school involved. This suggests the current use of English as the LoLT does not mean that linguistic capital is equally distributed throughout schools. School type can thus act as an agent of cultural reproduction which influences learner outcomes.

BRIDGING THE REAL WORLD ENGLISHES IN THE RURAL ESL CLASSROOM THROUGH TRANSLATION

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Nik Zaitun Mohamed

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Translation can play a role in the development of communicative abilities since speakers are often engaged in the work of sharing and negotiating meaning. It fosters speculation and discussion, apart from developing abilities considered fundamental for communication, such as interpretation, negotiation, and expression of meaning. However, there are views against translation in the ESL classrooms even though the method has been applied in the pedagogical process. As a result, ESL students who are weak in English are not given the opportunity to excel in the second language from their own bilingual strength. This paper attempts to study and disclose in what ways pedagogogical translation in rural ESL classrooms in Sabah is reflected into practice, thereby assessing whether the gap between pedagogical translation and translation pedagogy has beeen been bridged. In this case study, five primary teachers were selected and their knowledge and practice of translation were assessed through qualitative content analysis in pre- teaching, while teaching and post-teaching activities. A translation framework has been designed and used in assessing the teachers’ performances in using translation. This pilot study reveals that teachers have translated from the first language (L1 into the second language (L2 as a means to help students to understand the content of the English lesson. They did not have adequate knowedge on translation strategies. Thus, the designed translation framework may be used by teachers as a guide in using translation in the ESL context.

A pilot study: the effects of music therapy interventions on middle school students' ESL skills.

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Kennedy, Roy; Scott, Amanda

2005-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of music therapy techniques on the story retelling and speaking skills of English as a Second Language (ESL) middle school students. Thirty-four middle school students of Hispanic heritage, ages 10-12, in high and low-functioning groups participated in the study for 12 weeks. Pretest to posttest data yielded significant differences on the story retelling skills between the experimental and control groups. Chi Square comparisons on English speaking skills also yielded significant results over 3 months of music therapy intervention. A variety of music therapy techniques were used including music and movement, active music listening, group chanting and singing, musical games, rhythmic training, music and sign language, and lyric analysis and rewrite activities as supplemental activities to the ESL goals and objectives. Comparisons of individual subjects' scores indicated that all of the students in the experimental groups scored higher than the control groups on story retelling skills (with the exception of 1 pair of identical scores), regardless of high and low functioning placement. Monthly comparisons of the high and low functioning experimental groups indicated significant improvements in English speaking skills as well.

Dispatches from Flyover Country: Four Appraisals of Impacts of Trump's Immigration Policy on Families, Schools, and Communities

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Hamann, Edmund T.; Morgenson, Cara

2017-01-01

A university professor and high school ESL teacher, both based in Lincoln Nebraska, each write two short essays that detail implications of the Trump administration immigration policies for students, teachers, schools, and communities. The first two dispatches come from the transition period (after Trump won but while Obama still presided) while…

Community in a Hurry: Social Contracts and Social Covenants in Short-Term ESL Courses

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Martinsen, Rob A.

2009-01-01

Like many adult ESL instructors, the author has felt firsthand the challenges of creating community in short-term courses. Through his experience, he has noticed that in order to successfully build community in short-term ESL courses, teachers need to lay a foundation for social contracts and social covenants from the first day of the course and…

The ESL classroom teaching, critical practice, and community development

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Morgan, Brian D

1998-01-01

Brian Morgan uses his own teaching experience in Canada and China to investigate the complexities of teaching English as a second language to those newly arrived in Canada and to suggest ways of becoming a more effective ESL teacher.

Teaching Students from Other Cultures: An Exploration of Language Teachers' Experiences with Ethnic Minority Students

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Gu, Mingyue

2018-01-01

This article reports on a qualitative study investigating a group of novice ESL teachers' teaching experiences with ethnic minority students in secondary schools in Hong Kong. It finds that, while teachers argue that society has not been tolerant enough of ethnic minorities, they nonetheless believe that ethnic minorities should comply with…

Effectiveness of Music on Vocabulary Acquisition, Language Usage, and Meaning for Mainland Chinese ESL Learners

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Li, Xiangming; Brand, Manny

2009-01-01

Using an experimental approach, this study examined the relative effectiveness of varying the use of songs (lyrics and music) on vocabulary acquisition, language usage, and meaning for adult ESL students in the People's Republic of China. While the use of songs is generally enthusiastically endorsed by ESL teachers, few empirical studies have…

Integrating Social Networking Tools into ESL Writing Classroom: Strengths and Weaknesses

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Yunus, Melor Md; Salehi, Hadi; Chenzi, Chen

2012-01-01

With the rapid development of world and technology, English learning has become more important. Teachers frequently use teacher-centered pedagogy that leads to lack of interaction with students. This paper aims to investigate the advantages and disadvantages of integrating social networking tools into ESL writing classroom and discuss the ways to…

The Interaction of Theory, Philosophy, and Practice in ESL Writing Conferences

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Eckstein, Grant

2013-01-01

TESOL theory is intended to inform teacher practice, but studying what teachers actually do in a given teaching context can sometimes lead to better theory. This report illustrates an area in which practice informed theory in the context of 1-on-1 writing conferences for prematriculated ESL writers. This report describes the creation and…

Authoritative school climate, aggression toward teachers, and teacher distress in middle school.

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Berg, Juliette K; Cornell, Dewey

2016-03-01

Aggression toward teachers is linked to burnout and disengagement from teaching, but a positive school climate may reduce aggression and associated teacher distress. Using authoritative school climate theory, the study examined whether schools with high disciplinary structure and student support were associated with less aggression and less distress. The sample of 9,134 teachers in 389 middle schools came from the Virginia Secondary School Climate Survey, a statewide survey administered to all public schools with 7th and 8th grade enrollment. The majority of teachers (75%) were female. More than half (53%) reported that they had more than 10 years of teaching experience; 23% reported 6 to 10 years; 24% reported 1 to 5 years. Students reported on the degree to which their schools were structured and supportive. Teachers reported on their experiences of aggression by students, their level of distress, and their feelings of safety. Staff-related infractions computed from Department of Education records were also used. Multilevel modeling revealed that teachers in authoritative schools experienced less aggression and felt safer and less distressed. Lower aggression by students mediated the association between more authoritative schools and lower distress such that more structured and supportive schools had greater teacher safety and, in turn, less distress. The findings support the idea that more structured and supportive schools relate to greater safety for teachers and, in turn, less distress. Research limitations and implications for practice are discussed. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS’ TRAINING IN INFORMATION COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY FOR THE ESL CLASSROOMS IN MALAYSIA

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Chan Yuen FOOK

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Today there is sufficient evidence that Information and Communication Technologies (ICT henceforth has a significant influence on the teaching and learning process that takes places in the classroom. Therefore, this study sought to investigate the ESL pre-service teachers’ attitudes, competency and preparation in integrating ICT in their teaching and learning activities. The study employed a quantitative survey method and involved a total of 70 pre-service Teaching English as Second Language (TESL teachers in the Faculty of Education from a public university in Malaysia. These pre-service teachers, who had undergone 12 weeks of practicum teaching in secondary schools, were given a set of questionnaire and the data gathered from the questionnaires were statistically analyzed. The results indicated that the pre-service teachers do possess positive attitudes, moderate level of competency and are adequately prepared in integrating ICT in the classroom. The study also highlighted that the lack of facilities and technical malfunction in schools as the biggest obstacle for the pre-service teachers in their efforts to integrate ICT in the classroom. These result suggested that teachers must be well prepared for ICT use in the classroom. Therefore continuous training and ICT courses should be seen as solution in assisting teachers strengthen their ICT skills and in encouraging them to keep up to date with newer technologies.

English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) nursing student success: a critical review of the literature.

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Olson, Mary Angela

2012-01-01

Many English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) nursing students struggle in nursing school for a multitude of reasons. The purpose of this critical review of the literature is to identify barriers and discover bridges to ESL nursing student success. Twenty-five articles were identified for the review. Language barriers were identified as the single most significant obstacle facing the ESL nursing student. Bridges to ESL nursing student success include enhancing language development and acculturation into the American mainstream culture. A broad range of strategies to promote student success are outlined and the role of the nurse educator in ESL nursing student success is also addressed.

The Knowledge Base of Non-Native English-Speaking Teachers: Perspectives of Teachers and Administrators

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Zhang, Fengjuan; Zhan, Ju

2014-01-01

This study explores the knowledge base of non-native English-speaking teachers (NNESTs) working in the Canadian English as a second language (ESL) context. By examining NNESTs' experiences in seeking employment and teaching ESL in Canada, and investigating ESL program administrators' perceptions and hiring practices in relation to NNESTs, it…

The Effects of Using Multimodal Approaches in Meaning-Making of 21st Century Literacy Texts Among ESL Students in a Private School in Malaysia

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Malini Ganapathy

2016-04-01

Full Text Available In today’s globalised digital era, students are inevitably engaged in various multimodal texts due to their active participation in social media and frequent usage of mobile devices on a daily basis. Such daily activities advocate the need for a transformation in the teaching and learning of ESL lessons in order to promote students’ capabilities in making meaning of different literacy texts which students come across in their ESL learning activities. This paper puts forth the framework of Multimodality in the restructuring of the teaching and learning of ESL with the aim of investigating its effects and students perspectives on the use of multimodal approaches underlying the Multiliteracies theory. Using focus group interviews, this qualitative case study examines the effectiveness of ESL teaching and learning using the Multimodal approaches on literacy in meaning-making among 15 students in a private school in Penang, Malaysia. The results confirm the need to reorientate the teaching and learning of ESL with the focus on multimodal pedagogical practices as it promotes positive learning outcomes among students. The implications of this study suggest that the multimodal approaches integrated in the teaching and learning of ESL have the capacity to promote students’ autonomy in learning, improve motivation to learn and facilitate various learning styles. Keywords: Multimodal Approaches; Multiliteracies; Monomodal; Flipped Classroom; Literacy; Multimodal texts; Ipad

Enablers and Inhibitors to English Language Learners' Research Process in a High School Setting

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Kim, Sung Un

2015-01-01

This researcher sought to examine enablers and inhibitors to English language learner (ELL) students' research process within the framework of Carol C. Kuhlthau's Information Search Process (ISP). At a high school forty-eight ELL students in three classes, an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher, and a biology teacher participated in the…

English as a Second Language and Children’s literature : An empirical study on Swedish elementary school teachers’ methods and attitudes towards the use of children’s literature in the English classroom

OpenAIRE

Englund, Micaela

2016-01-01

Previous research has shown multiple benefits and challenges with the incorporation of children’s literature in the English as a Second language (ESL) classroom. In addition, the use of children’s literature in the lower elementary English classroom is recommended by the Swedish National Agency for Education. Consequently, the current study explores how teachers in Swedish elementary school teach ESL through children’s literature. This empirical study involves English teachers from seven scho...

Storybook Read-Alouds to Enhance Students’ Comprehension Skills in ESL Classrooms: A Case Study

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Ainon Omar

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The effectiveness of using storybooks during read-alouds to develop children’s comprehension skills as well as in understanding the story has been widely studied. The reading aloud strategy has also been proven through numerous researches to be the most highly recommended activity for encouraging language and literacy. The study identified the comprehension strategies used by the teachers during their read-aloud sessions, matched teachers’ current practices using the comprehension strategies to the identified practices for the approach, and obtained the teachers’ perceptions of their current practices of the comprehension strategies during reading aloud in their English language classrooms. The teachers’ comprehension strategies were matched with a research-based strategy for comprehending texts during read-alouds proposed by Whitehurst et al (1994. Three primary school English language teachers teaching in the rural schools participated in this study. Qualitative research methods were used in this study. Primary data was obtained through observations using an observation protocol; while secondary data was obtained through interviews from teachers. Findings from the study revealed that the three teachers employed a few of the comprehension strategies that were proposed by researchers in the field. The findings also indicate that the teachers utilized only the strategies that they thought were relevant to their teaching context and as such, proposed the need to provide teachers with knowledge on the best practices for conducting reading aloud to develop ESL students’ comprehension skills

Working Downstream: A Beginning EL Teacher Negotiating Policy and Practice

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Malsbary, Christine Brigid; Appelgate, Mollie H.

2016-01-01

This case study describes how a beginning teacher struggled to meet her students' needs in an ESL classroom. Her struggle demonstrated the interrelated nature of policy and practice: Policy effects in her school isolated her and made her feel solely responsible for the achievement of her newly arrived English-learning (EL) students. Her case…

Teacher community in elementary charter schools.

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Marisa Cannata

2007-05-01

Full Text Available The organizational context of charter schools may facilitate the formation of a strong teacher community. In particular, a focused school mission and increased control over teacher hiring may lead to stronger teacher professional communities. This paper uses the 1999-2000 Schools and Staffing Survey to compare the level of teacher community in charter public and traditional public schools. It also estimates the effect of various charter policy variables and domains of school autonomy on teacher community. Charter school teachers report higher levels of teacher community than traditional public school teachers do, although this effect is less than one-tenth of a standard deviation and is dwarfed by the effect of a supportive principal, teacher decision-making influence, and school size. Charter public schools authorized by universities showed lower levels of teacher community than those authorized by local school districts. Teachers in charter schools that have flexibility over tenure requirements and the school budget report higher levels of teacher community. This study reveals that charter schools do facilitate the formation of strong teacher communities, although the effect is small. The analysis also suggests that the institutional origin of the charter school and specific areas of policy flexibility may influence teacher community.

Predictors of Teachers' Use of ICT in School--The Relevance of School Characteristics, Teachers' Attitudes and Teacher Collaboration

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Drossel, Kerstin; Eickelmann, Birgit; Gerick, Julia

2017-01-01

This paper is based on the research question of what predictors (school characteristics, teachers' attitudes, teacher collaboration and background characteristics) determine secondary school teachers' frequency of computer use in class. The use of new technologies by secondary school teachers for educational purposes is an important factor…

Preservice Teachers' Developing Conceptions of Teaching English Learners

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Kelly, Laura Beth

2018-01-01

In this study, 12 preservice teachers in a community college English as a second language (ESL) K-12 teacher education program drew pictures and wrote descriptions of teachers teaching English language learners (ELLs) at the beginning and end of an ESL methods course. Using content analysis, the researcher analyzed the drawings and descriptions…

Counting Words: Successful Sentences for Beginning ESL Adult Learners Using the Product Approach

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Gardner, Susanne

2017-01-01

The majority of correctional students of English as a second language (ESL) in Maryland come to school with limited formal education in their first language. Education has not been prioritized, and formal writing ability is absent. It then becomes a challenge to motivate students to successful writing, as is required by the state. ESL students at…

Text-Selection for Teaching Reading to ESL Tertiary Students: A Study on Genre and Content Preferences

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Razanawati Nordin

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Most learners studying English language feel that their educators use irrelevant, uninteresting, and culturally unfamiliar reading materials for teaching reading. As a result, most of them struggle to comprehend the English language texts used by the teachers. Therefore, the aim of this research is to investigate the genre and content preferences of ESL tertiary learners in UiTM Kedah, Malaysia. A two-part questionnaire was administered to 132 respondents aged 20 to 23 years old who are presently furthering their undergraduate studies in Accountancy, Administrative Science and Policy Studies, Business Management, Industrial Design, and Information Management. The results of the study show that these ESL tertiary learners prefer texts from the websites and blogs; and their preferred reading contents are dealing with Business Management, watching movies and listening to music. This article offers guidance to ESL teachers to select L2 reading texts based on the students’ preferred genre and content.

Prospective ESL/EFL Teachers’ Perceptions towards Writing Poetry in a Second Language: Difficulty, Value, Emotion, and Attitude

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Fang-Yu Liao

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The study aims to explore how 18 M.A. TESOL students, who are prospective or experienced ESL/EFL teachers, perceive poetry writing in a second language. A qualitative interview-based design was utilized. Following Iida’s (2012a analytical framework in examining EFL students’ perceptions toward writing haiku in English, this current study investigates 18 prospective ESL/EFL teachers’ perspectives through the lens of difficulty, value, emotion, and attitude. In order to validate the coding of the interviews, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC test was computed among three interview coders including the primary researcher, which yields a great agreement rate at .86. The results indicate that while these prospective ESL/EFL teachers understand writing poetry in a second language involves various difficulties, they acknowledge the values of utilizing poetry writing in second language classrooms. The results also show that writing poetry in a second language contains both positive and negative emotions, but positive ones are more frequently addressed. Most importantly, the data suggests that writing poetry in a second language is considered as an applicable practice in ESL/EFL language classrooms.

Using WebQLM to Enhance Performance in Argumentative Writing among Year 12 ESL Students

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Tan-Ooi L. C.

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This study investigated the impact of a designed web-based learning module on Year 12 students’ learning of argumentative writing. The module known as WebQuest Learning Module or WebQLM comprises four units of learning. The subjects were 68 Year 12 Arts Stream students in an urban school in Penang. The main objective of this study was to investigate the effect of WebQLM on students’ performance in argumentative writing as well as students’ responses towards the integration of this web technology in the ESL classroom. The paired-samples T-Test revealed significant improvement in students’ argumentative writing performance. Findings from the questionnaire and group interviews showed students generally responded positively towards the use of WebQLM in argumentative writing instruction. This study has brought to light the importance of integrating web-based learning tasks in the classroom. The credibility of the teacher in web-based instruction depends very much on the roles he or she plays in designing, scaffolding, facilitating and aspiring students towards a better learning culture. Implications on the teaching and learning of writing in an ESL context, especially for learners in the contemporary digital culture, can be drawn from the findings.

Prereferral Process with Latino English Language Learners with Specific Learning Disabilities: Perceptions of English-as-a-Second-Language Teachers

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Ferlis, Emily; Xu, Yaoying

2016-01-01

This study explored perceptions of English-as-a-second-language (ESL) teachers on the prereferral process for Latino English language learners (ELLs). Using Colaizzi's (1978) phenomenological approach, qualitative data were collected through interviews with four ESL teachers. Analyses of the data indicated that the ESL teachers used research-based…

Comparing Digital Badges-and-Points with Classroom Token Systems: Effects on Elementary School ESL Students' Classroom Behavior and English Learning

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Homer, Ryan; Hew, Khe Foon; Tan, Cheng Yong

2018-01-01

This paper reports the findings of a field experiment that gamified the classroom experience of elementary school ESL students by implementing digital badges-and-points which students could earn by achieving specific behavioral and learning goals. Altogether, 120 children in eight different classes participated in this study. Four of the classes…

Authoritative School Climate, Aggression toward Teachers, and Teacher Distress in Middle School

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Berg, Juliette K.; Cornell, Dewey

2016-01-01

Aggression toward teachers is linked to burnout and disengagement from teaching, but a positive school climate may reduce aggression and associated teacher distress. Using authoritative school climate theory, the study examined whether schools with high disciplinary structure and student support were associated with less aggression and less…

Optimizing an immersion ESL curriculum using analytic hierarchy process.

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Tang, Hui-Wen Vivian

2011-11-01

The main purpose of this study is to fill a substantial knowledge gap regarding reaching a uniform group decision in English curriculum design and planning. A comprehensive content-based course criterion model extracted from existing literature and expert opinions was developed. Analytical hierarchy process (AHP) was used to identify the relative importance of course criteria for the purpose of tailoring an optimal one-week immersion English as a second language (ESL) curriculum for elementary school students in a suburban county of Taiwan. The hierarchy model and AHP analysis utilized in the present study will be useful for resolving several important multi-criteria decision-making issues in planning and evaluating ESL programs. This study also offers valuable insights and provides a basis for further research in customizing ESL curriculum models for different student populations with distinct learning needs, goals, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effects of coaching on the teaching and learning of english in Indian government schools

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Raval, Harini; Kaul, C.; McKenney, Susan; Looi, C.K.; Polman, J.L.; Cress, U.; Reimann, P.

2016-01-01

Although English is mandatorily introduced as a second language early in majority of government primary schools in India, its quality remains dismal due to lack of appropriate curricula, poor ESL teacher competencies and weak professional development opportunities. In an effort to promote the

Comparative Difficulties with Non-Scientific General Vocabulary and Scientific/Medical Terminology in English as a Second Language (ESL) Medical Students.

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Heming, Thomas A; Nandagopal, Shobha

2012-11-01

Medical education requires student comprehension of both technical (scientific/medical) and non-technical (general) vocabulary. Our experience with "English as a second language" (ESL) Arab students suggested they often have problems comprehending scientific statements because of weaknesses in their understanding of non-scientific vocabulary. This study aimed to determine whether ESL students have difficulties with general vocabulary that could hinder their understanding of scientific/medical texts. A survey containing English text was given to ESL students in the premedical years of an English-medium medical school in an Arabic country. The survey consisted of sample questions from the Medical College Admission Test (USA). Students were instructed to identify all unknown words in the text. ESL students commenced premedical studies with substantial deficiencies in English vocabulary. Students from English-medium secondary schools had a selective deficiency in scientific/medical terminology which disappeared with time. Students from Arabic-medium secondary schools had equal difficulty with general and scientific/medical vocabulary. Deficiencies in both areas diminished with time but remained even after three years of English-medium higher education. Typically, when teaching technical subjects to ESL students, attention is focused on subject-unique vocabulary and associated modifiers. This study highlights that ESL students also face difficulties with the general vocabulary used to construct statements employing technical words. Such students would benefit from increases in general vocabulary knowledge.

The impact of teachers' limited English proficiency on English ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The importance of the role of language in teacher education programmes and in children's learning is crucial. This study focuses on the use of English as the language of learning and teaching and its impact on the language development of English second language (ESL) student teachers and ESL learners. Against the ...

Exploring Service Logic in ESL

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Walker, John

2013-01-01

ESL is both a professional educational service and, particularly in post-compulsory contexts, a commercial activity. The effective management of ESL programs can secure quality outcomes for practitioners and students. Nevertheless, writings on ESL management do not figure prominently in the literature. In particular, the association between…

Success and Motivation -a Way to Motivate ESL Readers in Chinese Private Colleges

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

李艳

2014-01-01

Motivation refers to what and how an individual chooses to do. This essay explores the way to motivate ESL readers in private colleges and concludes that teachers should create opportunities for students to experience success as well as improve their self-efficacy.

The design of an instrument to evaluate software for EFL/ESL pronunciation teaching

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Cristiana Gomes de Freitas Menezes Martins

2016-01-01

Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-8026.2016v69n1p141 The purpose of this study was to develop and test the reliability and validity of an instrument to evaluate the extent to which software programs teach English as a Foreign Language and/or Second Language (EFL/ESL pronunciation following the principles of the Communicative Approach (Celce-Murcia et al, 2010, thus having the potential to develop English pronunciation. After the development of the instrument, 46 EFL/ESL teachers used it to analyze an online version of the software program Pronunciation Power 2. The responses of the participants were submitted to statistical analysis and the validity and reliability of the instrument were tested. The good reliability indexes obtained in this study suggest the instrument has some degree of validity for evaluating how well an ESL/EFL pronunciation teaching software program potentially develops English pronunciation.

Creating an In-School Pastoral System for Student Teachers in School-Based Initial Teacher Education

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Philpott, Carey

2015-01-01

Recent developments in initial teacher education (ITE) have produced a number of school-centred models. These mean that student teachers may now spend more of their time in schools than has historically been the case. In some of these models, student teachers are more clearly part of the school as an institution than might be the case in more…

Chronic Teacher Turnover in Urban Elementary Schools

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Kacey Guin

2004-08-01

Full Text Available This study examines the characteristics of elementary schools that experience chronic teacher turnover and the impacts of turnover on a school’s working climate and ability to effectively function. Based on evidence from staff climate surveys and case studies, it is clear that high turnover schools face significant organizational challenges. Schools with high teacher turnover rates have difficulty planning and implementing a coherent curriculum and sustaining positive working relationships among teachers. The reality of these organizational challenges is particularly alarming, given that high turnover schools are more likely to serve low-income and minority students. The negative relationship between teacher turnover and school functioning, and the fact that turbulent schools are disproportionately likely to serve lowincome and minority students have important implications for both district and school-level policies. Specifically: Teacher turnover rates are one indicator of school health, which school districts should consider when focusing on school improvements. Districts need to begin by developing the means to identify individual schools that experience high levels of teacher turnover. Current district policies in implementing professional development for teachers in low-performing schools are inefficient when teachers do not remain in the schools in which they are trained. In order for low-performing schools to improve, districts need to consider providing incentive programs so that high quality teachers apply for, and remain in, these schools. Future research is needed to address the causal link between turnover, organizational functioning and student outcomes. Additionally, there is a need for research examining district policies that may facilitate teacher turnover within a district, including how districts place and transfer teachers, as well as how teachers’ salaries are budgeted.

