The National Curriculum: can small schools deliver? Confidence and competence levels of teachers in small rural primary schools

1996 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Hargreaves ◽  
Chris Comber ◽  
Maurice Galton
Keyword(s):  
Primary Schools ◽  
Small Schools ◽  
National Curriculum

scholarly journals Combating the Coronavirus Pandemic in Small Schools

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 7086
Author(s):  
Martina Maněnová ◽  
Janet Wolf ◽  
Martin Skutil ◽  
Jitka Vítová
Keyword(s):  
Distance Education ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Small Schools ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Result Section ◽  
School Directors ◽  
Ict Competence ◽  
Insight Into

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the issue of distance education in primary schools has become a much-discussed topic. It is therefore no surprise that the issues related to it have come to the forefront of many researchers. There is, however, at least one group that has stayed relatively unnoticed, and it is so-called small schools. Thus, we conducted a qualitative study based on the phenomenological approach, searching for answers to our research question: What has been the experience of the directors of small schools with distance education during the pandemic? Our findings offer an in-depth insight into the life of six schools through the eyes of their directors. Semi-structural interviews with school directors helped us reveal three key factors that, in our opinion, had the greatest influence on the form of distance education. These are (1) the factor of ICT competence of all actors, (2) the factor of organization of educational settings, and (3) the factor of the teaching methods and forms used in education. Furthermore, we conclude the result section with a subchapter that captures the positive aspects of distance education as perceived by the addressed school directors.

scholarly journals How the information use environment influences search activities

2019 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 435-455 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Rutter ◽  
Paul David Clough ◽  
Elaine G. Toms
Keyword(s):  
Primary Schools ◽  
Value Of Information ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
National Curriculum ◽  
Information Use ◽  
Search Process ◽  
Search Activity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The information use environment (IUE) – the context within which the search activity takes place – is critical to understanding the search process as this will affect how the value of information is determined. The purpose of this paper is to investigate what factors influence search in English primary schools (children aged 4–11) and how information found is subsequently used. Design/methodology/approach Ten teachers, selected using maximal variation sampling, describe search-related activities within the classroom. The resulting interview data were analysed thematically for the influence of the environment on search and different information uses. The findings were then validated against three classroom observations. Findings 12 categories of information use were identified, and 5 aspects of the environment (the national curriculum, best practice, different skills of children and teachers, keeping children safe, and limited time and resource) combine to influence and shape search in this setting. Research limitations/implications Findings support the argument that it is the IUE that is the key influence of search activity. What makes children a distinct user group is linked to the environment within which they use information rather than age, as advocated in previous studies. Practical implications The features of search systems and practical guidance for teachers and children should be designed to support information use within the IUE. Originality/value As far as the authors are aware, this is the first study to consider the influence of the IUE on how search is enacted within primary schools.

scholarly journals “I start learning English through speaking”: Social agency demand and inter-school readiness for Indonesian young English learners

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 218-225
Author(s):  
Sri Setyarini ◽  
Bachrudin Musthafa ◽  
Ahmad Bukhori Muslim
Keyword(s):  
School Readiness ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
English Language ◽  
National Curriculum ◽  
Critical Factor ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
School Level ◽  
Social Agency ◽  
Young Learners

Preserving Indonesian as a national identity and institutional readiness to perform the national curriculum 2013 instruction has become a critical factor in the exclusion of English as a compulsory subject at the elementary school level. This leaves rooms for teachers’ confusion and creativity, leading to various practices at different school clusters, depending on parental demands and school readiness. This study thus tries to cast light on the social agency demand and inter-school readiness for young learners in the Indonesian EFL pedagogical contexts. This instrumental case study portrays the practices of English language teaching at three clusters of Indonesian primary schools; local, national, and independent, as well as responses of parents and students to these practices. Involving 4-6 grade students and English teachers of six primary schools, the data were garnered through classroom observation, interviews, and document analysis. The findings revealed that although teaching English to young learners is somehow communicative and fun, it more emphasises  literacy skills (reading, writing, and grammar), particularly at local schools as the majority cluster across the country. Since English is a non-phonetic language, this literacy-focused practice is rather contradictory to what parents as social agencies expect, that is, to develop their children’s English oral proficiency. The study also offers ways by which teachers and schools can accommodate this social agency’s needs for speaking skills by focusing more on student-centred and oral English proficiency activities and assessment.