Job satisfaction of Jamaican elementary school teachers

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Rodgers-Jenkinson, Fay; Chapman, David W.

1990-09-01

This study investigated correlates of job satisfaction among public (N=190) and private (N=100) Jamaican elementary school teachers. Emphasis was on the identification of factors that could be affected through administrative intervention. Results indicated that the quality of school working conditions and respondents' relationships with other teachers were significantly related to satisfaction for both public and private school teachers. School prestige and parental encouragement were also significant predictors for public school teachers; leadership style, organizational structure, and teacher-parent relationships predicted job satisfaction for private school teachers. Implications of these findings for Jamaican education are discussed.

Teaching schools as teacher education laboratories

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Sarah Gravett

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This study emanated from the Integrated Strategic Planning Framework for Teacher Education and Development in South Africa. This Framework proposes that teaching schools should be established in the country to improve the teaching practicum component of pre-service teacher education. A generic qualitative study was undertaken to explore the affordances of a teaching school to enable student teacher learning for the teaching profession. The overarching finding of the study is that a teaching school holds numerous affordances for enabling meaningful student teacher learning for the teaching profession. However, the full affordances of a teaching school will not be realised if a teaching school is viewed merely as a practicum site. Foregrounding a laboratory view of practice work in a teaching school could enable true research-oriented teacher education. A teaching school as a teacher education laboratory would imply a deliberate inclusion of cognitive apprenticeship and an inquiry orientation to learning in the schoo

Perceptions Of Success In ESL Classrooms With Cooperative Learning

OpenAIRE

Espol; Játiva Guachilema, Magali Janet

2016-01-01

I have been teaching english as a foreign language in several ecuadorian schools for more than ten years in an elementary school for two years, in a secondary school for other three years and in two different universities (one private and the other one public) for six years. I have used group work for the last five years in my english as a second language (esl) classes. At one of the universities where i received the guidance and training on how to apply group work activities, collaborati...

The intercultural identities of nonnative English teachers : An overview of research worldwide

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Chen, D.; Tigelaar, E.H.; Verloop, N.

2016-01-01

Nonnative-English-speaking teachers who teach English as a second or foreign language (ESL/EFL) can play an important role in the promotion of intercultural competence and often have an advantage over native-English-speaking ESL/EFL teachers because they once were language learners and more aware of

Attitude of Nigerian Secondary School Teachers to Peer Evaluation of Teachers

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Joshua, Monday T.; Joshua, Akon M.; Bassey, Bassey A.; Akubuiro, Idorenyin M.

2006-01-01

The study investigated the general attitude of Nigerian secondary school teachers toward peer evaluation of teachers. It also sought to determine whether teacher characteristics such as gender, school geographical location, academic qualification and teaching experience affected Nigerian teachers' attitude toward peer evaluation of teachers. To…

Adventure in a new language: what a first generation Canadian immigrant’s narrative holds for ESL teachers

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Fang Xing

2016-09-01

Full Text Available This paper explored the value of learner’s stories for ESL (English as a Second Language teachers’ teaching and research through a narrative inquiry of the lived English learning experience of a first generation Canadian immigrant. It first reviewed the concept of narrative and the significance of launching narrative inquiry. Then, it presented an interview conducted with the Canadian immigrant as a model of narrative inquiry. Themes of the narrative interview were found to resonate with theoretical issues of SLE (Second Language Education, ESL and SLA (Second Language Acquisition. Considering the themes and the entire interviewing process, this paper closed with a discussion of the benefits of narrative inquiry for ESL teachers’ teaching and research.

Teacher beliefs, teacher characteristics, and school contextual factors: what are the relationships?

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Rubie-Davies, Christine M; Flint, Annaline; McDonald, Lyn G

2012-06-01

There is a plethora of research around student beliefs and their contribution to student outcomes. However, there is less research in relation to teacher beliefs. Teacher factors are important to consider since beliefs mould thoughts and resultant instructional behaviours that, in turn, can contribute to student outcomes. The purpose of this research was to explore relationships between the teacher characteristics of gender and teaching experience, school contextual variables (socio-economic level of school and class level), and three teacher socio-psychological variables: class level teacher expectations, teacher efficacy, and teacher goal orientation. The participants were 68 male and female teachers with varying experience, from schools in a variety of socio-economic areas and from rural and urban locations within New Zealand. Teachers completed a questionnaire containing items related to teacher efficacy and goal orientation in reading. They also completed a teacher expectation survey. Reading achievement data were collected on students. Interrelationships were explored between teacher socio-psychological beliefs and the teacher and school factors included in the study. Mastery-oriented beliefs predicted teacher efficacy for student engagement and classroom management. The socio-economic level of the school and teacher gender predicted teacher efficacy for engagement, classroom management, instructional strategies, and a mastery goal orientation. Being male predicted a performance goal orientation. Teacher beliefs, teacher characteristics, and school contextual variables can result in differences in teacher instructional practices and differing classroom climates. Further investigation of these variables is important since differences in teachers contribute to differences in student outcomes. ©2011 The British Psychological Society.

Advanced ESL Students' Prior EFL Education and Their Perceptions of Oral Corrective Feedback

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Lee, Eun Jeong

2016-01-01

The author in this study examines how advanced-level adult English as a Second Language (ESL) students' previous English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom experiences influence their perceptions of their teachers' oral corrective feedback (CF). It uses in-depth qualitative data to characterize the participants' prior English learning, and to…

Healthy eating for life: rationale and development of an English as a second language (ESL) curriculum for promoting healthy nutrition.

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Martinez, Josefa L; Rivers, Susan E; Duncan, Lindsay R; Bertoli, Michelle; Domingo, Samantha; Latimer-Cheung, Amy E; Salovey, Peter

2013-12-01

Low health literacy contributes significantly to cancer health disparities disadvantaging minorities and the medically underserved. Immigrants to the United States constitute a particularly vulnerable subgroup of the medically underserved, and because many are non-native English speakers, they are pre-disposed to encounter language and literacy barriers across the cancer continuum. Healthy Eating for Life (HE4L) is an English as a second language (ESL) curriculum designed to teach English language and health literacy while promoting fruit and vegetable consumption for cancer prevention. This article describes the rationale, design, and content of HE4L. HE4L is a content-based adult ESL curriculum grounded in the health action process approach to behavior change. The curriculum package includes a soap opera-like storyline, an interactive student workbook, a teacher's manual, and audio files. HE4L is the first teacher-administered, multimedia nutrition-education curriculum designed to reduce cancer risk among beginning-level ESL students. HE4L is unique because it combines adult ESL principles, health education content, and behavioral theory. HE4L provides a case study of how evidence-based, health promotion practices can be implemented into real-life settings and serves as a timely, useful, and accessible nutrition-education resource for health educators.

How Do Chinese ESL Learners Recognize English Words during a Reading Test? A Comparison with Romance-Language-Speaking ESL Learners

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Li, Hongli; Suen, Hoi K.

2015-01-01

This study examines how Chinese ESL learners recognize English words while responding to a multiple-choice reading test as compared to Romance-language-speaking ESL learners. Four adult Chinese ESL learners and three adult Romance-language-speaking ESL learners participated in a think-aloud study with the Michigan English Language Assessment…

Language Teacher Burnout and School Type

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Mukundan, Jayakaran; Zare, Pezhman; Zarifi, Abdolvahed; Manaf, Umi Kalthom Abdul; Sahamid, Husniah

2015-01-01

The present study was an attempt to explore the level of burnout among primary school teachers in Malaysia. In addition, the study tried to determine if the school type has any significant influence on teachers' burnout level. To this end, 714 primary school teachers participated in the study. They were teaching at Malay (SK), Tamil (SJKT), and…

Competition for Private and State School Teachers

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Green, Francis; Machin, Stephen; Murphy, Richard; Zhu, Yu

2008-01-01

We analyse the role of private schools in the teachers' labour market. Private schools employ an increasingly-disproportionate share of teachers in Britain, relative to the number of their pupils. Their teachers are more likely than state school teachers to possess post-graduate qualifications, and to be specialists in shortage subjects.…

Redrawing the Boundaries of Language Teacher Cognition: Language Teacher Educators' Emotion, Cognition, and Activity

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Golombek, Paula R.

2015-01-01

This article, grounded in a Vygotskian sociocultural perspective, details the self-inquiry of a language teacher educator who examined her "emotional dissonance" regarding her mediation of the reflection journals of a teacher learner teaching an ESL class during an internship. Data from the teacher learner's reflection journals and the…

The Construction of Collective Identity in Malaysian ESL Secondary Classrooms

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Idrus, Faizah; Nazri, Nas Idayu Mohd

2016-01-01

This study seeks to identify the construction of collective identity in ESL classroom among students in a secondary school in Selangor, Malaysia. Identity construction can be helpful in supporting students academically and socially, especially in the English language classrooms. Being non-native speakers, students may have the tendency to feel…

Leadership that promotes teacher empowerment among urban middle school science teachers

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Howard-Skipper, Joni

In this study, the focus was on determining leadership strategies that promote teacher empowerment among urban middle school science teachers. The purpose of the paper was to determine if leadership strategies are related to teacher empowerment. The emphasis was on various forms of leadership and the empowerment of teachers in context in restructuring the democratic structure. An effective leadership in science education entails empowering others, especially science teachers. In this regard, no published studies had examined this perspective on empowering teachers and school leadership. Therefore, this study determined if a relationship exists between leadership strategy actions and teacher empowerment. The significance of the study is to determine a relationship between leadership strategies and teacher empowerment as a positive approach toward developing successful schools. Empowerment is essential for implementing serious improvements. Empowering others in schools must form a major component of an effective principal's agenda. It is becoming clearer in research literature that complex changes in education sometimes require active initiation. For this study, a quantitative methodology was used. Primary data enabled the research questions to be answered. The reliability and validity of the research were ensured. The results of this study showed that 40% of the administrators establish program policies with teachers, and 53% of teachers make decisions about new programs in schools. Furthermore, the findings, their implications, and recommendations are discussed.

Teaching Techniques: Give or Take? Test Review in the ESL/EFL Classroom

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Mermelstein, Aaron David

2016-01-01

This article describes "Give or Take?", a fun game that teachers can use to review vocabulary in the English as a second language or foreign language (ESL/EFL) classroom. This game is easy to prepare, and it is a fun and efficient way to review for quizzes or larger midterm or final exams. It can be adapted to almost any grade level or…

Measurement Invariance of Early Development Instrument (EDI) Domain Scores across Gender and ESL Status

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Mousavi, Amin; Krishnan, Vijaya

2016-01-01

The Early Development Instrument (EDI) is a widely used teacher rating tool to assess kindergartners' developmental outcomes in Canada and a number of other countries. This paper examines the measurement invariance of EDI domains across ESL status and gender by means of multi-group confirmatory factor analysis. The results suggest evidence of…

The Organizational Health of Urban Elementary Schools: School Health and Teacher Functioning.

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Mehta, Tara G; Atkins, Marc S; Frazier, Stacy L

2013-09-01

This study examined the factor structure of the Organizational Health Inventory-Elementary version (OHI-E; Hoy, Tarter, & Kottkamp, 1991) in a sample of 203 teachers working in 19 high-poverty, urban schools and the association of organizational school health with teacher efficacy, teacher stress, and job satisfaction. Results indicated a similar factor structure of the OHI-E as compared with the population of schools in the original sample (Hoy et al., 1991), and that specific components of organizational health, such as a positive learning environment, are associated with teacher efficacy, stress, and satisfaction. Overall, teachers' relations with their peers, their school leadership, and their students appear especially critical in high-poverty, urban schools. Recommendations for research and practice related to improving high-poverty, urban schools are presented.

Teachers' and School Administrators' Attitudes and Beliefs of Teacher Evaluation: A Preliminary Investigation of High Poverty School Districts

Science.gov (United States)

Reddy, Linda A.; Dudek, Christopher M.; Peters, Stephanie; Alperin, Alexander; Kettler, Ryan J.; Kurz, Alexander

2018-01-01

This study examined attitudes and beliefs regarding teacher evaluation of teachers and their school administrators in the state of New Jersey, USA. The sample included 33 school administrators and 583 Pre-K through 12th grade teachers from four high-poverty urban school districts (22 schools). Participant attitudes and beliefs were assessed using…

Analysing ESP Texts, but How?

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Borza, Natalia

2015-01-01

English as a second language (ESL) teachers instructing general English and English for specific purposes (ESP) in bilingual secondary schools face various challenges when it comes to choosing the main linguistic foci of language preparatory courses enabling non-native students to study academic subjects in English. ESL teachers intending to…

Working toward Literacy in Correctional Education ESL

Science.gov (United States)

Gardner, Susanne

2014-01-01

Correctional Education English as a Second Language (ESL) literacy programs vary from state to state, region to region. Some states enroll their correctional ESL students in adult basic education (ABE) classes; other states have separate classes and programs. At the Maryland Correctional Institution in Jessup, the ESL class is a self-contained…

Professionalism Prevails in Adult Education ESL Classrooms

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Brown, Megan C.; Bywater, Kathleen

2010-01-01

The purpose of this report is to explore the issue of professionalism of adult education ESL educators and uncover any inequities. The arc of this exploration describes the history of adult education, the current state of adult education ESL professionals, and the direction in which ESL adult educators appear to be heading. The results illustrate…

The Effect of Teacher Psychological and School Organizational and Leadership Factors on Teachers' Professional Learning in Dutch Schools

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Geijsel, Femke P.; Sleegers, Peter J. C.; Stoel, Reinoud D.; Kruger, Meta L.

2009-01-01

In this study we examined the relative importance of teachers' psychological states, school organizational conditions (teacher collaboration and participative decision making), and the leadership practices (vision, individual consideration, and intellectual stimulation) of principals at their schools in explaining variation in teachers'…

Credentialing high school psychology teachers.

Science.gov (United States)

Weaver, Kenneth A

2014-09-01

The National Standards for High School Psychology Curricula (American Psychological Association, 2013b) require a teacher with considerable psychology content knowledge to teach high school psychology courses effectively. In this study, I examined the initial teaching credential requirements for high school psychology teachers in the 50 states plus the District of Columbia. Thirty-four states (the District of Columbia is included as a state) require the social studies credential to teach high school psychology. An analysis of the items on standardized tests used by states to validate the content knowledge required to teach social studies indicates little or no presence of psychology, a reflection of psychology's meager presence in the social studies teacher preparation curricula. Thus, new teachers with the social studies teaching credential are not prepared to teach high school psychology according to the National Standards. Approval of The College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards: Guidance for Enhancing the Rigor of K-12 Civics, Economics, Geography, and History (National Council for the Social Studies, 2013) presents an opportunity to advocate for establishing a psychology credential in the 34 states. (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Developing College English as a Second Language (ESL) Programs

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Orlova, Irina A.; Kennedy, Jelane A.

2009-01-01

This article examines available literature on college English as a Second Language (ESL) programs. The literature available on college ESL programs falls into three categories: (1) research reports and articles, (2) recent theoretical discussions on ESL teaching, and (3) thought pieces discussing college ESL curriculum development and assessment…

Inclusive Education in Government Primary Schools: Teacher Perceptions

OpenAIRE

Itfaq Khaliq Khan; Shujahat Haider Hashmi; Nabeela Khanum

2017-01-01

The perceptions of primary school teachers towards inclusive education was investigated in mainstream government schools of Islamabad capital territory where inclusive education was being supported by Sight savers and other international organizations. The study was carried out involving 54 teachers in six randomly selected primary schools. The sampled group comprised both, teachers trained in inclusive education and teachers working in same schools, but not trained in inclusive education. Pu...

Teacher training in Chile: perceptions of teachers in the school system and university teachers

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Claudio H. Díaz Larenas

2015-06-01

Full Text Available This article presents the results of research on perceptions of teacher training. The study design is transactional and descriptive, for which an ad hoc survey of two groups was developed: the school sysrtem teachers and academics in the region of Bio Bio in Chile. Its aim is to analyze the perception of these groups on six themes: evaluation, learning, innovation, research, development and relationship university / school / community. The main results show a high evaluation of assessment practices, introducing innovations in the classroom and refinement. The reasearch is carried out by both teachers and university profressors in the school system, although at different frequencies. The university / school / community relations are considered relevant but are not consolidarted. Finally some thoughts arise that link the themes discussed in terms of improving teacher education.

Teacher Empowerment: School Administrators' Roles

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Balyer, Aydin; Özcan, Kenan; Yildiz, Ali

2017-01-01

Purpose: Teacher empowerment involves investing teachers with the right to participate in the determination of school goals and policies as informed by their professional judgment. By empowering teachers, teachers can discover their potential and limitations for themselves as well as developing competence in their professional development. This…

Interpersonal relationships of high schools' teachers and teachers' profiles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Telli, S.; Cakiroglu, J.; Brok, den P.J.

2009-01-01

The purpose of the study was to examnine associations between Turkish high school students'perceptions of their teacher's interpersonal behavior and drawn attention to the relationship between students'affective outcomes and teachers' interpersonal behavior. The Questionnaire on Teacher

School Culture's Influence on Beginning Agriculture Teachers' Job Satisfaction and Teacher Self-Efficacy

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Hasselquist, Laura; Herndon, Kevin; Kitchel, Tracy

2017-01-01

This study explored first and second year agriculture teachers' job satisfaction and teacher selfefficacy through their perceived levels of school culture support. Prior research indicated one possible contributor to poor teacher retention is a lack of belonging teachers feel to their schools. Data were collected from beginning teachers in three…

Greenhouse Schools: How Schools Can Build Cultures Where Teachers and Students Thrive

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TNTP, 2012

2012-01-01

Successful teachers make successful schools. Yet some schools are better than others at accelerating student learning by developing and keeping great teachers, even compared to schools that serve the same population of students and have access to the same resources. These schools are called "greenhouse schools"--schools with carefully…

Especially for High School Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Howell, J. Emory

2001-05-01

Literature Cited National Science Education Standards; National Academy Press: Washington, DC, 1996; http://www. nap.edu/readingroom/books/nses/. Principles and Standards for School Mathematics; National Council of Teachers of Mathematics: Washington, DC, 2000; http://standards.nctm.org/. Visit CLIC, an Online Resource for High School Teachers at http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/HS/

Interpersonal relationship of high schools' teachers and teachers profile

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Telli, Sibel; Cakiroglu, Jale; den Brok, Perry

2009-01-01

The purpose of the study was to examine associations between Turkish high school students' perceptions of their teachers' interpersonal behavior and drawn attention to the relationship between students' affective outcomes and teachers' interpersonal behavior. The Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction

Exploring Teacher Trust in Technical/Vocational Secondary Schools: Male Teachers' Preference for Girls

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Van Houtte, Mieke

2007-01-01

This article explores whether teachers' trust in pupils in technical/vocational schools is associated with teachers' and pupils' gender. As for the teachers, besides gender, age, socioeconomic origin, and subject taught are considered and, as for the pupils, the gender composition of the school (proportion of girls at school), the socioeconomic…

Becoming a science teacher: The competing pedagogies of schools and teacher education

Science.gov (United States)

Rozelle, Jeffrey J.

A culminating student teaching or internship experience is a central component of nearly every teacher education program and has been for most of teacher education's history. New teachers cite field experience and student teaching as the most beneficial, authentic, or practical aspect of teacher education. Teacher educators, however, have cause to view student teaching skeptically; student teachers often move away from the reform-minded practices espoused in teacher education. This multi-site ethnographic study investigated a full-year internship experience for six science interns at three diverse high schools as part of a teacher preparation program at a large state university. In taking an ecological perspective, this study documented the dynamic and evolving relationships between interns, cooperating teachers, teacher educators, and the school and classroom contexts. The goals of the study were to describe the changes in interns throughout the course of a year-long internship as a science teacher and to determine the relative influences of the various aspects of the ecology on interns. Data include fieldnotes from 311 hours of participant observation, 38 interviews with interns, cooperating teachers, and teacher educators, and 190 documents including course assignments, evaluations, and reflective journals. Interns' teaching practices were strongly influenced by their cooperating teachers. During the first two months, all six interns "used their mentor's script." When teaching, they attempted to re-enact lessons they witnessed their cooperating teachers enact earlier in the day. This included following the lesson structure, but also borrowing physical mannerisms, representations, anecdotes, and jokes. When interns could no longer follow their cooperating teacher due to an increased teaching load, they "followed their mentors' patterns"---implementing instruction that emphasized similar strategies---regardless of whether they were experiencing success in the

Urban Teachers' Perceptions of School Violence

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Church, Gregory L.

2011-01-01

Teachers may not be trained on how to prevent or address school violence and/or may lack the skills necessary to provide adequate intervention strategies. The purpose of this study was to explore urban K-6 teachers' perceptions of school violence at one metropolitan school. The conceptual framework for this study was supported by Bronfenbrenner's…

Teacher ambivalence towards school evaluation : promoting and ruining teacher professionalism

OpenAIRE

Hult, Agneta; Edström, Charlotta

2016-01-01

Today’s evaluation society makes teachers participate in a stream of external evaluations. How teachers experience evaluation in school and how this affects their work and professionalism is the focus of this article. Teachers’ views of external and internal evaluations and of the consequences for school practice are described and analysed. The interviewed teachers emphasised the importance of internal evaluations performed close to daily teaching practice and jointly with students and collea...

Teachers' Work and Schooling in Bali

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Nilan, Pam

2003-11-01

This study addresses educational reform in Indonesia with reference to one of the most important potential agents of change in any national system of schooling - its teachers. The empirical data on secondary teachers and trainee teachers used here are taken from a larger case study of the attitudes and opinions of stakeholders in the education system of North Bali. Secondary teachers in Bali, as elsewhere in Indonesia, are seriously underpaid, but not necessarily undervalued in the community. They take on other jobs to support themselves and their families, yet they do not lack commitment to the professional task of teaching. It is argued that financial pressure on teachers to find other sources of remuneration militates against their capacity to act as agents of change in the rapidly reforming Indonesian state. Furthermore, teaching is not often seen as a financially rewarding profession by a new generation of secondary-school graduates. The author recommends that teachers' salaries be raised and infrastructure support for schools increased.

Violence in public school: reports of teachers

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Renata Carneiro Ferreira

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Objective: To assess the perception of violence from the reports of teachers of elementary and high school in a public state school in Fortaleza, Ceará. Method: A qualitative descriptive study conducted with 26 teachers, in the period from January to May 2006. To collect the data we adopted the following procedures: the discussion on school violence during the meetings of the teacher training week; the reading of the school regulations and the distribution of an instrument with the guiding question about the concept of violence as from the school reality, among the participants of the study. Afterwards, the thematic analysis of the reports was carried out. Results: Through the reports of teachers emerged the following categories: physical aggression, verbal aggression and fights as the most cited; to hide personal belongings, cursing, shoving and disrespect for the teacher and pranks were also mentioned. Conclusion: From the reports it appears that violence is perceived in physical, dimension moral and symbolic, and these “typologies” corroborate the descriptions found in literature as bullying or incivility, which dominate the school context.

The Transformation of Ms. Corazon: Creating Humanizing Spaces for Mexican Immigrant Students in Secondary ESL Classrooms

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Salazar, Maria del Carmen; Franquiz, Maria E.

2008-01-01

This article explores the journey of one English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher who held rigid boundaries that negatively impacted the academic resiliency of her Mexican immigrant students. As she transformed her pedagogical orientation, she created permeability in her curricular practices. With the elements of "respeto" (respect), "confianza"…

School Competition and Teacher Labor Markets: Evidence from Charter School Entry in North Carolina

OpenAIRE

C. Kirabo Jackson

2011-01-01

I analyze changes in teacher turnover, hiring, effectiveness, and salaries at traditional public schools after the opening of a nearby charter school. While I find small effects on turnover overall, difficult to staff schools (low-income, high-minority share) hired fewer new teachers and experienced small declines in teacher quality. I also find evidence of a demand side response where schools increased teacher compensation to better retain quality teachers. The results are robust across a va...

Primary School Teachers' Knowledge, Attitude and Perceived ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study endeavored to investigate primary school teachers' knowledge, attitudes, and perceived practices of continuous assessment (CA). Ninety-five primary school teachers from three primary schools in West Gojjam, Ethiopia, were randomly selected for the study. Questionnaire, interviews and content analyses were ...

Teacher Participation in Decision Making and Its Impact on School and Teachers

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Sarafidou, Jasmin-Olga; Chatziioannidis, Georgios

2013-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine teacher involvement in different domains of decision making in Greek primary schools and explore associations with school and teacher variables. Design/methodology/approach: A survey employing self-administered questionnaires, with a Likert-type scale assessing teachers' actual and desired…

The Organizational Health of Urban Elementary Schools: School Health and Teacher Functioning

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Mehta, Tara G.; Atkins, Marc S.; Frazier, Stacy L.

2013-01-01

This study examined the factor structure of the Organizational Health Inventory-Elementary version (OHI-E; Hoy, Tarter, & Kottkamp, 1991) in a sample of 203 teachers working in 19 high-poverty, urban schools and the association of organizational school health with teacher efficacy, teacher stress, and job satisfaction. Results indicated a similar factor structure of the OHI-E as compared with the population of schools in the original sample (Hoy et al., 1991), and that specific components of organizational health, such as a positive learning environment, are associated with teacher efficacy, stress, and satisfaction. Overall, teachers’ relations with their peers, their school leadership, and their students appear especially critical in high-poverty, urban schools. Recommendations for research and practice related to improving high-poverty, urban schools are presented. PMID:23935763

High School Teacher Perceptions of Empowerment

OpenAIRE

Jacobs, Tricia Susan

2014-01-01

As the responsibilities of principals become more complex and as accountability becomes more evident in K-12 cultures, it becomes increasingly important that high school principals be trained to empower teachers. This paper examined the research concerning the conditions of the empowerment of teachers. More specifically, it measured high school teachers' perspectives concerning their levels of empowerment by their principals based on the four domains of empowerment: meaning, competence, sel...

Listening Instruction and Practice for Advanced ESL Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Godfrey, Dennis

This paper attempts to enact Rivers' (1971 and 1972) urgings to base ESL listening instruction on both psychological and linguistic findings and contends that advanced ESL students' listening needs call for improvement in processing spoken English discourse. Psychological data on memory span is cited to demonstrate that advanced ESL students…

Program Development for Primary School Teachers' Critical Thinking

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Boonjeam, Waraporn; Tesaputa, Kowat; Sri-ampai, Anan

2017-01-01

The objectives of this research were: 1) to study the elements and indicators of primary school teachers' critical thinking, 2) to study current situation, desirable situation, development technique, and need for developing the primary school teachers' critical thinking, 3) to develop the program for developing the primary school teachers'…

What Teachers Want: Supporting Primary School Teachers in Teaching Science

Science.gov (United States)

Fitzgerald, Angela; Schneider, Katrin

2013-01-01

Impending change can provide us with the opportunity to rethink and renew the things that we do. The first phase of the Australian Curriculum implementation offers primary school teachers the chance to examine their approaches to science learning and teaching. This paper focuses on the perceptions of three primary school teachers regarding what…

Attitudes, Motivations and Beliefs about L2 Reading in the Filipino Secondary School Classroom: A Mixed-methods Study

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Andrzej Cirocki

2016-11-01

Full Text Available This study is a two-part investigation. The first part focuses on ESL learners' attitudes and motivations for reading in the target language. The second part deals with ESL teachers' beliefs about motivating L2 learners to read. The study involved 100 ESL learners (N=100 and 30 teachers (N=30 from rural schools in Mindanao, the Philippines. All the participants were recruited through convenience sampling. In other words, participants were selected based on their convenient accessibility and proximity. The current study is a mixed-methods project. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were employed to collect different types of data. The instruments used were: a L2 reading attitude survey, a questionnaire dealing with motivations for L2 reading, a survey on beliefs about motivating L2 learners to read in English, a semi-structured interview and a L2-reading-lesson observation. The quantitative data were statistically analysed. Whenever appropriate, the data were presented in tables and on graphs. The qualitative data were analysed through thematic coding and used to support the quantitative data. The findings show that students have both positive and negative attitudes towards various aspects of L2 reading. They also have different levels of motivation for reading in English, with female participants having higher scores than male participants. The teachers, on the other hand, hold diverse beliefs about motivating learners to read in English. No significant correlation was found between teacher beliefs and students' motivations for reading in English. After the findings have been described, implications for teacher education and instructional practice are offered.

The Relationships between Teachers' Perceptions of Principal Leadership and Teachers' Perceptions of School Climate

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Pulleyn, Janet L.

2012-01-01

This research considered relationships among teachers' perceptions of principal leadership and teachers' perceptions of school climate by using the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) survey and the Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire (Revised) for Middle Schools (OCDQ-RM) survey. Teachers from six middle schools in the same district…

An Application of Second Language Acquisition Research to ESL Grammar Teaching: What To Do with Novel Passives.

Science.gov (United States)

Balcom, Patricia A.

2001-01-01

Demonstrates how second language acquisition research can inform textbook writers and language teachers. Presents an analysis of 40 English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) grammar textbooks, which shows that few mention unaccusative verbs or inappropriate passives in their presentation of active and passive voice. Offers suggestions for dealing with…

Charter Schools and the Teacher Job Search

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Cannata, Marisa

2011-01-01

This article examines the position of charter schools in prospective elementary teachers' job search decisions. Using a labor market segmentation framework, it explores teacher applicants' decisions to apply to charter schools. The data come from a mixed-methods longitudinal study of prospective teachers looking for their first job. This article…

Chinese Middle School Teacher Job Satisfaction and Its Relationships with Teacher Moving

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Chen, Junjun

2010-01-01

This study examined teacher job satisfaction in Chinese middle schools from the aspects of school, community, and life and the relationships between these factors and teacher moving. A convenience sample of 294 teachers was approached through a 35-item questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS. Three major results were found: (1) Chinese middle…

The Teacher Labour Market, Teacher Turnover and Disadvantaged Schools: New Evidence for England

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Allen, Rebecca; Burgess, Simon; Mayo, Jennifer

2018-01-01

We study the market for teachers in England, in particular teacher turnover. We show that there is a positive raw association between the level of school disadvantage and the turnover rate of its teachers. This association diminishes as we control for school, pupil and local teacher labour market characteristics, but is not eliminated. The…

School Principals' Authentic Leadership and Teachers' Psychological Capital: Teachers' Perspectives

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Feng, Feng-I

2016-01-01

This study examined teachers' perceptions of principals' authentic leadership and the relationship of authentic leadership to teachers' psychological capital in Taiwan. A total of 1,429 elementary and secondary school teachers were surveyed. The results showed that teachers perceived their principals' authentic leadership as moderate and that the…

Head Teachers and Teachers as Pioneers in Facilitating Dyslexic Children in Primary Mainstream Schools

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Fahima Salman Jaka

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This study explores the perceptions of school heads and teachers in facilitating young dyslexic children in primary mainstream schools of Pakistan. Through purposive sampling, the researcher selected eight participants: Four primary school heads and four primary teachers from elite schools of Karachi. The research instrument selected for this study was in-depth interviews to get a deeper insight of school heads and teachers perceptions regarding the facilitation of dyslexic children. The findings revealed that children with dyslexia face many emotional and academic problems and only a few elite schools provide policy to facilitate them in mainstream education. Findings showed that some schools hired remedial teaching services or special education services and the school heads and primary teachers put in immense effort in preparing intervention plans and evaluation plans to suit individual and young dyslexic children needs. It was also suggested that positivity of the learning environment depends upon the teachers. The findings further disclosed that unlike the more developed nations, apart from a few elite schools in Pakistan, there is no importance paid to professional training related to dyslexia.

High School Teachers' Identities: Constructing Civic Selves

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Obenchain, Kathryn M.; Balkute, Asta; Vaughn, Erin; White, Shannon

2016-01-01

Research suggests that teachers play a role in the type of citizenship education implemented in schools. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how two high school teachers understood and enacted their civic identities as a dimension of their teacher identities. Findings suggest that factors contributing to an individual's civic…

Teacher Stress and Guidance Work in Hong Kong Secondary School Teachers.

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Hui, Eadaoin, K. P.; Chan, David W.

1996-01-01

Sources of stress in Hong Kong teachers were investigated, with specific reference to guidance work as a potential source of stress. A survey of 415 secondary school teachers revealed guidance-related aspects of work constituted a major dimension of stress, with guidance teachers, female teachers, younger teachers and junior teachers perceiving…

School Ethical Climate and Teachers' Voluntary Absence

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Shapira-Lishchinsky, Orly; Rosenblatt, Zehava

2010-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to offer a theoretical framework for linking school ethical climate with teachers' voluntary absence. The paper attempts to explain this relationship using the concept of affective organizational commitment. Design/methodology/approach: Participants were 1,016 school teachers from 35 high schools in Israel. Data were…

Teacher Accountability at High Performing Charter Schools

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Aguirre, Moises G.

2016-01-01

This study will examine the teacher accountability and evaluation policies and practices at three high performing charter schools located in San Diego County, California. Charter schools are exempted from many laws, rules, and regulations that apply to traditional school systems. By examining the teacher accountability systems at high performing…

Knowledge and Attitude of Secondary School Teachers towards ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Knowledge and Attitude of Secondary School Teachers towards Reproductive Health Education in Schools. ... PROMOTING ACCESS TO AFRICAN RESEARCH ... A study was carried out among secondary school teachers in Ilorin, Kwara ...

ETHNOGRAPHIC APPROACH TO EFL/ESL RESEARCH

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Nikolaus Pasassung

2016-10-01

Full Text Available This article shows that ethnography, as an approach, is a very useful tool to be applied in research attempting a good understanding of EFL/ESL classrooms. With reference to work done by anthropologists and classroom researchers, the pre- sent article argues that education, including EFL/ESL classrooms, can be well un- derstood by using ethnographic  approaches.  This is done by elaborating  the rele- vance of ethnography and the classroom context in the sense that ethnographic prin- ciples are applicable in describing and understanding the culture of a classroom, and EFL/ESL teaching in particular.

Perception of primary school teachers to school children's mental health problems in Southwest Ethiopia.

Science.gov (United States)

Kerebih, Habtamu; Abrha, Hailay; Frank, Reiner; Abera, Mubarek

2016-11-12

Teachers perception of child mental health problems and their attitude to school-based mental health services helps in designing early intervention strategies aimed at promoting the service. However, little is known in this regard among primary school teachers in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study assessed perceptions and attitude of primary school teachers to child mental health problem and school-based mental health programs in Jimma town, southwest Ethiopia in 2013. A cross-sectional study design was implemented among 568 primary school teachers in Jimma town, from 1 to 30 October 2013. Perceptions and attitude of teachers to children with mental health problems and school mental health related information were assessed using a structured self- administered questionnaire. About 40% of teachers recognized the list of psychopathology items presented to them as child mental health problems while 54.4% of them rated child mental health problem as severe. Externalizing behaviors were perceived as the most severe problems. Teaching experience and teaching in public schools were significantly associated with the perception of severe type of child mental health problems. About 95% of teachers acknowledged that school-based mental health programs are important but limited availability was reported. Despite the high problem severity ratings, teachers' perception of the psychopathology as a mental health problem in children was low. There was also a favorable attitude on the importance and the need of school-based child mental health programs. Thus, creating mental health awareness for teachers and establishing school mental health services to intervene in child mental health problem is crucial.

ESL intermediate/advanced writing

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Munoz Page, Mary Ellen; Jaskiewicz, Mary

2011-01-01

Master ESL (English as a Second Language) Writing with the study guide designed for non-native speakers of English. Skill-building lessons relevant to today's topics help ESL students write complete sentences, paragraphs, and even multi-paragraph essays. It's perfect for classroom use or self-guided writing preparation.DETAILS- Intermediate drills for improving skills with parallel structure, mood, correct shifting errors & dangling participles- Advanced essay drills focusing on narrative, descriptive, process, reaction, comparison and contrast- Superb preparation for students taking the TOEFL

How Effective are Schools According to Teachers?

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Hasan Basri MEMDUHOĞLU

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to determine the perceptions of teachers about the effectiveness of the schools they work in based on various variables. The research was designed in the descriptive scanning model. The sample of the study is composed of 316 teachers working at Turkish high school in the Ağrı provincial center and local districts during the 2015-2016 academic years. The “Effective School Scale” developed by Abdurrezzak (2015 was used to collect data in the study. The data of the study were analyzed by descriptive statistics and parametric tests. According to the findings of the study, teachers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of the schools they work in are at a “medium” level. While teachers’ perceptions of effective school administrators, teachers and school atmosphere sub-dimensions are at a “medium” level, their perceptions on effective school students, and parents were determined as at a “low” level. It was determined that teachers’ perceptions of school effectiveness were not significantly different according to gender, marital status, education status and duration of service variables. However, significant differences were found between the perceptions of teachers about the dimensions of effective schools according to the type of school they worked in and the branch variable.

Charter School Teacher Job Satisfaction

Science.gov (United States)

Roch, Christine H.; Sai, Na

2017-01-01

We examine whether working conditions in charter schools and traditional public schools lead to different levels of job satisfaction among teachers. We distinguish among charter schools managed by for-profit education management organizations (EMOs) and non-profit charter management organizations (CMOs) and stand-alone charter schools. We…

Teaching Culture and Language through the Multiple Intelligences Film Teaching Model in the ESL/EFL Classroom

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Yeh, Ellen

2014-01-01

This paper will demonstrate how to enhance second language (L2) learners' linguistic and cultural competencies through the use of the Multiple Intelligences Film Teaching (MIFT) model. The paper will introduce two ideas to teachers of English as a Second/Foreign Language (ESL/EFL). First, the paper shows how L2 learners learn linguistic and…

Comparison between Primary Teacher Educators' and Primary School Teachers' Beliefs of Primary Geography Education Quality

Science.gov (United States)

Bent, Gert Jan; Bakx, Anouke; den Brok, Perry

2016-01-01

In this study teacher educators' beliefs concerning primary geography education have been investigated and compared with primary school teachers' beliefs. In this study 45 teacher educators and 489 primary school teachers completed a questionnaire, and nine teacher educators have been interviewed as well. It has been found that teacher educators…

Career Mobility Patterns of Public School Teachers

OpenAIRE

Vera, Celia Patricia

2013-01-01

One issue that has pervaded policy discussions for decades is the difficulty that school districts experience in retaining teachers. Almost a quarter of entering public school teachers leave teaching within the first three years and empirical evidence has related high attrition rates of beginner teachers to family circumstances, such as maternity or marriage. I examine female teachers' career choices and inquire about the effects that wage increases and child care subsidies have on their empl...

SCHOOL VIOLENCE: THE PRACTICE TEACHERS AND SCHOOL LEAVING

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Luz María Esperanza Alegría-Rivas

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In this article, result of research from ethnography for peace, we reflect on the manifestations of violence in the educational practices in School Education in the State of Mexico which may be determining the school leaving. The purpose of this research is based on the idea that teachers can give a full sense of their teaching practices, opening spaces where teachers analyze whether there are demonstrations of violence in their teaching practice, and amend them to practice peace, which could positively influence learning processes of students with low valuations and thus reduce dropouts. Methodologically starts from ethnography to peace around context and manifestations of violence that occur in the classroom between teacher-student.

K-12 Teachers' Perceptions of School Policy and Fear of School Violence

Science.gov (United States)

Ricketts, Melissa L.

2007-01-01

Since the 1990s, schools have focused their attention on policies designed to improve school safety. Most researches on school violence policies have concentrated on the needs of students and administrators. This study investigated the impact of school violence policies on K-12 teachers' fear. Using self-report data from 447 K-12 teachers from a…

Comparison of public and private school teachers and school principals’ opinions in Abuja, Nigeria

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Deniz Ozcan

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This study aims to examine public and private school teachers’ opinions on different aspects of their professional associations and provisions and also asks principals about teachers’ conduct and their views on the Nigerian curriculum. To conduct this study, qualitative and quantitative research models were used to investigate differences between the two organizations. Quantitative data was collected by distributing questionnaires to 118 teachers in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC, Nigeria. To conduct the qualitative analysis, 15 teachers from two schools were selected (a total of 30 teachers to answer 5 discussion questions concerning their views on the Nigerian educational system. The findings revealed that private school teachers are at an advantage when it comes to provision of resources and technology, professional development and to some degree salaries. Both public and private school teachers felt being a teacher did not bring them respect in their community. Government policy makers need to study private schools and how they operate to see how they can make changes to produce the revolutionary reform needed in education. 30 principals’ interviews revealed that public school teachers are not easily held accountable for misconduct due to the structure of leadership, while private school teachers are held accountable and any form of unprofessionalism easily leads to termination of employment.

Melinda: De Facto Primary School Music Teacher

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de Vries, Peter

2013-01-01

A series of reviews dating back to the 1960s and a body of research literature points to the inadequate delivery of music education by generalist primary school teachers in Australian schools. Despite recommendations for specialist music teachers to teach music in all Australian primary schools to counter this ongoing trend, such an approach has…

Centauri High School Teacher Honored as Colorado Outstanding Biology

Science.gov (United States)

Teacher Centauri High School Teacher Honored as Colorado Outstanding Biology Teacher For more information contact: e:mail: Public Affairs Golden, Colo., May 2, 1997 -- Tracy Swedlund, biology teacher at Centauri High School in LaJara, was selected as Colorado's 1997 Outstanding Biology Teacher and will be

Characteristics of Israeli School Teachers in Computer-based Learning Environments

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Noga Magen-Nagar

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this research is to investigate whether there are differences in the level of computer literacy, the amount of implementation of ICT in teaching and learning-assessment processes and the attitudes of teachers from computerized schools in comparison to teachers in non-computerized schools. In addition, the research investigates the characteristics of Israeli school teachers in a 21st century computer-based learning environment. A quantitative research methodology was used. The research sample included 811 elementary school teachers from the Jewish sector of whom 402 teachers were from the computerized school sample and 409 were teachers from the non-computerized school sample. The research findings show that teachers from the computerized school sample are more familiar with ICT, tend to use ICT more and have a more positive attitude towards ICT than teachers in the non-computerized school sample. The main conclusion which can be drawn from this research is that positive attitudes of teachers towards ICT are not sufficient for the integration of technology to occur. Future emphasis on new teaching skills of collective Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge is necessary to promote the implementation of optimal pedagogy in innovative environments.

Professional Identity and Burnout among Pre-School, Elementary, and Post-Elementary School Teachers in Israel

Science.gov (United States)

Fisherman, Shraga

2015-01-01

The novelty of the present study is its attempt to distinguish between pre-school, elementary, and post-elementary school teachers, regarding the relationship between professional identity and burnout. Two hundred and forty teachers responded to two questionnaires: professional identity and teacher burnout scales. Pre-school teachers were found to…

Portrait of a Teacher-Led School

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Nazareno, Lori

2013-01-01

Imagine a school with no principal and with a leadership structure that holds teachers accountable for the learning of all students. About 50 such teacher-led schools currently operate across the United States, and this article tells the story of one of them. The Mathematics and Science Leadership Academy (MSLA) in Denver, Colorado, serves about…

Teachers' and School Administrators' Perceptions and Expectations on Teacher Leadership

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Semra Kıranlı

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In this study it is aimed to find out primary school teachers’ and principals’ expectations and perceptions related to teachers’ leadership. The population of this survey consists of primary school teachers and principals in Odunpazarı, one of the two central municipalities in Eskişehir, in 2011-2012 educational year. Teachers and principals of eight primary schools were taken as a sample among low, middle, high socio-economic level primary schools in Odunpazarı. 195 teachers and principals participated in this study. In this study a data device which consisted of two sections was used to accomplish the purpose of the study. A personal information form to define teachers’ and principals’ demographical features made the first section, whereas “The Questionnaire of Expectations and perceptions of Teacher Leadership Roles” developed by Beycioğlu (2009 and consisting of 25 items made the second section. Each item in the questionnaire has a five scale Lykert type evaluation and belongs to one of the three dimensions of both perception and expectation. These dimensions are institutional development, professional development and collaboration with colleagues.

Readiness of primary school teachers to accept disabled children

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Đević Rajka

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the results of the research with the basic goal to study the readiness of primary school teachers to accept disabled students. Research participants were 205 teachers from primary schools at the territory of Serbia. The goal was accomplished through: (a studying attitudes towards joint education of disabled students and their peers; (b studying teachers' experiences in working with disabled students; and (c studying teachers' readiness to accept disabled students, depending on their involvement/non-involvement in projects of inclusive education. Teachers express supportive attitudes towards joint schooling, but more than one half of them think that a selective approach is necessary in that process, according to the kind and degree of developmental disability. They support joint schooling from the humanistic point of view, but express concerns about the academic achievement of classes that include disabled students. The majority of teachers had experience in working with disabled students and based on that provided interesting suggestions for improving joint schooling. Higher readiness for accepting disabled students was demonstrated by teachers whose schools were involved in the projects of inclusive education. That implies the need for involving schools in similar projects and enabling teachers' immediate contact with students with developmental disabilities.

The Characteristics of a Good Mathematics Teacher in Terms of Students, Mathematics Teachers, and School Administrators

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Yesildere-Imre, Sibel

2017-01-01

This qualitative research aims to examine the opinions of school administrators, teachers, and middle school students about what makes a good mathematics teacher. Interviews were conducted with thirty-five participants: ten school administrators, ten mathematics teachers, and fifteen middle school students. A semi-structured interview form…

The Great Depression and Elementary School Teachers as Reported in "Grade Teacher" Magazine

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Field, Sherry L.; Bellows, Elizabeth

2012-01-01

This study focuses on elementary school teachers during the Great Depression and the role that they played to sustain everyday school activity. The authors draw evidence primarily from the pages of "Grade Teacher" magazine, through teachers' letters written to its editor, Florence Hale, and her responses to them. Opportunities to study…

Content knowledge of prospective elementary school teacher for fractional concepts

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Pattimukay, N.; Juniati, D.; Budiarto, M. T.

2018-03-01

The aim of this study was to describe the content knowledge especially the concept of fraction of prospective elementary school teacher. The purpose of this study is to describe the content knowledge, especially the concept of fraction of prospective elementary school teacher. The subject of the study was one of prospective elementary school teacher of Pattimura University. This research is qualitative research. Data were collected through the provision of tests to explore the knowledge content of primary school teacher candidates about fractional concepts. Then continued with qualitative data analysis. The results of this study are as follows: that the prospective primary school teacher defines fractions as part of the whole if an object is divided into equal parts, so that the part that has been divided is part of the whole. Furthermore, the prospective elementary school teacher understood the fractions as division shown in two ways, namely the prospective elementary school teacher understood the fraction as a division operation, the primary school teacher candidate interpreted the fraction as a division when an object is divided be part of the same. Meanwhile, the fraction as a ratio is interpreted as the relationship between a pair of numbers. Then, the denominations are interpreted as a ratio between the numerator and the denominator of the same value. The prospective elementary school teacher also understands fractions of value when simplifying fractions. Primary school teacher candidates understand the concept of fractional operations.

Secondary school teachers' attitudes towards and beliefs about ability grouping.

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Hallam, Susan; Ireson, Judith

2003-09-01

Internationally and historically considerable research has been undertaken regarding the attitudes of secondary school teachers towards different types of ability grouping. There has been no recent research taking account of the changing educational context in the UK. This paper aims to explore secondary school teachers' attitudes and beliefs about ability grouping taking account of school type, gender, experience and qualifications. The sample comprised over 1,500 teachers from 45 schools divided into three groups based on their ability grouping practices in years 7-9 (the students were aged 11-14). The sample included all the lower school teachers of mathematics, science and English and a random sample of teachers from other subjects in each school. Teachers responded to a questionnaire which explored their attitudes towards ability grouping through the use of rating scales and open-ended questions. The findings showed that the teachers' beliefs broadly reflected research findings on the actual effects of ability grouping, although there were significant differences relating to the type of school they taught in and the subject that they taught. Separate analysis of school types showed that length of time teaching, individual school differences and teacher qualifications were also significant predictors of attitudes. Teachers' beliefs about ability grouping are influenced by the type of groupings adopted in the school where they work, the subject that they teach, their experience and qualifications. As pedagogical practices are known to be influenced by beliefs these findings have important implications for teacher training.