Classroom teachers’ and administrators’ views of teaching health and physical education

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 448-464
Author(s):  
Dominique Banville ◽  
Ben Dyson ◽  
Pamela H Kulinna ◽  
Michalis Stylianou
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Physical Education ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
School Environment ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
National Curriculum ◽  
Classroom Teachers ◽  
Health And Physical Education ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand

Teacher efficacy influences what and how they teach. This may be particularly important to consider in Aotearoa New Zealand contexts where primary classroom teachers teach health and physical education and use physical activity breaks with little training. It remains unclear how classroom teachers perceive this role and how to better support them. The purpose of this study was to investigate classroom teachers’ and administrators’ views of teaching health and physical education, including physical activity behaviours, in primary schools in Aotearoa New Zealand. Participants were 10 teachers and three administrators from two schools selected as a purposive sample. Data were collected through formal interviews, field notes, and photographs, and were analysed using inductive analysis and constant comparison. The findings are shared using four themes: (a) support for physical activity breaks; (b) support for curriculum content in health and physical education and ‘Kiwi’ sport culture; (c) teachers’ influence level; and (d) school environment. Overall, teachers and administrators felt very efficacious in their roles of creating healthy and active schools. These teachers also appeared to be confused regarding the difference between physical education, sport, and physical activity. They did feel, however, that instructional self-efficacy could be improved through enhanced content and pedagogy taught in teacher education programmes, and increased opportunities for professional learning and development. Potentially, this could lead to more time spent teaching the health and physical education content as well as a greater focus on the national curriculum for health and physical education being taught in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Music in the National Curriculum: The First Year

1994 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 191-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet Mills
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
National Curriculum ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
First Year ◽  
Music Teaching ◽  
Music Lessons ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Academic Year

During the academic year 1992–93 HM Inspectors of Schools (HMI) inspected 1208 class music lessons in maintained schools in England. These included almost 400 lessons attended by pupils in their first, third or seventh year of statutory schooling, that is pupils to whom the National Curriculum applies. HMI found a wide range in the quality of the practice in both primary and secondary schools. However, the proportion of lessons which HMI judged to be satisfactory or better in at least one of three important dimensions was substantially higher in primary schools. Primary class teachers often under-rated the quality of their music teaching. Some principles for developing good practice were identified.

scholarly journals School Road Safety Education in Uganda: Progress and Lessons Learned

2021 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-51
Author(s):  
Tumwine Nkuruho ◽  
Cuthbert Isingoma ◽  
Teresa Senserrick
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Road Safety ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
National Curriculum ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Road Accident ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Safety Education ◽  
Safety Skills

The Uganda Road Accident Reduction Network Organisation (URRENO) is a non-profit, non-government organisation (NGO) mandated in 1997. From a modest pilot project funded by the World Bank in 2003, it has become a leader in the development, implementation and advocacy for road safety education in primary schools across Uganda. Through URRENO efforts, the pilot program was adopted as the national curriculum and was shown to improve students’ road safety skills and behaviours and reduce their involvement in crashes from 15% to 5%. Many other related worthwhile initiatives followed, including: improvements in pedestrian facilities; integrated road safety publicity and enforcement campaigns; and expansion of road safety NGOs to supplement Government efforts. Lessons learned of value for like organisations include: striving to collect and analyse data to attain a project evidence base; building strong partnerships with influential individuals, community groups, businesses and Government stakeholders; adopting participatory approaches in which stakeholders and beneficiaries play significant roles in project implementation; and building capacities and empowering beneficiaries. URRENO continues in its efforts to strengthen and further roll-out the road safety education curriculum across Uganda, following evidence that transfers of trained teachers has contributed to decayed expertise and attention to road safety, particularly among schools in rural areas. URRENO will continue to strive to empower young people to learn and strengthen their capacity in road safety, to grow out of dependence and become independent safe road users.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document