A comparison of teacher stress and school climate across schools with different matric success rates

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Karen Milner

2008-05-01

Full Text Available Our aim was to investigate differences in teacher stress and perceptions of school climate among teachers from schools with differing matriculation success rates in the Limpopo province of South Africa. Two schools with matric pass rates of 100% and two schools with matric pass rates of less than 25% were selected from a list of schools provided by the province's Educational District Circuit. The schools were matched in terms of area, size, resources, and equipment. Thirty-three teachers from the high performing schools and forty-two teachers from the poor performing schools participated in the study. Student's t tests were used to assess the differences between the schools on the variables under investigation, and the results showed the teachers' experience of stress across the different schools was not significantly different, but significant differences did emerge with regard to school climate. The implications of these findings for the study population are discussed.

Teacher Preferences for Alternative School Site Administrative Models

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Hewitt, Paul M.; Denny, George S.; Pijanowski, John C.

2012-01-01

Public school teachers with high leadership potential who stated that they had no interest in being school principals were surveyed on their attitudes about six alternative school site administrative organizational models. Of the 391 teachers surveyed, 53% identified the Co-Principal model as the preferred school site administrative structure. In…

Pedagogical strategies for teaching literacy to ESL immigrant students: a meta-analysis.

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Adesope, Olusola O; Lavin, Tracy; Thompson, Terri; Ungerleider, Charles

2011-12-01

Many countries rely on immigrants for population growth and to maintain a skilled workforce. However, many such immigrants face literacy-related barriers to success in education and in the labour force. This meta-analysis reviews experimental and quasi-experimental studies to examine strategies for teaching English literacy to immigrant students. Following an exhaustive and systematic search for studies meeting pre-determined inclusion criteria, two researchers independently extracted data from 26 English as a Second Language (ESL) studies involving 3,150 participants. These participants consisted of ESL immigrant students in kindergarten through grade 6 who were exposed to English literacy instructional interventions. Measured outcomes were reading and writing. Mean effect sizes vary from small to large, depending on instructional interventions and outcome constructs. Across several different grade levels, settings, and methodological features, pedagogical strategies used in teaching ESL to immigrant students are associated with increased competence in reading and writing. Collaborative reading interventions, in which peers engage in oral interaction and cooperatively negotiate meaning and a shared understanding of texts, produced larger effects than systematic phonics instruction and multimedia-assisted reading interventions. The results show that the pedagogical strategies examined in this meta-analysis produced statistically significant benefits for students in all grade levels. The findings also show that students from low socio-economic status (SES) background benefit from ESL literacy interventions. However, significant heterogeneity was found in each subset. Educators and policy makers are encouraged to consider specific school contexts when making decisions about optimal pedagogical strategies. It is possible that contextual factors as well as ESL learner characteristics may influence the effectiveness of these strategies. To ensure literacy acquisition

A Study of Teacher Stereotypes: How Do Tuition-Free Teacher Candidates and General Undergraduates Think about Middle School and University Teachers in China?

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Zuo, Youxia; Zhao, Yufang; Peng, Chunhua; Chen, Youguo

2017-01-01

A tuition-free teacher candidate is an undergraduate who receives tuition-free teacher education and must work as a teacher in a middle school after their graduation. Tuition-free candidates are of the focus of many researchers; however, no study reports how tuition-free teacher candidates think about teachers. The present study explored stereotypes about middle school and university teachers held by teacher candidates. Specifically, we looked for the differences between the stereotypes held by the teacher candidates and general undergraduates. This study attempted to provide a potential tool to predict the actual willingness of teacher candidates to work as middle school teachers. University and middle school teachers were evaluated using descriptive phrases or words on a five-point Likert scale by 116 tuition-free teacher candidates and 155 general undergraduates. Exploratory factor analyses revealed a three-factor stereotype model including occupational cognition, occupational personality, and occupational emotion. Compared with general undergraduates, teacher candidates held more positive occupational personality and emotions toward middle school teachers; they held more negative occupational emotions toward university teachers. Further, the undergraduates' willingness to be middle school teachers positively correlated with positive occupational emotions and negatively correlated with negative occupational personality and emotions toward middle school teachers. This supported previous studies that individuals' professional willingness were influenced by their stereotypes about professions. PMID:28469587

A Study of Teacher Stereotypes: How Do Tuition-Free Teacher Candidates and General Undergraduates Think about Middle School and University Teachers in China?

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Zuo, Youxia; Zhao, Yufang; Peng, Chunhua; Chen, Youguo

2017-01-01

A tuition-free teacher candidate is an undergraduate who receives tuition-free teacher education and must work as a teacher in a middle school after their graduation. Tuition-free candidates are of the focus of many researchers; however, no study reports how tuition-free teacher candidates think about teachers. The present study explored stereotypes about middle school and university teachers held by teacher candidates. Specifically, we looked for the differences between the stereotypes held by the teacher candidates and general undergraduates. This study attempted to provide a potential tool to predict the actual willingness of teacher candidates to work as middle school teachers. University and middle school teachers were evaluated using descriptive phrases or words on a five-point Likert scale by 116 tuition-free teacher candidates and 155 general undergraduates. Exploratory factor analyses revealed a three-factor stereotype model including occupational cognition, occupational personality, and occupational emotion. Compared with general undergraduates, teacher candidates held more positive occupational personality and emotions toward middle school teachers; they held more negative occupational emotions toward university teachers. Further, the undergraduates' willingness to be middle school teachers positively correlated with positive occupational emotions and negatively correlated with negative occupational personality and emotions toward middle school teachers. This supported previous studies that individuals' professional willingness were influenced by their stereotypes about professions.

Developing teacher leadership and its impact in schools

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Snoek, M.

2014-01-01

Leadership of teachers is considered as one of the key factors for innovation and quality improvement in schools. However, as leadership qualities are not a standard element in initial teacher education programs, arrangements for professional development of teachers in schools needs to address the

Fluency First: Reversing the Traditional ESL Sequence.

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MacGowan-Gilhooly, Adele

1991-01-01

Describes an ESL department's whole language approach to writing and reading, replacing its traditional grammar-based ESL instructional sequence. Reports the positive quantitative and qualitative results of the first three years of using the new approach. (KEH)

Impact of Teacher Supports and Workplace Settings on Retaining Teachers in New Jersey Schools

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Cheasty, Michelle E.

2011-01-01

Teacher turnover in New Jersey public schools continues to grow every year. As a result, schools and school districts are continuously seeking ways to ensure that every position available is staffed with highly qualified teachers. In addition, schools seek to provide familiarity and stability to those involved with the schools. In an effort to…

WHAT STUDENTS SAY AND WHAT TEACHERS THINK: INFORMAL TALK IN ESL LEARNING

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Kimberly Bunts-Anderson, PhD

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The importance of interacting with others has long been considered a critical component of learning processes in general and from a Social Interactions perspective, of language learning, specifically. This presentation explores these relationships from either side of the classroom door. The discussion centers on the beliefs and experiences of learners’ spoken interactions in their own lives outside the classroom and how students view communication with others as impacting their overall knowledge of the language. The paper also looks at these issues from the perspective of the teachers. Multiple perspectives are illustrated with data collected from two Australian studies. The first study describes a cooperative action research project conducted with 13 foreign ESL students focused on enhancing their language learning through improving their personal out-of-class spoken interactions with others. Individual’s narratives of language learning and communication are presented. Results indicate improved learner efficacy and higher assessments in formal learning contexts. The second study is a phenomenographic investigation of 28 EAP instructors’ reported descriptions of learners’ verbal communications in and outside the classroom. Findings indicate greater awareness of formal interactions and fewer categories of conceptions for informal spoken language. The resulting categories for language appear similar to reports of surface and deeper approaches of learning, knowing and thinking in other subject areas. The researcher provided excerpts of instructors' reports and discusses the significance of developing an awareness of the relationships between these spoken communications and cognition. In conclusion, audience participants were asked to share their own thoughts and experiences with these relationships.

Principal Leadership Style and Teacher Commitment among a Sample of Secondary School Teachers in Barbados

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Ian Alwyn Marshall

2015-05-01

Full Text Available In Barbados, the issue of principal leadership and teacher productivity has occupied the attention of teacher unions and educational authorities alike.  The teachers have been calling for principals to be removed while the principals have been arguing for greater autonomy to discipline teachers. This state of affairs has, understandably, adversely impacted teacher commitment levels.  In the literature there is a clear correlation between principal leadership style and teacher commitment, however, it is important to know whether or not the relationship holds true in the context of Barbadian schools. This author is of the view that if teacher commitment levels are to return to those in evidence in effective schools, then attention must be given to the way in which principals exercise their leadership functions. This study was therefore designed to examine in greater detail the relationship between principal leadership style and teacher commitment.  The author employed purposive sampling to survey a cohort of ninety (90 teachers and eleven (11 principals drawn from eleven secondary schools. Results confirmed the relationship between principal leadership style and teacher commitment, and a statistically significant difference in the level of commitment reported by teachers at newer secondary schools and teachers at older secondary schools. Results also indicated that biographical variables moderated the relationship between principal leadership style and teacher commitment. Additionally, the regression model indicated that the principal leadership style sub-variables, in combination, accounted for some variance in the commitment demonstrated by teachers.

Teacher Performance Trajectories in High- and Lower-Poverty Schools

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Xu, Zeyu; Özek, Umut; Hansen, Michael

2015-01-01

This study explores whether teacher performance trajectory over time differs by school-poverty settings. Focusing on elementary school mathematics teachers in North Carolina and Florida, we find no systematic relationship between school student poverty rates and teacher performance trajectories. In both high- (=60% free/reduced-price lunch [FRPL])…

Professional Development Urban Schools: What Do Teachers Say?

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Green, Tanya R.; Allen, Mishaleen

2015-01-01

This quantitative causal-comparative study compared perceptions of professional development opportunities between high-achieving and low-achieving elementary-middle school teachers in an urban school district using the Standards Assessment Inventory (SAI). A total of 271 teachers participated including 134 (n = 134) teachers from high-achieving…

Inclusive Education in Government Primary Schools: Teacher Perceptions

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Itfaq Khaliq Khan

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The perceptions of primary school teachers towards inclusive education was investigated in mainstream government schools of Islamabad capital territory where inclusive education was being supported by Sight savers and other international organizations. The study was carried out involving 54 teachers in six randomly selected primary schools. The sampled group comprised both, teachers trained in inclusive education and teachers working in same schools, but not trained in inclusive education. Purposive sampling method was used to select the teachers. Structured questionnaire (Likert Scale and structured interview method was used for data collection. The results of the study revealed that inclusive education is considered to be a desirable practice. The teachers believed that all learners regardless of their disabilities should be in regular classrooms and they showed more favorable attitude towards children with mild disabilities, but were not very optimistic about children with severe disabilities. The study also recognized teachers’ capacity as an essential component of inclusive education and recommends that inclusive education should be a part of pre and in-service teacher education.

Greenhouse Schools: How Schools Can Build Cultures Where Teachers and Students Thrive. Executive Summary

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TNTP, 2012

2012-01-01

Successful teachers make successful schools. Yet some schools are better than others at accelerating student learning by developing and keeping great teachers, even compared to schools that serve the same population of students and have access to the same resources. These schools are called "greenhouse schools"--schools with carefully fostered…

Australian Lesbian Teachers--A Reflection of Homophobic Harassment of High School Teachers in New South Wales Government Schools.

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Ferfolja, Tania

1998-01-01

Examines the homophobic harassment of lesbian teachers working in government high schools in Sydney (Australia). The experiences of six lesbian teachers show that harassment based on sexual orientation is often an invisible issue in schools, as is homosexuality in general. Recommendations are made for teaching about homosexual tolerance. (SLD)

The Identity of Catholic Schools as Seen by Teachers in Catholic Schools in Queensland

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Gleeson, Jim; O'Gorman, John; O'Neill, Maureen

2018-01-01

This paper reports on the opinions of teachers in Queensland Catholic schools regarding the identity, purposes and characteristics of Catholic schools. It draws on survey data from 2287 teachers in Catholic schools as well as semi-structured interviews with 20 teachers. Respondents were asked about their reasons for working in Catholic Education…

Job Satisfaction, School Rule Enforcement, and Teacher Victimization

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Kapa, Ryan; Gimbert, Belinda

2018-01-01

Job satisfaction is an essential component of teacher motivation, performance, and retention. Teacher job satisfaction is primarily affected by workplace conditions. This paper analyzes data from over 37,000 public school teachers from the 2011--2012 Schools and Staffing Survey. Hierarchical ordinal logistic regression was utilized to analyze…

Occupational Stress and Professional Development of Primary School Teachers

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Mateja Modrej

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The occupation of primary school teachers is considered one of the most stressful professions. The survey was used to determine the incidence of stress in 110 primary school teachers in urban and rural schools in Slovenia, depending on seniority. Its aim was to learn about stress symptoms, stressful situations and strategies to manage stress among teachers. The results show that teachers evaluate their work as a very responsible one and in majority do not think about changing their job. Teachers most often perceive physical and emotional symptoms of stress. They are faced with stressful situations when working with pupils, at their professional work, and in relations with colleagues, school management, and parents. When difficulties arise in their work, teachers most often turn for help to a colleague or the school management; and they manage their stress by going for a walk and talking to their friends.

Developing Inclusive Pre-Service and In-Service Teacher Education: Insights from Zanzibar Primary School Teachers

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Juma, Said; Lehtomäki, Elina; Naukkarinen, Aimo

2017-01-01

Developing inclusive teacher education to improve learning and schooling for all children is attracting increasing interest worldwide. This study examined teachers' insights into the development of inclusive teacher education by drawing on collaborative action research conducted by 20 primary school teachers in Zanzibar, Tanzania. The data were…

School Library Media Specialist-Teacher Collaboration: Characteristics, Challenges, Opportunities

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Cooper, O. P.; Bray, Marty

2011-01-01

The most successful school library media specialists are those who collaborate with teachers as full partners in the instructional process. Without assertive action by the school library media specialist, however, school administrators and teachers are likely to be more aware of the media specialist's administrative role than the roles of teacher,…

Standards for Adult Education ESL Programs

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TESOL Press, 2013

2013-01-01

What are the components of a quality education ESL program? TESOL's "Standards for Adult Education ESL Programs" answers this question by defining quality components from a national perspective. Using program indicators in eight distinct areas, the standards can be used to review an existing program or as a guide in setting up a new…

Why Do They Want to Become English Teachers: A Case Study of Taiwanese EFL Teachers

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Shih, Chih-Min

2016-01-01

Although it has been argued that knowledge on initial motivation for choosing teaching as a career is necessary for improving teacher education programmes and teacher education policies, there is a lack of research investigating this issue in the fields of English as a second language (ESL) and English as a foreign language (EFL). Grounded in Watt…

Secondary school teachers' experiences of teaching pregnant ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... learners, and this requires a health facilitation model to enable teachers to assist pregnant learners such that they might better benefit from their schooling, and experience a positive health outcome. Key words: high risk pregnancy; learner pregnancy; school health services; teacher experiences; teenage pregnancy ...

Redesigning nursing tutorials for ESL students: a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

San Miguel, Caroline; Townsend, Lisa; Waters, Cheryl

2013-04-01

Increased enrolments of Bachelor of Nursing (BN) students who speak English as a second language (ESL) can help create a multilingual and culturally diverse workforce that is better prepared to meet the needs of increasingly diverse health populations. However, although ESL enrolments are increasing, attrition rates for ESL students tend to be higher than those of native speakers of English, partly due to academic failure. At the same time, concerns have been expressed in some quarters about the low levels of English language of entering students. As it is unlikely that language entry levels to university will be raised, sustainable programmes that help ESL students better meet the academic challenges they may face need to be developed. So far, models of ESL support have been mostly an adjunct to their degree, voluntary and not well attended. This paper discusses a model using tutorials integrated into the first year nursing curriculum that were specifically designed for ESL students with low levels of English language proficiency. The paper also examines students' perceptions of such tutorials, which they found beneficial to their learning.

High School Band Students' Perspectives of Teacher Turnover

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Kloss, Thomas E.

2013-01-01

Teacher turnover remains an important issue in education. The least researched perspectives, though, are those of the students who experience teacher turnover. The purpose of this study was to examine how high school band students experience teacher turnover. A total of twelve students were interviewed, representing three schools that experienced…

CRITERIA OF FORMATION OF SOCIAL-PEDAGOGICAL COMPETENCE OF FUTURE PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN INCLUSIVE SECONDARY SCHOOL

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Zoia Shevtsiv

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The article aims to justify the formation of criteria and indicators of social-pedagogical competence of the future teachers of primary school of inclusive comprehensive school and to determine its level of development. The objectives are to determine the status of the development problems of professional competence of teachers in inclusive education; essence and structural components of social-pedagogical competence of future primary school teacher of inclusive comprehensive school; criteria, indicators and levels of social-pedagogical competence of future primary school teacher of inclusive comprehensive schools. The education system in Ukraine is gradually transition to inclusive education. Inclusive comprehensive school is being created. It requires a highly qualified primary school teacher who co-teaches regulatory children and children with disability. The article is grounded the necessity of social-pedagogical competence of future teachers of primary school of inclusive comprehensive schools. The essence of social-pedagogical competence of future primary school teacher of inclusive comprehensive schools is defined. The structural components of social-pedagogical competence are characterized. Scientific papers on the issue of formation of competence of experts in various fields are analyzed. The pronunciation for selection and justification criteria and parameters of formation of professional competence is overviewed. The group of the criteria suggested by various scientists from the evaluation of the formation of professional competence of specialists in different fields is considered. The criteria and parameters of evaluating the levels of social-pedagogical competence of future teachers of primary school in inclusive comprehensive schools are selected on the base of the analysis of modern achievements of scientists. Future prospects of research is in developing of a method of diagnosing the levels of social-pedagogical competence of

Estimating Cause: Teacher Turnover and School Effectiveness in Michigan

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Keesler, Venessa; Schneider, Barbara

2010-01-01

The purpose of this paper is investigate issues related to within-school teacher supply and school-specific teacher turnover within the state of Michigan using state administrative data on Michigan's teaching force. This paper 1) investigates the key predictors of teacher turnover and mobility, 2) develops a profile of schools that are likely to…

Inclusive Education in Government Primary Schools: Teacher Perceptions

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Khan, Itfaq Khaliq; Hashmi, ShujahatHaider; Khanum, Nabeela

2017-01-01

The perceptions of primary school teachers towards inclusive education was investigated in mainstream government schools of Islamabad capital territory where inclusive education was being supported by Sight savers and other international organizations. The study was carried out involving 54 teachers in six randomly selected primary schools. The…

The Effects of Teacher Perceptions of Administrative Support, School Climate, and Academic Success in Urban Schools

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Robinson, Lakishia N.

2015-01-01

Teacher turnover refers to major changes in teachers' assignments from one school year to the next. Past research has given an overview of several factors of teacher turnover. These factors include the school environment, teacher collaborative efforts, administrative support, school climate, location, salary, classroom management, academic…

Designing Websites for ESL Learners: A Usability Testing Study

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Liu, Min; Traphagan, Tomoko; Huh, Jin; Koh, Young Ihn; Choi, Gilok; McGregor, Allison

2008-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to report on a usability study for ESL websites conducted to gain insights from learners of English as a second language (ESL) as they interacted with specific sites. Five carefully selected ESL sites were tested by 10 different users generating a total of fifty testing sessions. Two major research questions guided the…

HEADMASTER POLICY OF SENIOR ISLAMIC SCHOOL TO INCREAS TEACHER PROFESIONALISM AT STATE SENIOR ISLAMIC SCHOOL 2 MODEL MEDAN

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Muhammad Arifin Tanjung

2017-09-01

Full Text Available State Senior Islamic School 2 Model Medan oh of famous Islamic schools in North Sumatera. The issues in this writing are what are the formulation, organization, application, and evaluation of headmaster Policy of Senior Islamic School to Increase Teacher Professionalism at State Senior Islamic School 2 Model Medan. To explain the main issue in this writings, I have to observe and interview the Moslem population. Data has been collected will be explained detailly and analyzed by Islamic education management. Based on research, formulation of headmaster Policy of Senior Islamic School to Increase Teacher Professionalism at State Senior Islamic School 2 Model Medan is bottom up which ideas from teachers, beginning from teachers meeting in one subject, teachers meeting in one program, annual meeting in a month and annual meeting in a year, and finally in teamwork, for example, anual teachers meeting, seminar, workshop, coffee morning, study comparison to university and another school. It will motivate teacher in teaching, activity, and anything. Besides it, headmaster facilitates everything whatever teacher need it, for example, infocus, laptop, and everything. And the organization of headmaster Policy of Senior Islamic School to Increase Teacher Professionalism at State Senior Islamic School 2 Model Medan is cooperation with the school community and he helped by vices and head program and teachers and chairman of the student. The special of school organization is evaluation of teachers activity and relation to abroad. Headmaster states his position as a teacher who teaches students, a leader who leads teachers, a manager who manages, a motivator who motivate, a supervisor who supervise teachers activity, and facilitator for teachers. And finally evaluation of headmaster Policy of Senior Islamic School to Increase the Teacher Professionalism at State Senior Islamic School 2 Model Medan each level, beginning from teachers meeting in one subject

The Teacher Strike: School District Protection Procedures. A Manual for School District Officials on How to Handle a Teachers' Strike.

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Igoe, Joseph A.; DiRocco, Anthony P.

This booklet is designed to give practical and realistic advice to school district officials faced with the possibility of a teachers' strike. It is intended for use both by school district administrators and school board members. The booklet is organized into four sections that focus in turn on signs of a pending teachers' strike, union…

Knowledge and attitude of secondary school teachers in Enugu to school based sex education.

Science.gov (United States)

Aniebue, P N

2007-12-01

To assess the knowledge and attitude to sex education among secondary school teachers in Enugu. A cross sectional study of 300 teachers drawn from nine randomly selected secondary schools in Enugu metropolis was carried out. Pre-tested self administered structured questionnaire was used as instrument for data collection. Three hundred teachers, 215 females and 85 males were interviewed. The mean age of the teachers was 38.1+/-7.5 years. Sixty-nine (23.0%) had adequate knowledge of sex education and 282 (94.0%) approved the inclusion of sex education into the school curriculum. The commonest reason for disapproval of sex education was fear that it would lead to promiscuity amongst the students. Educational status and marital status of the teachers were significant determinants of positive attitude to sex education psex education according to the teachers is 11-15 years. Two hundred and thirty eight (79.3%) respondents were of the opinion that teachers needed to be trained to provide sex education to students and 244 (81.3%) admitted that sex education was not in the school curriculum. Secondary school teachers are in support of provision of sex education to students. However they need training and skills on how to present sex information in a positive manner to achieve the desired goal. There is need to include sex education in the school curriculum.

Problems of discipline in primary and secondary school: Teachers' opinions

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Savović Branka B.

2002-01-01

Full Text Available Investigations carried out in late 2001 in primary and secondary schools of Belgrade, Novi Sad and Niš comprised students, teachers and associates. The aim of investigations was to get insight into the state-of-the-arts problems and needs of our primary and secondary schools. The paper is a part of investigations, related to the results obtained for students' opinions of their interrelations with teachers as well as opinions of teachers themselves. The sample comprised 727 students of 4th grade of secondary vocational and high schools, 562 students of 8th grade of primary schools 168 secondary school and 107 primary school teachers. We investigated their interrelationships and within this framework the level of potential or current aggressive behavior. The majority of teachers (51% estimated student-teacher relationships mediocre - neither good nor bad. The most frequent problem in students' behavior is, according to the teachers instruction disturbance. One-quarter of teachers find that students offend them, ridicule them, or mock at them in front of others, and 5 per cent complain of physical injury intimidation on the part of students. When a problem comes up, 18 per cent of teachers talk with a student, and nearly 10 per cent of teachers give lower grades in their subject, so as to punish a student for undisciplined behaviors. In teachers' opinion, society, school the least, is to be blamed for the situation.

School-based In-service Teacher training

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knudsen, Hans Jørgen; Hadzibegovic-Bubanja, Elvira; Nielsen, Søren P.

-based initiatives as an integral part of modern teacher education programmes. The publication is an attempt to translate more academic reflections into action by being practice-oriented. However, not in the form of a classical tool kit or how-to-do guidelines which would wrongly give the impression...... of modern teacher education programmes. The publication is an attempt to translate more academic reflections into action by being practice-oriented. However, not in the form of a classical tool kit or how-to-do guidelines which would wrongly give the impression that it is possible to develop guidelines...... upper–secondary education). The philosophy of the Handbook is that teacher competence development becomes both more efficient and much cheaper if closely related to the actual job requirements of teachers, organised at school level and for teams of teachers with strong support from school leadership...

High school mathematics teachers' perspectives on the purposes of mathematical proof in school mathematics

Science.gov (United States)

Dickerson, David S.; Doerr, Helen M.

2014-12-01

Proof serves many purposes in mathematics. In this qualitative study of 17 high school mathematics teachers, we found that these teachers perceived that two of the most important purposes for proof in school mathematics were (a) to enhance students' mathematical understanding and (b) to develop generalized thinking skills that were transferable to other fields of endeavor. We found teachers were divided on the characteristics (or features) of proofs that would serve these purposes. Teachers with less experience tended to believe that proofs in the high school should adhere to strict standards of language and reasoning while teachers with more experience tended to believe that proofs based on concrete or visual features were well suited for high school mathematics. This study has implications for teacher preparation because it appears that there is a wide variation in how teachers think about proof. It seems likely that students would experience proof very differently merely because they were seated in different classrooms.

Middle-School Mathematics Teachers' Beliefs in NCTM's Vision

Science.gov (United States)

Perrin, John Robert

2012-01-01

This study examined the extent to which seventh- and eighth-grade mathematics teachers are aware of National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) standards documents, Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics and Principles and Standards for School Mathematics and agree with NCTM's vision of school mathematics as expressed in…

Motivation and Job Satisfaction of Catholic School Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Convey, John J.

2014-01-01

This article examines the relationship between Catholic school teachers' motivation and job satisfaction. The data are derived from a survey of 716 teachers in Catholic elementary and secondary schools in three dioceses in the US (Atlanta, GA; Biloxi, MS; and Cheyenne, WY). The school's academic philosophy and its environment were important…

Perceptions of elementary school teachers of their pupils\\' eye ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Perceptions of elementary school teachers of their pupils\\' eye health in ilorin, nigeria. ... PROMOTING ACCESS TO AFRICAN RESEARCH ... roles that school teachers are expected to play in school eye health programmes, their perceptions ...

Novice Teachers Learning from Others: Mentoring in Shanghai Schools

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Salleh, Hairon; Tan, Charlene

2013-01-01

This paper explores critically the practice of teacher mentoring in Shanghai schools. It begins with a review of the literature on teacher mentoring, which is followed by an introduction to education and teacher mentoring in the schools. The next section critiques teacher mentoring in Shanghai and we highlight three key characteristics and…

Motivating Teachers' Commitment to Change through Transformational School Leadership in Chinese Urban Upper Secondary Schools

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Liu, Peng

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of transformational school leadership on teachers' commitment to change and the effects of organizational and teachers' factors on teachers' perception of transformational school leadership in the Chinese urban upper secondary school context. Design/methodology/approach: The paper mainly…

Prospective teachers' perceptions of the school psychologist's role

OpenAIRE

Poulou, Maria

2002-01-01

Acknowledging the importance of teachers’ implicit theories for the determination of school psychologist’s role, this study aims to elicit prospective teachers’ personal theories for the role of school psychologist. By using metaphoric pictures, 59 pre-service teachers described their perceptions of the school psychologist’s role in relation to other members of the school community, the expectations of both teachers and the school psychologist in relation to the role of the ...

Exploring personality traits and well-being among pre-school and primary school teachers in Croatia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sanja Tatalović Vorkapić

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Background Pre-school and primary school teachers are directly involved in the education of children. In addition to teachers’ competences, the quality of their work is significantly influenced by their psychological well-being. It is therefore important to focus on their well-being as well as on personality traits they have. The main objective of this study was to examine the relationship between life satisfaction, happiness, optimism and personality traits of pre-school and primary school teachers in Croatia. Participants and procedure The study was conducted on a sample of 103 pre-school teachers and 117 primary school teachers who completed self-evaluated scales on personality traits, life satisfaction, happiness and optimism. Results The results demonstrated high levels of all personality traits in both samples. High levels of life satisfaction were positively associated with happiness and optimism. Personality traits were also positively associated with life satisfaction, happiness and optimism. There were no differences in life satisfaction, happiness, optimism or personality traits between pre-school and primary school teachers, except for openness to experience being higher in pre-school teachers. Emotional stability was a significant predictor of teachers’ well-being. Conclusions The results have significant implications for improvement of teaching practice at primary school and pre-school levels. The findings highlight the importance of teachers’ personality traits and their well-being for the quality of their work with children.

Qualifications of Subject Teachers in Special Education Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Rasmussen, Meryem Uçar; Kis, Arzu

2018-01-01

Teacher qualifications are essential to be able to teach children with special needs efficiently. Therefore the aim of this study is to determine the qualifications of subject teachers in special education schools in Turkey. In the study 20 subject teachers within the field of music, art and sports who worked in special education schools in Turkey…

Exposure to Mobbing: Perceptions of Primary School Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Çeliköz, Mine; Çeliköz, Nadir

2017-01-01

The general purpose of the present research is to examine teachers' perceptions of being exposed to Mobbing. The population of the research, in which the screening model is used, consists of teachers working in private and public elementary schools during the 2015-2016 school year. The study group is formed with 305 teachers who were voluntarily…

Teachers' and School Leaders' Perceptions of Commercialisation in Australian Public Schools

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Hogan, Anna; Thompson, Greg; Sellar, Sam; Lingard, Bob

2018-01-01

This paper explores teachers' and school leaders' perceptions of commercialisation in Australian public schools, reporting on findings from an open-ended survey question from an exploratory study that sought to investigate teacher and school leader perceptions and experiences of commercialisation. Commercialisation, for the purposes of this paper,…

Shakespeare as a Second Language: Playfulness, Power and Pedagogy in the ESL Classroom

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Cheng, Astrid Yi-Mei; Winston, Joe

2011-01-01

This article presents an argument for the inclusion of Shakespeare in the senior high school ESL (English as a Second Language) curriculum in Taiwan, to be taught through a physical, participatory pedagogy in line with the approaches of drama education in general and those currently being promoted by the education department of the UK-based Royal…

Middle School Science Teachers' Perceptions of Social Justice: A Study of Two Female Teachers

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Upadhyay, Bhaskar

2010-01-01

The focus of this qualitative study is to document two middle school science teachers' perceptions of social justice and how these teachers implement various aspects of social justice in their science instruction. The two teachers teach science in an urban school that serves students from low-income, immigrant, and ethnic minority families. The…

Elementary School Teachers and Teaching with Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Varol, Filiz

2013-01-01

This study aims to identify the relationship between elementary school teachers' ICT engagement with their attitudes towards technology. To this end, one hundred elementary school students were asked to fill out questionnaires related to their ICT knowledge, usage, and attitude towards technology. The results show that teachers' ICT knowledge and…

Especially for High School Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Howell, J. Emory

1999-09-01

Secondary School Feature Articles * Authentic Research within the Grasp of High School Students, by Annis Hapkiewicz, p 1212 * JCE Classroom Activity #19: Blueprint Photography by the Cyanotype Process, by Glen D. Lawrence and Stuart Fishelson, p 1216A Author Recognition A new program has been instituted to recognize high school teachers who are authors or coauthors of manuscripts published in the Journal. In May, letters were sent to teachers who wrote articles published in JCE beginning with Volume 74 (1997). If you were an author, you should have received a letter from us in late May or early June stating that your high school principal has been sent a Certificate of High School Author Recognition to be presented to you at a suitable occasion. Because the letters were sent late in the school year, you may not see the certificate until fall, or you may not receive your letter until then if we had only your school address. If you have authored or coauthored an article published in JCE and did not receive a letter, please contact me using the information about the Secondary School Chemistry Editor appearing on the Information Page in this issue. Syllabus Swap In the August issue, this column contained an invitation to exchange high school syllabi. The day after my copy of the August issue arrived, I received an email from a teacher indicating an interest in participating in an exchange. If you are interested, check the August "Especially for High School Chemistry Teachers" column for a brief discussion of the informal exchange program, or contact me. Research Conducted by High School Students In his June 1999 editorial "Learning Is a Do-It-Yourself Activity", p 725, John Moore wrote about the need to engage students actively in the learning process. As I have mentioned in this column previously, research conducted by students is one means of accomplishing this goal. In this issue, p 1212, Annis Hapkiewicz explains how she has drawn her Okemos [Michigan] High School

An Empirical Investigation into Nigerian ESL Learners ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

General observations indicate that ESL learners in Nigeria tend to manifest fear and anxiety in grammar classes, which could influence their performance negatively or positively. This study examines empirically some of the reasons for some ESL learners' apprehension of grammar classes. The data for the study were ...

Teachers' Knowledge and Readiness towards Implementation of School Based Assessment in Secondary Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Veloo, Arsaythamby; Krishnasamy, Hariharan N.; Md-Ali, Ruzlan

2015-01-01

School-Based Assessment (SBA) was implemented in Malaysian secondary schools in 2012. Since its implementation, teachers have faced several challenges to meet the aims and objectives of the School-Based Assessment. Based on these challenges this study aims to find the level of teachers' knowledge and readiness towards the implementation of…

Rural Elementary School Teachers' Technology Integration

Science.gov (United States)

Howley, Aimee; Wood, Lawrence; Hough, Brian

2011-01-01

Based on survey responses from more than 500 third-grade teachers, this study addressed three research questions relating to technology integration and its impact in rural elementary schools. The first analyses compared rural with non-rural teachers, revealing that the rural teachers had more positive attitudes toward technology integration. Then…

Principals' and Teachers' Practices about Parent Involvement in Schooling

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Erdener, Mehmet Akif

2016-01-01

Parent involvement has an influence on children's educational engagement for all school levels. The objective of this study was to examine public school principals' and teachers' practices for improving parent involvement in schooling. This study used a mixed method to identify the school administrators' and teachers' perceptions about parent…

Student-teacher relationships matter for school inclusion: school belonging, disability, and school transitions.

Science.gov (United States)

Crouch, Ronald; Keys, Christopher B; McMahon, Susan D

2014-01-01

For students with disabilities, the process of school inclusion often begins with a move from segregated settings into general education classrooms. School transitions can be stressful as students adjust to a new environment. This study examines the adjustment of 133 students with and without disabilities who moved from a school that served primarily students with disabilities into 23 public schools in a large urban school district in the Midwest. These students and 111 of their teachers and other school staff rated the degree that students felt they belonged in their new schools and the quality of their social interactions. Results show that students who experienced more positive and fewer negative social interactions with school staff had higher school belonging. Teachers accurately noted whether students felt they belonged in their new settings, but were not consistently able to identify student perceptions of negative social interactions with staff. Implications for inclusion and improving our educational system are explored.

Reading and esl writers Reading and esl writers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John R. Edlund

2008-04-01

Full Text Available Whether the student population consists of basic writers, non-native speakers, or well-prepared freshmen and whether the primary goal of the class is improvement in writing ability, language and vocabulary acquisition, or critical thinking skills, there is considerable evidence that substantial amounts of reading arc an essential component of the course (See Krashen Writing: Research, Theory and Applications for a summary. This is especially true in the ESL composition class, where language acquisition is still a major factor in the student's success as a writer. Whether the student population consists of basic writers, non-native speakers, or well-prepared freshmen and whether the primary goal of the class is improvement in writing ability, language and vocabulary acquisition, or critical thinking skills, there is considerable evidence that substantial amounts of reading arc an essential component of the course (See Krashen Writing: Research, Theory and Applications for a summary. This is especially true in the ESL composition class, where language acquisition is still a major factor in the student's success as a writer.

Teacher Turnover in Charter Schools. Research Brief

Science.gov (United States)

Stuit, David; Smith, Thomas M.

2010-01-01

The current study aimed to contribute to a deeper understanding of the organizational conditions of charter schools by examining teacher turnover. Using data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) 2003-04 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) and the Teacher Follow-Up Survey (TFS), researchers from the National Center on School…

Problem Solving Strategies among Primary School Teachers

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Yew, Wun Thiam; Lian, Lim Hooi; Meng, Chew Cheng

2017-01-01

The purpose of this article was to examine problem solving strategies among primary school teachers. The researchers employed survey research design to examine their problem solving strategies. The participants of this study consisted of 120 primary school teachers from a public university in Peninsula Malaysia who enrolled in a 4-year Graduating…

Twelve Middle-School Teachers' Planning.

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Brown, Deborah Sardo

1988-01-01

Case studies described 12 middle-school teachers' instructional yearly, unit, weekly, and daily planning on the basis of a background questionnaire, interview protocols, an analysis of written plans, think-aloud typescripts, and a questionnaire. A process model best characterized teachers long-term planning, while an agenda-formulation model fit…

Empowering Middle School Teachers with Portable Computers.

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Weast, Jerry D.; And Others

1993-01-01

A Sioux Falls (South Dakota) project that supplied middle school teachers with Macintosh computers and training to use them showed gratifying results. Easy access to portable notebook computers made teachers more active computer users, increased teacher interaction and collaboration, enhanced teacher productivity regarding management tasks and…

Teachers' Perceptions and Experiences Consulting with School Counselors: A Qualitative Study

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Cholewa, Blair; Goodman-Scott, Emily; Thomas, Antoinette; Cook, Jennifer

2016-01-01

School counselor-teacher consultation is an efficient strategy for school counselors to indirectly serve students on their caseload. Teachers' perceptions are crucial in examining this consultation process. This qualitative study examined elementary school teachers' perceptions and experiences of school counselor-teacher consultation. The…

Online workspaces to support teacher communities in secondary schools

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Admiraal, W.; Heemskerk, I.M.C.C.; Roceanu, I.

2012-01-01

Teacher communities are claimed to contribute to the improvement in the practices of teaching and schooling as well as individual teacher development and the collective capacity schools. How to define, design and support teacher communities is however still unclear. In this expert study, experts

Teacher Reflective Practice in Jesuit High Schools

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Klug, Joseph H.

2010-01-01

Teachers who engage in reflective practice are more effective and may encourage higher student achievement. The purpose of this study is to explore and describe the methods that teachers use in order to engage in reflective practice. Further, it is essential to gain an understanding of how schools, including Jesuit high schools, promote reflective…

A Comparison of Middle School Teachers' Pupil Control Ideology

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Jones, Paul; Garner, Arthur E.

1978-01-01

Compares pupil control ideology--discipline policy--of middle school classroom teachers with the intent of finding what attributes are needed for middle school teachers and the particular type classroom environment that facilitates optimum learning conditions for middle school children. (Author/RK)

Principals' instructional management skills and middle school science teacher job satisfaction

Science.gov (United States)

Gibbs-Harper, Nzinga A.

The purpose of this research study was to determine if a relationship exists between teachers' perceptions of principals' instructional leadership behaviors and middle school teacher job satisfaction. Additionally, this study sought to assess whether principal's instructional leadership skills were predictors of middle school teachers' satisfaction with work itself. This study drew from 13 middle schools in an urban Mississippi school district. Participants included teachers who taught science. Each teacher was given the Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale (PIMRS; Hallinger, 2011) and the Teacher Job Satisfaction Questionnaire (TJSQ; Lester, 1987) to answer the research questions. The study was guided by two research questions: (a) Is there a relationship between the independent variables Defining the School's Mission, Managing the Instructional Program, and Developing the School Learning Climate Program and the dependent variable Work Itself?; (b) Are Defining the School's Mission, Managing the Instructional Program, and Developing the School Learning Climate Program predictors of Work Itself? The Pearson's correlation and multiple regression analysis were utilized to examine the relationship between the three dimensions of principals' instructional leadership and teacher satisfaction with work itself. The data revealed that there was a strong, positive correlation between all three dimensions of principals' instructional leadership and teacher satisfaction with work itself. However, the multiple regression analysis determined that teachers' perceptions of principals' instructional management skills is a slight predictor of Defining the School's Mission only.

Emergency Immigration Education Act Programs: Summer E.S.L. Welcome Plus Program for Students of Limited English Proficiency (LEP), Summer Bilingual Program, and Project Omega. OREA Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Duque, Diana L.

This report presents findings of the evaluation by the New York City public school system's Office of Research, Evaluation, and Assessment of three programs (Summer E.S.L. Welcome Plus, Summer Bilingual, and Project Omega) for immigrant students. The Summer E.S.L. (English as a Second Language) Welcome Plus program operated at 19 sites in New York…

Ouch! Or ESL and the Glass Ceiling.

Science.gov (United States)

Migliacci, Naomi

The realities of the glass ceiling, which prevents qualified women, minorities, and many English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students from advancement and promotion, are rarely discussed in English for Special Purposes (ESP)/ESL programs and courses. This paper explores the barriers to success, focusing on the sociolinguistic factors of verbal and…

Clinical expectations: what facilitators expect from ESL students on clinical placement.

Science.gov (United States)

San Miguel, Caroline; Rogan, Fran

2012-03-01

Many nursing students for whom English is a second language (ESL) face challenges related to communication on clinical placement and although clinical facilitators are not usually trained language assessors, they are often in a position of needing to assess ESL students' clinical language performance. Little is known, however, about the particular areas of clinical performance facilitators focus on when they are assessing ESL students. This paper discusses the results of a study of facilitators' written assessment comments about the clinical performance of a small group of ESL nursing students over a two and a half year period. These comments were documented on students' clinical assessment forms at the end of each placement. The results provide a more detailed insight into facilitators' expectations of students' language performance and the particular challenges faced by ESL students and indicate that facilitators have clear expectations of ESL students regarding communication, learning styles and professional demeanour. These findings may help both ESL students and their facilitators better prepare for clinical placement. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Attitudes of Nigerian Secondary School Teachers to Student Evaluation of Teachers

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Joshua, Monday T.; Joshua, Akon M.

2004-01-01

This study was designed to assess the attitudes of Nigerian secondary school teachers to student evaluation of teachers (SET), and to find out if the attitudes expressed were influenced by teacher characteristics such as gender, professional status, geographical location, academic qualification and teaching experience. The study was a survey, and…

A Systemic Functional Linguistic Analysis of the Utterances of Three South African Physical Sciences Teachers

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Jawahar, Kavish; Dempster, Edith R.

2013-06-01

In this study, the sociocultural view of science as a language and some quantitative language features of the complementary theoretical framework of systemic functional linguistics are employed to analyse the utterances of three South African Physical Sciences teachers. Using a multi-case study methodology, this study provides a sophisticated description of the utterances of Pietermaritzburg Physical Sciences teachers in language contexts characterised by varying proportions of English Second Language (ESL) students in each class. The results reveal that, as expected, lexical cohesion as measured by the cohesive harmony index and proportion of repeated content words relative to total words, increased with an increasing proportion of ESL students. However, the use of nominalisation by the teachers and the lexical density of their utterances did not decrease with an increasing proportion of ESL students. Furthermore, the results reveal that each individual Physical Sciences teacher had a 'signature' talk, unrelated to the language context in which they taught. This study signals the urgent and critical need for South African science teacher training programmes to place a greater emphasis on the functional use of language for different language contexts in order to empower South African Physical Sciences teachers to adequately apprentice their students into the use of the register of scientific English.

Beginning and experienced secondary school teachers' self- and student schema in positive and problematic teacher-student relationships

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Claessens, Luce|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/357401530; van Tartwijk, Jan|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/112629385; Pennings, Heleen|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/323242588; van der Want, Anna; Verloop, Nico; den Brok, Perry; Wubbels, Theo|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/070651361

2016-01-01

The quality of teacher-student relationships is important for teachers' well-being in schools. In this interview study we investigated which cognitions comprise secondary school teachers' self- and student schema in positive and problematic teacher-student relationships. Frequency analyses of these

Guide to Resources for ESL Literacy Facilitators.

Science.gov (United States)

Gaber-Katz, Elaine; Zettel, Kathryn

This resource guide, for English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) literacy facilitators, reviews a variety of resources for ESL literacy. The guide contains three sections. The first section cites four books that provide a theoretical context for literacy work: "Ah-Hah! A New Approach to Popular Education" (Gatt-Fly); "Approaches and Methods in Language…

Contextualized Workforce Skills and ESL Learner Identity

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Vafai, Maliheh Mansuripur

2016-01-01

This article reports on an empirical case study centering on adult ESL learners' motivational patterns for learning English and its relevance to their career goals. It looks at past patterns of immigrant insertion within the socioeconomic context of the US and explores current trends in adult ESL curriculum development focused on the task of…

Exploring ESL Students' Understanding of Mathematics in the Early Years: Factors That Make a Difference

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Miller, Jodie; Warren, Elizabeth

2014-01-01

Students living in disadvantaged contexts and whose second language is English (ESL) are at risk of not succeeding in school mathematics. It has been internationally recognised that students' socioeconomic background and their achievements in mathematics is more pronounced for Australian students (Thomson et al. 2011). This gap is even more…

Especially for High School Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Emory Howell, J.

1999-11-01

More Feature Articles This Month This issue contains a larger-than-usual number of Secondary School Chemistry feature articles (see side-bar). Mary Harris, who teaches in St. Louis, Missouri, and her student, Lauren Picard, contributed an account of student research on the cuprammonium rayon process (p 1512). In addition to being informative and interesting, the article provides a model for student-teacher interaction in carrying out an independent research project. Two North Carolina teachers, Charles Roser and Catherine McCluskey, describe how to use a Calculator Based Laboratory (interface) to measure the kinetics of the reaction that occurs when a lightstick is activated (p 1514). The method and the easy-to-construct device they made could be used with other systems, as well. Don't Throw Away the Carrier Sheet All areas of JCE Online are now accessible to all JCE subscribers. To find out how you can benefit, read the article appearing on p 1599, Now That I Have It, What Can I Do with It? Jon Holmes, Editor of JCE Online, explains in the article how you can use this resource most effectively. Access to several areas, such as full text access to articles, requires that you log in. The mailing label on the carrier sheet that accompanies your Journal each month contains a password that you need to log in. That is why you need to keep the carrier sheet, at least until you have logged in for the first time and either memorized the number or written it in a safe place. Detailed instructions for logging on are found by clicking on the "How to Log On" link, which appears near the upper left corner of the JCE Online Home Page, jchemed.chem.wisc.edu. If you read a school library copy you need to ask your librarian what password you need to log in. Congratulations Among the recipients of the most prestigious American Society Awards (p 1481) are two individuals who have given generously of their time and energy to the cause of chemical education. Both are familiar names to

The Challenges of Using the Communicative Approach (CA) in the Teaching of English as a Second Language (ESL) in Zimbabwe: Implications for ESL Teacher Education

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Mutekwa, Anias

2013-01-01

This article examines studies done on the use of the CA locally, in addition to insights from studies done abroad, as well as critically examining the nature of the CA and the language situation in Zimbabwe, to identify and discuss the main challenges associated with the use of this approach to the teaching of ESL in Zimbabwe and its implications…

INDIGENOUS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS OPINION ON SEX EDUCATION IN A SCHOOL OF DOURADOS - MS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rosaldo de Albuquerque Souza

2011-12-01

Full Text Available A large portion of the population consists of adolescents aged by 12 to 19 years. During this period of human life occur several behavioral factors involving sexuality that intrigues many researchers, teachers and parents and according to the Parâmetros Curriculares Nacionais (PCNs, sex education must be taught in schools as a crosscutting theme. The aim of this study was to investigate perceptions and attitudes towards sexual education among elementary school Indigenous teachers in a rural school in Dourados-MS. Data collection was conducted through a questionnaire completed by individual teachers. The results show that teachers consider important to work with sex education in elementary schools involving different areas of knowledge and with the help of health professionals. Most teachers work or have worked this theme in his classes, and consider the students receptive and interested, however, some teachers have difficulty in approaching the subject. One of the difficulties encountered are related to the low acceptance of their parents, highlighting the need for guidance on the same theme. The Parâmetros Curriculares Nacionais ensures that the sex education should begin in early school years.

Teachers' perceptions of school nutrition education's influence on ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Qualitative investigation can provide invaluable information towards understanding the influence of school nutrition education (NE). The study explored teachers' perceptions of the immediate impact of NE on learners' eating behaviours. Twenty-four primary school teachers in the Bronkhorstspruit district, Gauteng, South ...

Perceived collective teacher efficacy in low performing schools

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Education Management and Leadership, School for Professional Studies in ... enhance collective teacher efficacy, the challenge of low-performing schools ... Collective teacher efficacy, therefore, involves the combined perceptions of ... because greater efficacy leads to greater effort and ... One of the strategies for sharing.

Humor in High School and the Role of Teacher Leaders in School Public Relations

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Kosiczky, Bonnie; Mullen, Carol A.

2013-01-01

How can public schools improve public relations strategies, particularly in communications between teachers and students? The purposes of this study were to investigate teacher leaders' perceptions of the use of humor in the high school classroom and discover how humor might bridge instruction to student learning and strengthen teacher-student…

School-University-Community Pathways to Higher Education: Teacher Perceptions, School Culture and Partnership Building

Science.gov (United States)

Alemán, Enrique, Jr.; Freire, Juan A.; McKinney, Ashley; Delgado Bernal, Dolores

2017-01-01

This article provides a snapshot in time of teacher perceptions, school culture, and partnership building. We delineate how teachers perceive our partnership's purpose and its role in transforming school culture. Second, we describe how teachers express the life expectations they have and the possibilities they hope for their students and the…

the relationship between primary school teachers extrinsic

African Journals Online (AJOL)

PROF EKWUEME

Primary School Teachers Motivation Questionnaire (PSTMQ) and objective test items in English Language, Mathematics and Primary Science to measure students' performance. ... Mathematics and Primary Science. ... teachers as those who mediate pupils learning and act as facilitators ..... Students' perception of teacher- ...

Factors That Influence Middle School Mathematics Teachers' Willingness to Collaborate with School Librarians

Science.gov (United States)

Schnabel, Stephanie L.

2017-01-01

Collaboration between school libraries and classroom teachers can have a powerful impact on student learning. School librarians routinely collaborate with English language arts and social studies curriculum and less frequently with areas in STEM education. This research examines middle school mathematics teachers' extent of or willingness to…

Examining Teachers' Motivation Level According to School Principals' Humor Styles

Science.gov (United States)

Recepoglu, Ergun; Kilinc, Ali Cagatay; Cepni, Osman

2011-01-01

The purpose of this research is to examine the motivation level of teachers according to school principals' humor styles. The humor styles survey and job motivation scale were used to gather data from 305 randomly selected teachers employed in primary schools in Karabuk. Results indicated that 141 of the teachers claimed school principal had…

Factors Affecting Teacher Satisfaction in an Urban School District

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Halpert, Michael A.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to distinguish factors that influence the satisfaction levels of teachers in urban school districts. This work also distinguished factors that directly impacted teachers' level of satisfaction towards their work and their attitude towards the administration of their schools. Forty-one teachers from two kindergarten…

The Impact of Professional Development Schools on Teacher Leadership

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Cosenza, Michael N.

2010-01-01

Although there is no common definition for teacher leadership, the concept is continually advanced as a key component for both the success of schools and professionalization of teachers. Studies have shown that teachers who feel empowered as leaders are more effective in the classroom. Professional development schools (PDSs) provide multiple…

Charter Schools and the Teacher Job Search in Michigan

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Cannata, Marisa

2010-01-01

This paper examines the position of charter schools in prospective elementary teachers' job search decisions. Using a labor market segmentation framework, it explores teacher applicants' decisions to apply to charter schools. The data come from a mixed-methods longitudinal study of prospective teachers looking for their first job. This paper finds…

Teachers' Perception of Team Teaching Middle School Mathematics in Urban Schools

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Serrano, Vanessa

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine teachers' perceptions of team teaching middle school mathematics in urban schools. The research questions focused on student academic performance and the impact that team teaching may have from the perspective of teachers. The theories of Piaget, Vygotsky, and Bruner formed the theoretical foundation…

DEVELOPING ESL/EFL LEARNERS’ PUBLIC SPEAKING SKILLS THROUGH PECHA KUCHA PRESENTATIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Romualdo A. Mabuan

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In the 21st century workplace, there has been an increasing demand for graduates to possess communicative competence particularly in speaking. Anchored on the 21st Century Learning Framework (Partnership for 21st Century Skills or P21, 2006 and the TPACK Framework (Koehler & Mishra, 2009, this study reports findings on the pedagogical viability of utilizing Pecha Kucha 20x20 Presentations in developing students’ competence and confidence while presenting in the language classroom. Research participants include 43 English as Second Language (ESL learners taking Speech Communication classes in a private university in Manila, the Philippines during the second semester of the academic year 2016-2017. Research data from students’ reflections, interviews, survey, and focus group discussion (FGD suggest that despite some format and technological limitations, delivering Pecha Kucha presentations may help students develop their English speaking and oral presentation skills, build their confidence in speaking before an audience, and practice their English macro skills such as listening and reading. In the light of these findings, pedagogical implications are provided for ESL (English as a second language and EFL (English as a foreign language teachers, communication educators, and researchers.

Science and Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs of Pre-School Teachers

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Aydogdu, Bülent; Peker, Murat

2016-01-01

The aim of this research was to examine science and mathematics teaching efficacy beliefs of pre-school teachers in terms of some variables. The sample of the study was comprised of 191 pre-school teachers working in a city in Aegean Region of Turkey. Since it attempted to define self-efficacy beliefs of pre-school teachers toward science and…

A Comparison of Teacher Stress and School Climate across Schools with Different Matric Success Rates

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Milner, Karen; Khoza, Harriet

2008-01-01

Our aim was to investigate differences in teacher stress and perceptions of school climate among teachers from schools with differing matriculation success rates in the Limpopo province of South Africa. Two schools with matric pass rates of 100% and two schools with matric pass rates of less than 25% were selected from a list of schools provided…

Teachers perception of school

African Journals Online (AJOL)

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This paper is part of MA thesis in which primary school teachers' perceptions of was explored. The study was ... of relevance, management, and result in enhancement of students learning, and obstructions. ...... Professional Ethics, Counseling.

Examining the Relationship between Teacher Organizational Commitment and School Health in Turkish Primary Schools

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Sezgin, Ferudun

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between teachers' perceptions of organizational commitment and school health in Turkish primary schools. The Organizational Commitment Scale and the Organizational Health Inventory were used to gather data from 323 randomly selected teachers employed in 20 primary schools in Ankara.…

Teacher Characteristics and School-Based Professional Development in Inclusive STEM-focused High Schools: A Cross-case Analysis

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Spillane, Nancy Kay

Within successful Inclusive Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)-focused High Schools (ISHSs), it is not only the students who are learning. Teachers, with diverse backgrounds, training, and experience, share and develop their knowledge through rich, embedded professional development to continuously shape their craft, improve their teaching, and support student success. This study of four exemplars of ISHSs (identified by experts in STEM education as highly successful in preparing students underrepresented in STEM for STEM majors in college and future STEM careers) provides a rich description of the relationships among the characteristics of STEM teachers, their professional development, and the school cultures that allow teachers to develop professionally and serve the needs of students. By providing a framework for the development of teaching staffs in ISHSs and contributing to the better understanding of STEM teaching in any school, this study offers valuable insight, implications, and information for states and school districts as they begin planning improvements to STEM education programs. A thorough examination of an existing data set that included site visits to four ISHSs along with pre- and post-visit data, provided the resource for this multiple case study with cross-case analysis of the teachers and their teacher professional development experiences. Administrators in these ISHSs had the autonomy to hire teachers with strong content backgrounds, philosophical alignment with the school missions, and a willingness to work collaboratively toward achieving the schools' goals. Ongoing teacher professional development began before school started and continued throughout the school day and year through intense and sustained, formal and informal, active learning experiences. Flexible professional development systems varied, but aligned with targeted school reforms and teacher and student needs. Importantly, collaborative teacher learning

Primary school teacher's knowledge and attitudes toward children with epilepsy.

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Abulhamail, Albaraa S; Al-Sulami, Fahad E; Alnouri, Mouneeb A; Mahrous, Najeeb M; Joharji, Dima G; Albogami, Maha M; Jan, Mohammed M

2014-04-01

Primary school teacher's knowledge and attitudes toward epilepsy can have significant impact on the performance and psycho-social development of the child with epilepsy. Our objectives were to study teacher's knowledge and attitudes and identify areas in which further teacher training and education are required. A stratified random sample survey involving a group of primary school teachers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia included private/public schools designated for male and female students. A structured 37-item questionnaire was used to examine their demographics, knowledge, attitudes, and experience with epilepsy. Six hundred and twenty primary school teachers working in public (58%) or private (42%) schools were included with ages ranging between 21 and 59 years (mean 36). Most teachers (79%) were of Saudi Arabian nationality and 66% had a college or university degree. Their years of experience ranged from 1 to 35 (mean 13.5). Only 17% of the teachers felt very well informed about epilepsy. Teachers with higher education were more likely to have good knowledge (p=0.009). Teachers of Saudi nationality were also more likely to report good knowledge, independent of their educational level (p=0.013). Overall, teachers with good knowledge were less likely to have negative attitudes including minding to have an epileptic child in their class (p=0.028) or thinking that they should be placed in a special classroom (p=0.029). Primary school teacher's knowledge about epilepsy needs improvements. Their attitudes correlated highly with their knowledge. Educational campaigns about epilepsy are needed to develop a well informed and tolerant community. Copyright © 2014 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Burnout Syndrome in High School Teachers' in Bilecik, Bozuyuk

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Ahmet Topuzoglu

2009-06-01

Full Text Available AIM: Burnout syndrome is manifested by physical exhaustion, long lasting tiredness and feelings of hopelessness. And also it consists of individual’s negative attitudes towards to life, occupation and the other persons. Burnout frequently seen in the occupations who work face to face with people like doctors, polices, nurses and managers. Generally teachers’ burnout level is higher than other occupations. Our aim is to determine the burnout levels and related factors of teachers working in high school of Bilecik Bozuyuk. METHODS: Totally 228 teachers participated to this cross sectional study (participating rate is %90.4. To find out the burnout level in these teachers Maslach Burnout Inventory was used. RESULTS: Of the total participants 52.1% were women, median age of participants were 33.0 years (Quartiles: 28.0–40.0 years There was no relation between the burnout level and the years in the occupation, weekly working time and the school that they educated. Occupational high school teachers, unwilingly occupation choosing, bad physical work environment, violence experience in the school significantly had higher points from burn out scale. CONCLUSION: Burnout level was higher in high school teachers, who didn’t want to be a teacher and who were working at bad physical environment and who had violence experience. [TAF Prev Med Bull 2009; 8(3.000: 217-222

[Appraisal of occupational stress and strain in primary and secondary school teachers].

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Wang, Z; Lan, Y; Li, J; Wang, M

2001-09-01

This study was conducted to assess occupational stress and strain in primary and secondary school teachers. A test of occupational stress and strain was carried out by using Occupational Stress Inventory Revised Edition (OSI-R) in 1460 primary and secondary school teachers (teacher group) and 319 mental workers in non-educational area (non-teacher group as control). The results showed the level of occupational stress in role overload and physical environment in the teacher group was significantly higher than that in the non-teacher group (P < 0.05). In teacher group the level of occupational stress and strain increased with age; the occupational stress and strain in male teachers were significantly higher than those in female teachers (P < 0.01); the occupational stress and strain in secondary school teachers were significantly higher than those in primary school teachers. These results indicate: to protect and promote primary and secondary school teacher's health, particularly male teachers' health, to mitigate their work pressure and to raise the quality of education are important tasks in the area of occupational health.

The Teaching of English Idioms in Kenyan Secondary Schools: Difficulties and Effective Strategies

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Moses Gatambuki Gathigia

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The acquisition of idiomatic expressions is one of the primary challenges to learners of English as a Second Language (ESL in multilingual contexts such as Kenya; yet, the learners are expected to use these expressions in their writing. The study on which this paper is based sought to assess the teaching of English idiomatic expressions in Kenyan secondary schools with a view to establishing the challenges teachers face in teaching the expressions and, thereafter, proposing effective strategies that can be applied for effective teaching of English idioms to ESL speakers.  Ten teachers of English from both rural and urban secondary schools in Kenya were interviewed to find out the actual practices in their classrooms, the difficulties they face, and the effective strategies they employ for successful teaching of English idioms. The data collected were qualitatively analyzed. First, the study notes that it is possible to infer semantic relations between the literal sense of individual parts of an idiom and its meaning when interpreting compositional idioms. Second, there is incongruity between form and meaning when dealing with non compositional idioms since their semantic interpretation cannot be retrieved by means of their constituent parts. The study concludes that an understanding of the etymology of idioms can improve the comprehension and retention of idioms. The study recommends that idioms should be taught effectively in schools because the acquisition of idioms by learners will be an important indicator of their mastery of the English language. Keywords: Idiomatic expressions, semantic relations, compositional idioms, non compositional idioms

28 CFR 544.41 - Applicability: Who must attend the ESL program.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Applicability: Who must attend the ESL... INSTITUTIONAL MANAGEMENT EDUCATION Mandatory English-as-a-Second Language Program (ESL) § 544.41 Applicability: Who must attend the ESL program. (a) All Federal prisoners who have limited English proficiency skills...

Willing Learners yet Unwilling Speakers in ESL Classrooms

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Zuraidah Ali

2007-12-01

Full Text Available To some of us, speech production in ESL has become so natural and integral that we seem to take it for granted. We often do not even remember how we struggled through the initial process of mastering English. Unfortunately, to students who are still learning English, they seem to face myriad problems that make them appear unwilling or reluctant ESL speakers. This study will investigate this phenomenon which is very common in the ESL classroom. Setting its background on related research findings on this matter, a qualitative study was conducted among foreign students enrolled in the Intensive English Programme (IEP at Institute of Liberal Studies (IKAL, University Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN. The results will show and discuss an extent of truth behind this perplexing phenomenon: willing learners, yet unwilling speakers of ESL, in our effort to provide supportive learning cultures in second language acquisition (SLA to this group of students.

Teachers' Perceptions about School Violence in One Turkish City

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Yavuzer, Yasemin; Gundogdu, Rezzan; Dikici, Ayhan

2009-01-01

The aim of this study is to determine the types and frequencies of violence encountered by teachers in primary and high schools in Nide province in Turkey, and, in addition, to determine the perceptions of teachers regarding the reasons for and methods of prevention of violent actions at schools. One hundred forty-two teachers were chosen for this…

ACE: A Collaborative School Consultation Program for Secondary School Teachers

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Couture, Caroline; Massé, Line

2014-01-01

This article presents a description of ACE (Accompagnement collaboratif des enseignants (Collaborative teacher accompaniment)), a new program designed to guide secondary school teachers in integrating students with behavioral problems in their classrooms. ACE proposes collaborative accompaniment inspired by behavioral and mental health…

Trust in School: A Pathway to Inhibit Teacher Burnout?

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Van Maele, Dimitri; Van Houtte, Mieke

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to consider trust as an important relational source in schools by exploring whether trust lowers teacher burnout. The authors examine how trust relationships with different school parties such as the principal relate to distinct dimensions of teacher burnout. The authors further analyze whether school-level…

Mexican Parents' and Teachers' Views of Effective Elementary Schools

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Slate, John R.; Jones, Craig H.

2007-01-01

We surveyed 374 parents and 82 teachers in the Juarez, Mexico schools regarding their views of what makes an effective elementary school. The survey was a Spanish translation of an instrument used by Johnson (1998). Although both parents and teachers supported most of the factors associated with effective schools, they emphasized different aspects…

THE TYPES OF REQUEST EXPRESSIONS USED IN NOVEL “HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS”: Their Appropriateness to ESL/EFL Teaching for Junior High School Students in Indonesia

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Nuzulul Isna

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Novels can be authentic sources for learning ESL/EFL, especially in non-English speaking countries. They may present reliable learning references in the absence of native speakers. This article aims to identify the types of request expressions originated in novel “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” as well as their appropriateness for teaching ESL/EFL in aligment to current applied curriculum (2006 curriculum in junior high school level in Indonesia. This research employed a qualitative research which was based on content analysis methodology. The data analysis revealed the types of request expressions (Tsui, 1989 generated out of 110 items uttered by the characters in the novel. 65.5% of the finding matched the nine request expressions learning materials embedded in the 2006 curriculum. Indeed, this finding may significantly contribute to the addition of authentic English learning source, especially in teaching speaking skill.

Transformational Leadership and Teacher Motivation in Southwestern Arizona High Schools

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Reynolds, Catherine L.

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between transformational leadership and teacher motivation in Southwestern Arizona high schools. Teachers in a school district in Southwestern Arizona comprised of high schools were surveyed using two instruments, Leithwood and Jantzi's (1998) The Leadership and Management of Schools in…

Why Rural Schools Are Important for Pre-Service Teacher Preparation

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Blanks, Brooke; Robbins, Holly; Rose, Dana; Beasley, Loren; Greene, Michelle; Kile, Melissa; Broadus, Allison

2013-01-01

Rural schools are often overlooked in educational research. At least one in five children in the United States attends a rural school and one-third of all public schools are located in rural areas. Research on the effects of teacher education in rural schools on teacher candidates and the rural schools themselves is almost nonexistent. This…

The influence of professional teachers on Padang vocational school students' achievement

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Ramli Bakar

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This study determined: (1 the competency of professional teachers teaching in the classroom, (2 students' achievement in vocational schools in Padang, and (3 the influence of professional teachers on vocational school students' achievement in Padang. The population was 2,647 students in vocational schools. The sample, consisting of 160 students, was selected using a multistage, random sampling technique. Data were collected using questionnaires and documentation, and then analyzed and presented using the SPSS software. The results showed: (1 overall, the professional teachers of vocational schools in Padang had good qualifications in pedagogical competence, professional competence, social competence, and personal competence, (2 the learning process of vocational schools in Padang was going well and in general, student achievement was at a good level of performance, and (3 there was a significant influence of professional teachers on vocational school students' achievement in Padang. Keywords: professional teacher, student achievement, vocational school

Future Elementary School Teachers' Conceptual Change Concerning Photosynthesis

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Ahopelto, Ilona; Mikkila-Erdmann, Mirjamaija; Anto, Erkki; Penttinen, Marjaana

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine conceptual change among future elementary school teachers while studying a scientific text concerning photosynthesis. Students' learning goals in relation to their learning outcomes were also examined. The participants were future elementary school teachers. The design consisted of pre- and post-tests. The…

School Culture: Teachers' Beliefs, Behaviors, and Instructional Practices

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Hongboontri, Chantarath; Keawkhong, Natheeporn

2014-01-01

This mixed-methods research project documents the school culture of Hope University's Language Institute and reveals the reciprocal relationship between the school culture and the instructional practices of the English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers in this particular institute. Altogether, 62 EFL teachers agreed to complete a questionnaire.…

Awareness on Learning Disabilities among Elementary School Teachers

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Menon K. P., Seema

2016-01-01

The study aims to find out the awareness on learning disabilities among elementary school teachers. The sample for the present study consisted of 500 elementary school teachers of Kerala. In this study the investigator used an Awareness Test on Learning Disabilities to measure the Awareness on Learning Disabilities among Elementary School…

Teachers' Views on the Impact of Teacher-Student Relationships on School Dropout: A Bourdieusian Analysis of Misrecognition

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Nairz-Wirth, Erna; Feldmann, Klaus

2017-01-01

Drawing on Pierre Bourdieu's relational theory this paper shows that many teachers misrecognize the impact of teacher-student relationships on school dropout. The study is based on a series of 60 semi-structured interviews with teachers from Austrian secondary schools. The analysis of the empirical data reveals that many teachers attribute school…

The Role of the Perceptions of School Climate and Teacher Victimization by Students.

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Huang, Francis L; Eddy, Colleen Lloyd; Camp, Emily

2017-07-01

Violence directed toward teachers in schools is relatively understudied in comparison with other school-based forms of peer aggression (e.g., school bullying). Based on the nationally representative Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) 2011-2012, approximately 10% of K-12 public school teachers in the United States, received a threat in the past 12 months and 6% reported being physically attacked. The effects of teacher-directed violence are far reaching and affect not just the victimized teacher, but the larger community itself. In the current study, we used multilevel logistic regression models with state fixed effects to analyze the SASS data set. The analytic sample consisted of 24,070 K-12 teachers in 4,610 public schools and specifically excluded special education teachers and teachers in alternative settings (i.e., online schools, special education centers, juvenile correction facilities). Guided by authoritative school climate theory, we tested for the beneficial associations of disciplinary structure and administrative support with the reduced likelihood of a teacher being threatened or physically attacked by a student, while controlling for teacher (e.g., gender, years of experience, race/ethnicity), school (e.g., school size, percent minority enrollment), and state-level factors. Results indicated that teachers who felt supported by the administration and worked with others (i.e., the principal and other teachers) who enforced the rules consistently were less likely to be victims of threats of injury or physical attacks. Although school climate has been shown to have a positive effect on student outcomes, the current study also suggests that school climate, characterized by consistent rule enforcement and supportive administrators and teachers, may play a role in reducing the likelihood of teacher victimization.

Translation in ESL Classes

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Nagy Imola Katalin

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The problem of translation in foreign language classes cannot be dealt with unless we attempt to make an overview of what translation meant for language teaching in different periods of language pedagogy. From the translation-oriented grammar-translation method through the complete ban on translation and mother tongue during the times of the audio-lingual approaches, we have come today to reconsider the role and status of translation in ESL classes. This article attempts to advocate for translation as a useful ESL class activity, which can completely fulfil the requirements of communicativeness. We also attempt to identify some activities and games, which rely on translation in some books published in the 1990s and the 2000s.

Help provided by school counsellor to teachers and students in behaviour management at secondary school

OpenAIRE

Atıcı, Meral; Çekici, Ferah

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the views of teachers, school counsellors, and students on counsellor help for dealing with misbehaviour at school. Qualitative data were collected from counsellors, teachers and students using interviews to address the research questions. Five counsellors, 20 teachers and 35 students in five high schools with a low socioeconomic level in Adana, Turkey, participated in the study. Data were analysed by using a content analysis technique. Results sho...

Are elementary school teachers prepared to tackle bullying? : A pilot study

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Oldenburg, Beau; Bosman, Rie; Veenstra, Rene

The aim of this pilot study was to investigate to what extent elementary school teachers were prepared to tackle bullying. Interview data from 22 Dutch elementary school teachers (M age=43.3, 18 classrooms in eight schools) were combined with survey data from 373 students of these teachers (M

Investigation of the Work Motivation Levels of Primary School Teachers

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Ates, Hatice Kadioglu; Yilmaz, Perihan

2018-01-01

This study was conducted to examine the work motivation levels of primary school teachers working in primary school institutions located in Istanbul province, Kucukcekmece district. The descriptive survey model was used in this study. The population of the study consists of primary school teachers and primary school administrators working in state…

The influence of school leadership on teachers' perception of teacher evaluation policy

OpenAIRE

Tuytens, Melissa; Devos, Geert

2010-01-01

The understanding of teachers' perception of new educational policy is crucial since this perception shapes the policy's implementation. However, quantitative research in this area is scarce. This article draws on empirical data to investigate whether the school leader might influence his teachers' perception of the new teacher evaluation policy. The conceptualisation of teachers' perception consists of three policy characteristics: practicality, need and clarifying function. Our results indi...

Interpretation Awareness of Creativity Mathematics Teacher High School

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Mastuti, Ajeng Gelora; Nusantara, Toto; Purwanto; As'ari, Abdurrahman; Subanji; Abadyo; Susiswo

2016-01-01

The purposes of this study are: a) to investigate high school math teacher creativity equality, b) to investigate what factors can inhibit their creativity consciousness. The subjects of this study consisted of two high school math teacher who had a different experience academically. The results of the qualitative research show the relationship…

ESL Teacher and ICT: Teachers' Perception

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Lin, Chua Pei; Yunus, Melor Md.

2012-01-01

The rapid development of Information Communication and Technologies (ICTs) has made tremendous changes in the twenty-first century. ICT is said to bring a variety of benefits in facilitating the teaching and learning process. Therefore, ICT has been the emphasis in school and higher institutions of education nowadays. However, to integrate ICT in…

ESL Learners' Online Research and Comprehension Strategies

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Sain, Noridah; Bown, Andy; Fluck, Andrew; Kebble, Paul

2017-01-01

In order to enhance second language (L2) acquisition, English as a Second Language (ESL) students are encouraged to exploit the abundant information and opportunities for authentic language use afforded by the Internet. This study investigated the online research and comprehension strategies employed by ESL learners in a public university in…

Explaining Teacher Turnover: School Cohesion and Intrinsic Motivation in Los Angeles

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Fuller, Bruce; Waite, Anisah; Irribarra, David Torres

2016-01-01

Lifting achievement in many schools depends on reducing the exit of effective teachers. We examine the extent to which teacher perceptions of school cohesion and intrinsic motivators stemming from two theoretical traditions contribute to the intent to leave one's school. We find that elementary teachers report higher levels of organizational…

GLOBALIZATION AND TEACHER DEVELOPMENT FOR SPOKEN ENGLISH INSTRUCTION

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Christine C.M. Goh

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract: The impact of globalization is experienced most strongly in business and commerce but also increasingly in education. As a result, some scholars have called for a re-envisioning of the role of teachers to model what it means to be a global citizen. In this paper, I acknowledge the need for ESL/EFL teachers to re-examine their identity and roles in light of these global developments. At the same time, I argue that teachers should not lose sight of the importance of honing the craft of teaching English so as to increase their professional capital to mediate the impact of globalization for their students. This article first discusses the changing roles of teachers in a globalized world and highlights the implications for English language teaching and learning.  The ideas are further related to teaching second language oracy (speaking and listening because of its centrality in developing important 21st Century skills in the globalized world. The article also offers ways in which teacher education that takes cognizance of globalization forces can develop ESL/ EFL teachers’ knowledge and beliefs to play their new roles more effectively.

Primary School Teachers' Perceptions of Mathematical Reasoning

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Loong, Esther Yook-Kin; Vale, Colleen; Bragg, Leicha A.; Herbert, Sandra

2013-01-01

Little is known about how Australian teachers interpret, enact and assess reasoning. This paper reports on primary teachers' perceptions of reasoning prior to observation and subsequent trialling of demonstration lessons in a primary school. The findings indicate that while some teachers were able to articulate what reasoning means, others were…

Home School Relationships: Challenges for Teachers and Head Teachers in Pakistan

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Safdar, Qamar

2006-01-01

The connection between home and school is referred to in various ways such as parent involvement, home-school relations or community involvement in schools. This paper conceptualize that connection as a "partnership" with parents being viewed as partners with teachers in educating children. Parental involvement at all stages is crucial…

Development of Interactive and Reflective Learning among Malaysian Online Distant Learners: An ESL Instructor’s Experience

OpenAIRE

Puvaneswary Murugaiah; Siew Ming Thang

2010-01-01

Technology has brought tremendous advancements in online education, spurring transformations in online pedagogical practices. Online learning in the past was passive, using the traditional teacher-centred approach. However, with the tools available today, it can be active, collaborative, and meaningful. A well-developed task can impel learners to observe, to reflect, to strategize, and to plan their own learning. This paper describes an English as a Second Language (ESL) instructor’s att...

A Multilevel Analysis of Teacher and School Academic Optimism in Taiwan Elementary Schools

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Wu, Jason Hsinchieh; Lin, Chunn-Ying

2018-01-01

Research on teacher and school academic optimism has abounded ever since these two constructs were confirmed and shown to have positive effects on student achievement. However, one overlooked research question is the nested association between teacher and school academic optimism. This study intends to fill this gap by using hierarchical linear…

Interrogation in Teacher-Student Interaction in Bahasa Indonesia Learning at Elementary School

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Akmal Hamsa

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Interrogation in Teacher-Student Interaction in Bahasa Indonesia Learning at Elementary School. This study aimed to describe the form, function, and questioning strategies teachers in teacher-student interrogation in Bahasa Indonesia learning in elementary school. Data sourced from four teacher of elementary school, SDN Tamangapa and SD Inpres Tamangapa. Data were obtained by (1 recording, (2 documentation, (3 field notes, (4 interview. The results showed that: (1 the form of questioning the teacher in the teacher-student interaction in Bahasa Indonesia learning in primary schools generally examined the low-level thinking skills, (2 functions of teacher questions are generally intended to check student understanding, and (3 teachers utilize a variety of strategies in addressing student answers correctly and the apparent hesitation. Some disadvantages are indicated teachers in providing interrogation.

Male and Female Secondary School EFL Teachers' Code ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study explored male and female secondary school EFL teachers' attitudes, reasons and beliefs about the functions of code-switching to L1 (Amharic) in their classes. The participants of the study were all the available (38 male and 19 female) English language teachers in seven secondary schools in Bahir Dar City and ...

Job Satisfaction Amongst Teachers at Special Needs Schools

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Strydom, Louise; Nortjé, Nico; Beukes, Roelf; Esterhuyse, Karel; van der Westhuizen, Jeanne

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to establish the level of job satisfaction amongst teachers at special schools. Teachers in special schools need to cope with curriculum changes, the administrative duties that come with these changes, and the learners with their diverse needs. Learners with special needs require a specific educational programme and also…

Leadership Styles and Teachers' Job Satisfaction in Tanzanian Public Secondary Schools

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Nyenyembe, Fabian W.; Maslowski, Ralf; Nimrod, Beatrice S.; Peter, Levina

2016-01-01

This study explores the relationship between leadership styles applied by school heads and teachers' job satisfaction in Tanzanian secondary schools. Using a questionnaire, data in this study was collected from 180 teachers in ten secondary schools in Songea District in Tanzania. The most salient finding of this study revealed that teachers were…

Rethinking ESL Service Courses for International Graduate Students

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Min, Young-Kyung

2016-01-01

Drawing on data from a writing program in English as a second language (ESL) at a large university in the midwestern United States, this article addresses the significant gap in programmatic and pedagogical responses for graduate writing support by probing the notion of ESL service courses that approach graduate writing courses as being…

Dematerialization and Deformalization of the EFL/ESL Textbook - Literature Review and Relevant Issues

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Meurant, Robert C.

Rapid development and critical convergence of Information Communication Technologies is radically impacting education, particularly in second language acquisition, where the sudden availability of multimedia content and immediacy of distance communication offer specific advantage. The language classroom is evolving to integrate computer-mediated learning and communication with traditional schooling; digitization and the Internet mean the textbook is evolving from inert hard copy that is consumed, to dynamic e-texts that students participate in. The emergence of English as a Global Language, with the primary role of English on the Internet, means that the transition from fixed hard copy to fluid online digital environment is particularly evident in EFL/ESL. I review research, trace ways in which this transition occurs, and speculate on how, under the impact of ICTs and their convergence, the EFL/ESL textbook will reform, and may even disappear as a stand-alone entity.

Teachers' participation in school policy: Nature, extent and orientation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jongmans, C.T.; Sleegers, P.J.C.; Biemans, H.J.A.; Jong, F.P.C.M. de

2004-01-01

Against the background of several large-scale innovations in secondary agricultural education, this study explores the relation between teachers' professionality and their participation in school policy. For the research into this, 1,030 teachers of 98 schools for preparatory and secondary

When a Teacher Switches Schools

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LaSalle, Daniel

2015-01-01

In this article, northeast Philadelphia teacher Daniel LaSalle describes the transition and struggle of leaving his past students and adjusting to a new school. He concludes that the highly contextualized knowledge of how to navigate, and be accepted in, a school culture is not something found in the latest journal articles or books on education.…

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD): Primary school teachers ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Hennie

The participants were 200 South African primary school teachers (178 female, 22 male; mean age = 43 years) of children enrolled in ... education reforms would be the training of teachers in classroom management. ..... Assistive technology.

Coping in an HIV/AIDS-dominated context: teachers promoting resilience in schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Ebersöhn, Liesel; Ferreira, Ronél

2011-08-01

This paper explains how teachers in schools function as resources to buoy resilience in the face of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome-compounded adversities. We draw on participatory reflection and action data from a longitudinal study with teachers (n = 57, 5 males, 52 females) from six schools in three South African provinces. The study tracks the psychosocial support offered by teachers following their participation in the Supportive Teachers, Assets and Resilience project. Verbatim interview transcriptions were thematically analysed and three themes (as well as subthemes and categories) emerged: (i) Teachers use resources to promote resilience in schools [teachers use (a) systems and (b) neighbourhood health and social development services to identify and refer vulnerable cases]; (ii) Teachers form partnerships to promote resilience in schools [teacher partnerships include (a) children and families, (b) community volunteers and (c) community organizations, businesses and government] and (iii) School-based support is offered to vulnerable individuals [by means of (a) vegetable gardens, (b) emotional and health support and (c) capacity development opportunities]. We conclude that teachers can promote resilience in schools by establishing networks with service providers that function across systems to support vulnerable groups. We theorize that the core of systemic networks is relationships, that relationship-driven support networks mitigate the effects of cumulative risk and school-based networks can enable schools to function as resilience-promoting resources.

Reading strategies used by Grade 9 English Second Language learners in a selected school

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Madoda Cekiso

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Knowledge of the reading strategies used by English Second Language learners can help teachers to plan appropriate lessons and apply relevant methods of teaching reading in order to enhance learners’ reading comprehension. The main objective of this study was to investigate the reading strategies used by Grade 9 English Second Language (ESL learners and also to establish if there was any significant difference between perceived strategy use and gender. The respondents (192 were all ESL learners in Grade 9 in 2011 in a selected school. The study employed a quantitative research method. The study used convenience sampling on a group of 192 Grade 9 learners. The data collected through questionnaires was analysed by means of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS software. The findings revealed that the learners did not employ a wide range of reading strategies. The results further indicated that there was no significant difference between boys and girls in terms of strategy use. Based on the above findings several suggestions were made to help teachers improve their teaching and help learners improve their reading comprehension and also about possible areas for future research.

GIS Adoption among Senior High School Geography Teachers in Taiwan

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Lay, Jinn-Guey; Chen, Yu-Wen; Chi, Yu-Lin

2013-01-01

This article explores the adoption of geographic information system (GIS) knowledge and skills through in-service training for high school geography teachers in Taiwan. Through statistical analysis of primary data collected from a census of Taiwan's high school geography teachers, it explores what motivates these teachers to undertake GIS…

Especially for High School Teachers

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Howell, J. Emory

1999-07-01

Secondary School Feature Articles * Super Science Connections, by Patricia B. McKean, p 916 * A pHorseshoe, by Roger Plumsky, p 935 National Conferences in Your Part of the Country For the past several months, considerable space in this column has been devoted to forthcoming national conferences and conventions and to highlights of conferences past. For some of us, location is fairly unimportant; but for most of us travel costs and time are both factors to consider when choosing a conference. The community of high school chemistry teachers is favored by the number of national conventions and conferences that are held each year in different locations. In 1999, for example, the spring National Meeting of the American Chemical Society was in Anaheim and the National Science Teachers Association National Convention was in Boston. This summer CHEMED '99 will be held in Fairfield, CT, August 1-5, and the fall National ACS Meeting will be in New Orleans. Teachers from the mid-South especially should consider attending the High School Program at New Orleans, described below by Lillie Tucker Akin, Chairperson of the Division's High School Program Committee. The event will be held on Sunday to minimize conflicts with the beginning of the school year. JCE at CHEMED '99 Stop by the JCE booth at CHEMED '99 in the exhibits area to learn more about the wide array of print and nonprint resources you can use in your classroom and laboratory. Members of the editorial staff will be on hand to talk with you. You are invited to participate in a workshop, "Promoting Active Learning through JCE Activity Sheets and Software", on Monday, August 1, 8:30-10:30. The free hands-on workshop is number WT11 and we encourage you to include it among your choices in the blanks provided on the third page of the registration form. We will also conduct an interactive session to listen to ideas for making the Journal more useful to you. Check the final program for location and time or inquire at the JCE

Effective Practices for Training and Inspiring High School Physics Teachers

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Magee-Sauer, Karen

It is well-documented that there is a nationwide shortage of highly qualified high school physics teachers. Not surprising, institutions of higher education report that the most common number of physics teacher graduates is zero with the majority of institutions graduating less than two physics teachers per year. With these statistics in mind, it is critical that institutions take a careful look at how they recruit, train, and contribute to the retention of high school physics teachers. PhysTEC is a partnership between the APS and AAPT that is dedicated to improving and promoting the education of high school physics teachers. Primarily funded by the NSF and its partnering organizations, PhysTEC has identified key components that are common to successful physics teacher preparation programs. While creating a successful training program in physics, it is also important that students have the opportunity for a ``do-able'' path to certification that does not add further financial debt. This talk will present an overview of ``what works'' in creating a path for physics majors to a high school physics teaching career, actions and activities that help train and inspire pre-service physics teachers, and frameworks that provide the support for in-service teachers. Obstacles to certification and the importance of a strong partnership with colleges of education will be discussed. Several examples of successful physics high school teacher preparation programs will be presented. This material is part of the Physics Teacher Education Coalition project, which is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Nos. 0808790, 0108787, and 0833210.

Teachers' Performance Motivation System in Thai Primary Schools

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Pasathang, Sarojn; Tesaputa, Kowat; Sataphonwong, Pattananusron

2016-01-01

This research aims to: 1) study the present conditions and desirable condition of the motivation systems as well as how to find methods for motivating the performance of teachers in primary schools, 2) develop a motivation system for the performance of teachers in primary schools, 3) study the effects of using the motivation system for compliance…

PRINCIPAL AND TEACHER PERCEPTIONS OF SCHOOL FACULTY MEETINGS.

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AMIDON, EDMUND; BLUMBERG, ARTHUR

THE EFFECTS OF FACULTY MEETINGS ON TEACHER MORALE WERE INVESTIGATED VIA A SIX-ITEM QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONDED TO BY 40 ELEMENTARY AND 49 SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS ENROLLED IN GROUP DYNAMICS WORK AT ONE UNIVERSITY AND BY 74 ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS SELECTED AT RANDOM FROM A STATE EDUCATIONAL DIRECTORY. RESPONSES WERE ON A NINE-STEP,…

Implementation of municipal health promoting projects in primary schools: teachers perspective

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nordin, Lone Lindegard

2013-01-01

. The project is funded by the Danish Ministry of Science, University of Aarhus and Silkeborg municipality, and involves 5 primary schools, 23 teachers and 233 pupils from 7th to 9 class. The project is positioned within the critical approach to school health education and health promotion, developed......Implementation of municipally health promoting projects' in primary schools: teachers perspective Research question This paper discusses the findings from a qualitative research, that aimed to investigate how teachers in primary schools implemented municipal health promoting projects focusing...... that there is a “gap” between policy and practice according to aim, content and methods, and that teachers practice can be explained as coping mechanism. The key findings include: • Teachers practice is closer to traditional health education than critical health education. • Teachers priorities the mandatory teaching...

Correlational Study between Teacher Perceived High School Principal Leadership Style and Teacher Self-Efficacy

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Riggs, Robert

2017-01-01

This quantitative correlational study addressed the concept that teacher-perceived high school principal leadership style correlated with teacher self-efficacy. A relationship existed between teacher self-efficacy and student outcomes and research indicated a relationship between leadership style and teacher self-efficacy. Also, the effect of…

High School Teacher Perceptions of Empowerment

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Jacobs, Tricia S.

2014-01-01

As the responsibilities of principals become more complex and as accountability becomes more evident in K-12 cultures, it becomes increasingly important that high school principals be trained to empower teachers. This paper examined the research concerning the conditions of the empowerment of teachers. More specifically, it measured high school…

The Relationship between Bureaucratic School Structures and Teacher Self-Efficacy

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Kilinç, Ali Çagatay; Kosar, Serkan; Er, Emre; Ögdem, Zeki

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between bureaucratic school structures and teachers' self-efficacy. Participants included 252 teachers from 15 primary schools in Ankara, Turkey. Mean, standard deviation, correlation, and regression analyses were conducted. Results indicated that bureaucratic school structures and teacher…

'Passivity' or 'Potential'?: Teacher responses to learner identity in the low-level ESL classroom

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Sue Ollerhead

2012-05-01

Full Text Available This paper explores some initial findings from a multi-site, classroom-based case study research project into English as a Second Language (ESL literacy provision to very low-literate adult learners within Australia’s Language, Literacy and Numeracy Program (LLNP. The aim of the research is to report on the researcher’s observations of teachers’ pedagogical practices and to investigate the extent to which they are responsive to learners’ developing and multiple identities.

Study of the Perceptions of Middle School Principals on Teacher Absenteeism within an Urban School District

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Seibert, Judy C.

2013-01-01

Nationally, teacher absenteeism has become problematic, in part, as a result of collective bargaining agreements between teachers' unions and school boards. Additionally, teacher absenteeism is increasingly problematic because the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) requires schools to meet yearly academic targets in reading and mathematics. The…

Teacher-Centered Management Style of Public School Principals and Job Satisfaction of Teachers.

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Chung, Ki-Suck

A concept of teacher-centered management was proposed as a style of leadership behavior for school administrators to reduce the incompatibility between social/psychological needs of teachers and monocratic/bureaucratic management patterns in educational organizations. Data obtained from self-report questionnaires distributed to teachers in 21…

The Changing Distribution of Teacher Qualifications Across Schools: A Statewide Perspective Post-NCLB

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Karen J. DeAngelis

2010-11-01

Full Text Available A number of recent policy initiatives, including NCLB's highly qualified teacher provisions, have sought to improve the qualifications of teachers and their distribution across schools. Little is known, however, about the impact of these policies. In this study, we use population data on teachers and schools in Illinois to examine changes in the level and distribution of teacher qualifications from 2001 to 2006. We find that schools in Chicago, especially those serving the highest percentages of low-income and minority students, experienced the greatest improvements in teacher qualifications during the period. In addition, high-poverty schools in most other locales in the state registered small to moderate improvements, which narrowed the gap in teacher qualifications between high- and low-poverty schools across Illinois. Improvements in the certification status of experienced teachers and the recruitment of new teachers with stronger academic qualifications both contributed to these gains. The results reveal a tradeoff for disadvantaged schools seeking to improve both teacher qualifications and teacher experience levels, thereby calling into question the near-term feasibility of NCLB provisions that aim to simultaneously eliminate inequities across schools in both.       

Training Using Technology in the Adult ESL Classroom

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McClanahan, Lorna

2014-01-01

In this article I discuss two reasons for the slow adoption of technology as an instructional tool in adult English as a Second Language (ESL) education. I outline recent facts about the relationships between today's adult ESL learners and technology, and then construct a background of theoretical support in favor of integrating technology in…

Teacher Rated School Ethos and Student Reported Bullying—A Multilevel Study of Upper Secondary Schools in Stockholm, Sweden

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Modin, Bitte; Låftman, Sara B.; Östberg, Viveca

2017-01-01

School ethos refers to the school leadership’s purposive efforts to shape and direct the attitudes, values and behaviors needed in order to promote an active learning environment and to prevent the emergence of undesirable behaviors by creating shared meaning and common goals for the school. The aim of this study was to examine how teacher rated aspects of school ethos are linked with manifestations of bullying among 11th grade students. Five teacher-rated sub-dimensions of school ethos (staff stability, teacher morale, structure-order, student focus, and academic atmosphere) were examined in relation to student-reported perpetration of and exposure to traditional school bullying and cyberbullying. The data material combines student and teacher information from two separate data collections performed in 2016, comprising teachers and students in 58 upper secondary schools in Stockholm. Analyses showed that bullying was associated with all but one of the five sub-dimensions of school ethos, namely structure and order for dealing with bullying behaviors at the school. Results are discussed in light of this counter-intuitive finding. Our findings nevertheless lend support to the idea that the social organization of schools, as reflected in their teacher-rated ethos, can affect individual students’ attitudes in a way that prevents the emergence of bullying behavior among students. PMID:29236039

Teacher Rated School Ethos and Student Reported Bullying-A Multilevel Study of Upper Secondary Schools in Stockholm, Sweden.

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Modin, Bitte; Låftman, Sara B; Östberg, Viveca

2017-12-13

School ethos refers to the school leadership's purposive efforts to shape and direct the attitudes, values and behaviors needed in order to promote an active learning environment and to prevent the emergence of undesirable behaviors by creating shared meaning and common goals for the school. The aim of this study was to examine how teacher rated aspects of school ethos are linked with manifestations of bullying among 11th grade students. Five teacher-rated sub-dimensions of school ethos (staff stability, teacher morale, structure-order, student focus, and academic atmosphere) were examined in relation to student-reported perpetration of and exposure to traditional school bullying and cyberbullying. The data material combines student and teacher information from two separate data collections performed in 2016, comprising teachers and students in 58 upper secondary schools in Stockholm. Analyses showed that bullying was associated with all but one of the five sub-dimensions of school ethos, namely structure and order for dealing with bullying behaviors at the school. Results are discussed in light of this counter-intuitive finding. Our findings nevertheless lend support to the idea that the social organization of schools, as reflected in their teacher-rated ethos, can affect individual students' attitudes in a way that prevents the emergence of bullying behavior among students.

The improvement of reading skills of L1 and ESL children using a Response to Intervention (RtI) Model.

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Lipka, Orly; Siegel, Linda S

2010-11-01

This study examined the development of literacy skills in children in a district that used a Response to Intervention (RTI) model. The district included children whose first language was English and children who were learning English as a second language (ESL). Tasks measuring phonological awareness, lexical access, and syntactic awareness were administered when the children entered school in kindergarten at age 5. Reading, phonological processing, syntactic awareness, memory, and spelling were administered in grade 7. When the children entered school, significant numbers of them were at risk for literacy difficulties. After systematic instruction and annual monitoring of skills, their reading abilities improved to the extent that only a very small percentage had reading difficulties. The results demonstrated that early identification and intervention and frequent monitoring of basic skills can significantly reduce the incidence of reading problems in both the ESL and language majority children.

Utilizing Teacher Leadership as a Catalyst for Change in Schools

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Ankrum, Raymond J.

2016-01-01

School leaders are constantly trying to find alternative ways to leverage and explore teacher leadership potential in their school building(s). Teachers leaders that are willing to go above and beyond their general duties. Teacher leaders are the type of educators that fall under the motif of potentially taking on additive responsibilities that…

The Effectiveness of Synthetic Phonics in the Development of Early Reading Skills among Struggling Young ESL Readers

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Jamaludin, Khairul Azhar; Alias, Norlidah; Mohd Khir, Roselina Johari; DeWitt, Dorothy; Kenayathula, Husaina Banu

2016-01-01

A quasi-experimental research design was used to investigate the effectiveness of synthetic phonics in the development of early reading skills among struggling young English as a second language (ESL) readers in a rural school. The pretest and posttest, adapted from the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS) for Preschool Students and…

Voice disorders in Nigerian primary school teachers.

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Akinbode, R; Lam, K B H; Ayres, J G; Sadhra, S

2014-07-01

The prolonged use or abuse of voice may lead to vocal fatigue and vocal fold tissue damage. School teachers routinely use their voices intensively at work and are therefore at a higher risk of dysphonia. To determine the prevalence of voice disorders among primary school teachers in Lagos, Nigeria, and to explore associated risk factors. Teaching and non-teaching staff from 19 public and private primary schools completed a self-administered questionnaire to obtain information on personal lifestyles, work experience and environment, and voice disorder symptoms. Dysphonia was defined as the presence of at least one of the following: hoarseness, repetitive throat clearing, tired voice or straining to speak. A total of 341 teaching and 155 non-teaching staff participated. The prevalence of dysphonia in teachers was 42% compared with 18% in non-teaching staff. A significantly higher proportion of the teachers reported that voice symptoms had affected their ability to communicate effectively. School type (public/private) did not predict the presence of dysphonia. Statistically significant associations were found for regular caffeinated drink intake (odds ratio [OR] = 3.07; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.51-6.62), frequent upper respiratory tract infection (OR = 3.60; 95% CI: 1.39-9.33) and raised voice while teaching (OR = 10.1; 95% CI: 5.07-20.2). Nigerian primary school teachers were at risk for dysphonia. Important environment and personal factors were upper respiratory infection, the need to frequently raise the voice when teaching and regular intake of caffeinated drinks. Dysphonia was not associated with age or years of teaching. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Teacher Job Satisfaction and Student Achievement: The Roles of Teacher Professional Community and Teacher Collaboration in Schools

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Banerjee, Neena; Stearns, Elizabeth; Moller, Stephanie; Mickelson, Roslyn Arlin

2017-01-01

Studies have not conclusively established whether teacher job satisfaction improves student achievement or whether the advantages to students from having satisfied teachers vary with the broader school culture. In this article, we investigate two research questions: (1) Is there a relationship between teacher job satisfaction and students' math…

Teachers' Learning in School-Based Development

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Postholm, May Britt; Waege, Kjersti

2016-01-01

Background and purpose: Many researchers agree that teachers' learning processes are social and that teachers need to be brought together to learn from each other. Researchers have also stated that intellectual and pedagogical change requires professional development activities that take place over a period of time in school. The purpose of the…

Administrative Support and Its Mediating Effect on US Public School Teachers

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Tickle, Benjamin R.; Chang, Mido; Kim, Sunha

2011-01-01

This study examined the effect of administrative support on teachers' job satisfaction and intent to stay in teaching. The study employed a path analysis to the data of regular, full-time, public school teachers from the Schools and Staffing Survey teacher questionnaire. Administrative support was the most significant predictor of teachers' job…

Teacher Education around the World: Changing Policies and Practices. Teacher Quality and School Development

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Darling-Hammond, Linda, Ed.; Lieberman, Ann, Ed.

2012-01-01

Teachers are the most important single element of the education system but what does it take to create high quality teachers in today's world? Around the world, countries are struggling to understand how to change their schools to meet global demands. International comparisons have shown that schools in Finland lead the league tables, but why is…

Finding Balance: The Professional Life of a Charter School Teacher

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Clark, Marjorie

2010-01-01

This phenomenological study of one charter school teacher sought to answer the question, what is it like to be a teacher in a charter school? Exploring issues of preparation, working conditions, and job satisfaction, this teacher expressed a range of emotions about her chosen work environment. I found that the pervasive stress surrounding her work…

Teachers' knowledge and attitudes towards seizure disorder: a comparative study of urban and rural school teachers in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.

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Akpan, M U; Ikpeme, E E; Utuk, E-Oe

2013-01-01

Knowledge and attitude of school teachers with regard to seizure disorder has an important impact on continuation of schooling of children with seizure disorder. Though school teachers in both rural and urban settings are exposed to the same training, their perception of seizure disorder could be influenced by the environment in which they reside. To determine the knowledge and attitudes of school teachers towards children with seizure disorder, and the influence of urban residence on perception of seizure disorder by the teachers. A self-administered questionnaire on knowledge and attitudes to seizure disorder were filled by school teachers drawn from both urban and rural settings in Akwa-Ibom State, Nigeria. One-hundred and thirty-two urban school teachers and an equal number of their rural counterparts completed the questionnaire. There were significantly more female teachers in the urban schools whereas the rural schools were dominated by male teachers with male to female ratio of 1:5.6 and 1.2:1, respectively. Majority of the urban (60.6%) and rural (57.6%) school teachers were National Certificate of Education holders. Thirty-eight (28.8%) of urban respondents versus eight (6.1%) of rural respondents thought seizure disorder was caused by evil spirits whereas 60 (45.5%) urban respondents compared to 80 (60.6%) of rural respondents felt seizure disorder was infectious. Majority of the respondents from both urban and rural schools (68.2% and 63.6% respectively) believed that the foam from the mouth of a convulsing child with seizure disorder is the infecting agent. However, 62.1% of urban respondents as well as 45.5% of rural respondents would advise that children with seizure disorder be admitted into special schools. There was no significant difference in the mean overall knowledge and attitudes of school teachers to seizure disorder in the two settings ( P = 0.33 for knowledge and 0.28 for attitudes). Teachers' high level of education however, had a positive

Meaningful Work and Secondary School Teachers' Intention to Leave

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Janik, M.; Rothmann, S.

2015-01-01

The study investigates the relations between secondary school teachers' work-role fit, job enrichment, supervisor relationships, co-worker relationships, psychological meaningfulness of work and intention to leave. A cross-sectional survey was used. The participants were 502 secondary school teachers in Namibia. The following measuring instruments…

Chinese school teachers' organizational citizenship behavior (OCB): Predictors and outcomes.

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Li, Xia

2013-08-01

Teacher's organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) is a multifaceted construct that is critical to school effectiveness and to the education enterprise. Four hundred ninety-three teachers in eight different cities on the Chinese mainland were surveyed using the OCB scale developed by Bo Shiuan Cheng, a Taiwanese scholar. The antecedent and outcome variables of OCB were examined in this study. The results showed that the teachers' attitudinal characteristics of career satisfaction and career commitment, and the dispositional characteristic of locus of control, influenced teachers' OCB. In addition, teachers' OCB influenced their work performance as well as their career and organizational turnover intention. The implications of this study suggest a base of knowledge from which school administrators could enhance their school's organizational function and retain teachers. © 2013 The Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

The High School Dropout Problem: Perspectives of Teachers and Principals

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Bridgeland, John M.; Dilulio, John J., Jr.; Balfanz, Robert

2009-01-01

To better understand the views of teachers and administrators on the high school dropout problem, focus groups and nationally representative surveys were conducted of high school teachers and principals. A focus group of superintendents and school board members was also included. To help interpret the results, the authors convened a colloquium…

Opinions of Secondary School Science and Mathematics Teachers on STEM Education

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Yildirim, Bekir; Türk, Cumhur

2018-01-01

In this study, the opinions of middle school science teachers and mathematics teachers towards STEM education were examined. The research was carried out for 30 hours with 28 middle school science and mathematics teachers who were working in Istanbul during the spring semester of 2016-2017 academic year. 75% of these teachers are female teachers…

Formation of Korean heritage school teachers' transnational identity

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Hye Young Shin

2017-06-01

Full Text Available This study investigated the complex and shifting professional identities of female Korean heritage school female teachers as a transnational experience. Focus groups and individual interviews created a space for dialogic inquiry into their work experiences and personal and professional lives. The study explored teachers’ professional identity formation, which is influenced by gender and ethnicity within the institutional context of one of the largest heritage schools in the Washington, D.C. area. Teachers compared and reflected on their former and current teaching and learning experiences in Korea and the U.S., experiences raising 1st and 2nd generation children and volunteer experiences in U.S. schools, their workload, salary and status. It reports on their pedagogical insights concerning jueepshik, a traditional Korean cramming method of teaching, their thirst for knowledge, commitment to strengthen and revitalize the teaching of Korean and their aspirations to raise the status and power of teachers of Korean heritage language teachers.

Modelling the Effects of Teacher Demand Factors on Teacher Understaffing in Public Secondary Schools in Kenya

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Wamukuru, David Kuria

2016-01-01

The secondary school teacher labour market faces many challenges including, escalating teacher wage bill, teacher shortages that occur alongside teacher surpluses, inadequate teacher distribution and inefficient teacher utilization. There is the need therefore to understand the effects of the factors determining demand for secondary school…

Behavioral Dysphonia and Depression in Elementary School Teachers.

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Marques da Rocha, Luise; Behlau, Mara; Dias de Mattos Souza, Luciano

2015-11-01

To verify the relationship between behavioral dysphonia and current depressive episodes in municipal elementary school teachers. We hypothesize that teachers with behavioral dysphonia will be more susceptible to psychiatric disorders. Cross-sectional study, quantitative, conducted across municipal schools in both rural and urban regions of Pelotas. Five-hundred seventy-five teachers from urban and rural areas of the same Brazilian state were included. The full version of the Voice Handicap Index validated into Brazilian Portuguese was used to determine the presence of behavioral dysphonia. A profile of vocal behaviors was also used to quantify the number of phonotraumatic events. In addition, the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview was used to determine current episodes of depression. Data were analyzed via correlative studies using chi-square and Poisson regression analyses. Across all teachers, the prevalence of dysphonia was 33.9% and 55% reported that they had already taken a leave because of their voice. Those teachers with a current depressive episode had a higher rate of dysphonia compared with those without depression (prevalence ratio [PR] 1.66; P Teachers who presented with a risk of serious vocal problems had a prevalence ratio of 2.58, indicating a greater proportion of dysphonia, whereas teachers classified as champions of abuse were five times more likely compared with those teachers with behaved or candidates for voice problems. There is an association between behavioral dysphonia and current depressive episodes in elementary school teachers. Copyright © 2015 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Antecedent and Consequence of School Academic Optimism and Teachers' Academic Optimism Model

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Hong, Fu-Yuan

2017-01-01

The main purpose of this research was to examine the relationships among school principals' transformational leadership, school academic optimism, teachers' academic optimism and teachers' professional commitment. This study conducted a questionnaire survey on 367 teachers from 20 high schools in Taiwan by random sampling, using principals'…

A Rural South African Experience of an ESL Computer Program

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Marius Dieperink

2008-12-01

Full Text Available This article reports on a case study that explored the effect of an English-as-Second Language (ESL computer program at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT, South Africa. The case study explored participants’ perceptions, attitudes and beliefs regarding the ESL reading enhancement program, Reading Excellence™. The study found that participants experienced the program in a positive light. They experienced improved ESL reading as well as listening and writing proficiency. In addition, they experienced improved affective well-being in the sense that they generally felt more comfortable using ESL. This included feeling more self-confident in their experience of their academic environment. Interviews as well as document review resulted in dissonance, however: data pointed towards poor class attendance as well as a perturbing lack of progress in terms of reading comprehension and speed.

Peer and Teacher Preference, Student-Teacher Relationships, Student Ethnicity, and Peer Victimization in Elementary School

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Wang, Feihong; Leary, Kevin A.; Taylor, Lorraine C.; Derosier, Melissa E.

2016-01-01

We examined the effects of peer preference and teacher preference for students, students' perceived relationship with their teacher and student ethnicity on peer victimization in late elementary school. Participants were students in the third through fifth grades in four public elementary schools in a southern state. Using hierarchical linear…

Teacher Efficacy and Disciplinary Expectations in Charter Schools: Understanding the Link to Teachers' Career Decisions

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Torres, A. Chris

2016-01-01

Much scholarly work describes a culture of low expectations in low-income, urban schools, the challenges these teachers face managing student behavior, and why these problems so strongly influence teacher turnover. By contrast, some urban charter schools, particularly those associated with high achieving Charter Management Organizations (CMOs),…

PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHER

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Madeleine Dittus

2002-01-01

For the beginning of the school year 2002/2003, the A.P.E.G. has an opening for a primary school teacher in the German national language program. The position requires one afternoon of teaching (13:30 till 16:30) every Tuesday at the Collège in Prévessin. The candidate should be a native speaker of German and have some knowledge of French. If you are interested, please send your CV, a copy of your diploma, and a short letter of motivation, until March 10th, to the following address. Madeleine Dittus - Présidente A.P.E.G. 5, La vie Destraz 01630 St. Genis-Pouilly - France

A Different Model for School Success: Empower Teachers

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Farris-Berg, Kim

2014-01-01

This article opens with a thought provoking question--When it comes to defining teacher leadership, how much do we limit ourselves by assuming that the way teachers work today must always be the way teachers work? The author points out that pioneering groups of public school teachers across the United States are advancing a new definition of…

Democracy in schools: are educators ready for teacher leadership?

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Elsabé de Villiers

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this research was to determine educators' perceptions of and readiness for teacher leadership. A total of 283 educators in the Eden and Central Karoo Education District in the Western Cape participated in the study. The participants included district officials, principals, and members of school management teams, as well as veteran, middle, and novice educators. A series of instruments was used to determine educators' perspectives, perceptions and readiness for teacher leadership, including the Teacher Leadership Readiness Instrument (TLRI. The results indicated that educators held positive assumptions about teacher leadership. Educators' preliminary leadership perceptions, assumptions about and readiness for teacher leadership proved that the majority of educators are ready for a more distributed, deep democratic leadership practice in schools. Educators acknowledged the need for continuous professional development in the area of teacher leadership. It was also found that as preliminary leadership perceptions of educators improve or strengthen, readiness for teacher leadership is also likely to improve or strengthen. These findings have significant implications for leadership practices, collaboration, capacity-building and improvement in schools, educators' self-esteem, motivation and productivity, as well as student outcomes.

Teacher Training to Handle Bullying in the School in Indonesia

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Hidayatus Sholihah

2016-02-01

Full Text Available There are several students in Indonesia who have suffered from injury or even died because of bullying. As a consequence, school teachers in Indonesia need to be trained to handle and prevent bullying. This essay examines the importance of pre-service and in service teacher training in order to reduce and prevent bullying in school in Indonesia by examining the problem of bullying, discussing the effects of it and providing areas of training to help teachers to tackle bullying. There are several reasons why bullying becomes serious problem in school. First of all, bullying is a complex task for teachers because it is difficult to identify and, teachers find it difficult to differentiate between bullying and fighting or horseplay. Moreover, teachers lack the knowledge and skills to handle bullying. Bullying has negative effects not only on victims but also on bullies. Victims feel lonely, depressed, and often have low self-esteem, while bullies often exhibit sign of bad temper or depression. Areas of teachers pre- service and in- service training are1 assisting teachers to differentiate between bullying and fighting or horse playing 2 developing skills to communicate with bullies and to manage classrooms where bullying occurs. In conclusion, teacher training is a good solution to tackle bullying at school in Indonesia because teachers are in the front line to solve this problem. Permalink/DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15408/tjems.v2i1.1786

Practices and representations of health education among primary school teachers.

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Jourdan, Didier; Pommier, Jeanine; Quidu, Frédérique

2010-02-01

School is one of the key settings for health education (HE). The objectives of this study are to assess primary school teachers' self-reported teaching practices in HE and to describe their representation concerning their role in HE. A quantitative study was conducted on a sample of primary school teachers (n = 626) in two French regions in order to analyze their practices and representations in HE. A hierarchical clustering dendogram was performed on questions exploring representations of HE. Multiple linear regression analysis helped explain the motivation and self-perceived competency score. Three quarters of the teachers declare they work in HE. Only one third of them declare they work in a comprehensive HE perspective. The HE approach is often considered in terms of specific unique curriculum intervention. Two thirds of the teachers say they work alone in HE, the other third associate other partners and choose mainly school health services. Parents are rarely (12%) involved in HE initiatives. It is essentially the practice of HE, teacher training and teachers' representation of HE that condition their motivation to develop HE. Teachers can take different approaches to HE. Teachers' representation of HE plays an important role in the development of HE activities: some teachers consider that HE is the mission of the health professionals and the parents. Our expectations of teacher involvement should be realistic, should take into account the representations of their role, the difficulties they encounter, and should be sustained by specific training.

Awareness of autism amongst primary school teachers in Yenagoa ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Abstract. Background: Autism is a chronic neuro-developmental disorder and teachers of pupils with autism require a basic understanding of the disorder. Objective: To determine the awareness of autism amongst primary school teachers and to find out pupils with symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Primary schools ...

Strengthening the Creative Transformational Leadership of Primary School Teachers

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Kallapadee, Yadapak; Tesaputa, Kowat; Somprach, Kanokorn

2017-01-01

This research and development aimed to: 1) study the components and indicators of creative transformational leadership of primary school teachers; 2) study the existing situation, and the desirable situation of creative transformational leadership of primary school teachers in the northeastern region of Thailand; 3) develop a program to strengthen…

Binding Forces and Teachers' School Life: A Recursive Model.

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Pang, Nicolas Sun-Keung

2003-01-01

Formulates theoretical model of four binding forces in school organizations--bureaucratic linkage, cultural linkage, tight coupling, and loose coupling--and examines their effects on teachers' feelings about school life. Finds, for example, that loose coupling had a positive effect on teachers' sense of community, job satisfaction, and commitment.…

An Investigation of Middle School Teachers' Perceptions on Bullying

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Waters, Stewart; Mashburn, Natalie

2017-01-01

The researchers in this study investigated rural middle school teachers' perspectives regarding bullying. The researchers gathered information about the teachers' definitions of bullying, where bullying occurs in their school, and how to prevent bullying. Peer-reviewed literature associated with this topic was studied in order to achieve a broader…

Empowerment, Leadership, and Teachers' Intentions to Stay in or Leave the Profession or Their Schools in North Carolina Charter Schools

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Ndoye, Abdou; Imig, Scott R.; Parker, Michele A.

2010-01-01

Teacher attrition and migration plague many American schools. The situation is even more dire in charter schools across the country. On average, teacher attrition is 15 to 40% higher in charter schools than in traditional schools. This study examined the relationships among teacher empowerment, school leadership, and intentions to stay in or leave…

Relationships between school support, school facilities, ICT culture and mathematics teachers' attitudes towards ICT in teaching and learning

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Ayub, Ahmad Fauzi Mohd; Bakar, Kamariah Abu; Ismail, Rohayati

2012-05-01

Information communication Technology (ICT) has been a major influence in the Malaysian Education System, especially in the teaching of mathematics. Since 2003, the Malaysian Ministry of Education has provided incentives to mathematics teacher to motivate them to use ICT using English as the medium of instruction, during the teaching and learning process. However, there are barriers that prevented mathematics teachers from using ICT in the classrooms. This study is to determine factors that influenced the attitudes of Malaysian Mathematic Teachers in integrating ICT in their teaching and learning. One hundred ninety one mathematics teachers were randomly selected for the purpose of this study. The three factors investigated were school support, school facilities and school culture which had been selected to be correlated with teachers' attitudes towards integrating ICT in the teaching and learning of mathematics. Findings showed that significant positive relationships existed between teachers' attitudes toward integrating ICT in the teaching and learning and school support, school facilities and ICT culture and This finding indicated that, in order to develop teachers' attitudes in using ICT during their teaching and learning process, they needed support from the school principals and also their colleagues. Apart from that, school facilities and also ICT culture were also found to be essential.

Public School and Teacher Education Reform: A Proposal for Shared Action.

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Schlechty, Phillip C.; Whitford, Betty Lou

1986-01-01

Public schools must play a more central role in teacher education than they do now. What is needed is an organization separate from public schools, the university, and the teachers' organizations that can act as an effective force for teacher professionalization. (Author)

Nursery School Headteacher Leadership Behaviour Correlates of Nursery School Teachers Job Satisfaction in Akoko North, Ondo State, Nigeria

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Clara, Okoroafor Nnenna

2016-01-01

The present study focuses on nursery school head teacher leadership behaviour as it correlates to nursery school teacher's job satisfaction. Data were collected through a scale and returned by sample of two hundred and fifty nursery school teacher's in Akoko North, Ondo State, Nigeria.Data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation…

Food-related practices and beliefs of rural US elementary and middle school teachers.

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Findholt, Nancy E; Izumi, Betty T; Shannon, Jackilen; Nguyen, Thuan

2016-01-01

Childhood obesity disproportionately affects rural populations; therefore, promoting healthy eating among rural children is essential. Teachers are important role models for children and can influence children's eating behaviors through their own behaviors and beliefs about food. This study examined the food-related practices and beliefs of rural elementary and middle school teachers. Data were used from the SNACZ study, a school- and community-based trial conducted in rural Oregon. Kindergarten through eighth-grade teachers (n=87), teaching students usually aged 5-14 years, from eight rural school districts completed a baseline survey in November 2012 concerning their classroom food practices, eating behaviors at school, beliefs about the school food environment, and nutrition knowledge. Frequencies of responses to each item were calculated. Nearly all teachers (97.6%) agreed that a healthy school food environment is important, but fewer agreed that teachers' behaviors and the foods available at school influence students' eating behaviors (71.0% and 67.0%, respectively). Nearly 86% of teachers used candy as a reward for students, while 78.2% consumed unhealthy snacks and 42.5% consumed sweetened beverages in the classroom. The results suggest that most rural teachers recognize that having a healthy school food environment is important, but are less aware of factors within the school that influence students' eating behaviors - including their own eating behaviors and classroom food practices - and, perhaps for this reason, many rural teachers engage in classroom practices and behaviors that do not promote healthy eating. Teacher training and expanded school policies that focus on teacher behavior may be needed to ensure a healthier rural school food environment.

The Impact of School Management Strategies on Academic Achievement in Texas Schools

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Ogundokun, Olubunmi K.

2012-01-01

This study analyzes the relationship between school management strategies and student's academic achievement, while controlling for factors such as the school principals' age, gender, experience, as well as school size and location, Student's Social Economics Status (SES), English as a Second Language learner's population (ESL), Special Education…

Teacher Rated School Ethos and Student Reported Bullying—A Multilevel Study of Upper Secondary Schools in Stockholm, Sweden

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Bitte Modin

2017-12-01

Full Text Available School ethos refers to the school leadership’s purposive efforts to shape and direct the attitudes, values and behaviors needed in order to promote an active learning environment and to prevent the emergence of undesirable behaviors by creating shared meaning and common goals for the school. The aim of this study was to examine how teacher rated aspects of school ethos are linked with manifestations of bullying among 11th grade students. Five teacher-rated sub-dimensions of school ethos (staff stability, teacher morale, structure-order, student focus, and academic atmosphere were examined in relation to student-reported perpetration of and exposure to traditional school bullying and cyberbullying. The data material combines student and teacher information from two separate data collections performed in 2016, comprising teachers and students in 58 upper secondary schools in Stockholm. Analyses showed that bullying was associated with all but one of the five sub-dimensions of school ethos, namely structure and order for dealing with bullying behaviors at the school. Results are discussed in light of this counter-intuitive finding. Our findings nevertheless lend support to the idea that the social organization of schools, as reflected in their teacher-rated ethos, can affect individual students’ attitudes in a way that prevents the emergence of bullying behavior among students.

Strengthening Leadership Competencies of Thai Secondary School Teachers

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Chaiyot Wanutha; Kowat Tesaputa; Anan Sri-Ampai

2017-01-01

The research aimed 1) to investigate components and indicators of the leadership competencies of secondary school teachers, 2) to explore the existing situations and desirable situations of secondary school teachers’ leadership competencies, 3) to study the techniques to strengthen teachers’ leadership competencies, 4) to develop the teacher-leadership competencies strengthening program, and 5) to find out the results of implementing the program to improve the teacher’s ...

Translating Information Literacy: Online Library Support for ESL Students

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Lombard, Emmett

2016-01-01

This article describes information literacy struggles of ESL college students within the context of four information literacy components: Identify, Locate, Evaluate, Use. Experiences from an online freshman composition course are used to illustrate these struggles, along with techniques academic librarians use to help ESL students from a distance.

Teacher Victimization in Authoritative School Environments

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Kapa, Ryan R.; Luke, Jeremy; Moulthrop, Dorothy; Gimbert, Belinda

2018-01-01

Background: Victimization in schools is not limited to students. Teachers increasingly face threats and attacks from their students. An authoritative school environment, characterized by high structure and support, has been associated with lower rates of victimization. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between authoritative…

An Alternative Collaborative Supervision Practice between University-Based Teachers and School-Based Teachers

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Steele, Annfrid R.

2017-01-01

There is an increased focus in teacher education on research-based teaching as a means to develop a more research-based professional knowledge. However, research from several Western countries shows that neither school-based nor university-based teachers are familiar with how to integrate research-based knowledge in professional teacher practice.…

Linking the Teacher Appraisal Process to the School Improvement Plan

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Reddekopp, Therese

2007-01-01

If a school improvement plan includes input from all stakeholders and focuses on data-driven processes that are linked to teacher appraisal, it can be powerful in leading the school toward the common mission of achieving student success. Linking the school improvement plan to the teacher appraisal process creates a system whereby all individuals…

Middle School Teachers' Perceptions Regarding the Motivation and Effectiveness of Homework

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Snead, Donald; Burris, Kathleen G.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to understand middle school teachers' perspectives on the role of homework. Approximately 118 middle school teachers volunteered to complete open-ended surveys describing their perceptions regarding the effectiveness of homework. Qualitative analysis revealed teachers identified several instructional and…

Gendered Harassment in Secondary Schools: Understanding Teachers' (Non) Interventions

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Meyer, Elizabeth J.

2008-01-01