scholarly journals Transition practice before entering primary school: A longitudinal study of children with and without special needs across a year

2021 ◽  
pp. 156918612110134
Author(s):  
Sok M Lim ◽  
Leanna Nyoman ◽  
Ying J Tan ◽  
Yun Y Yin
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Primary School ◽  
School Readiness ◽  
Special Needs ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Transition Period ◽  
Instant Messaging ◽  
Subjective Experiences ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Increasing Trends

Introduction The transition to primary school is a significant milestone for children. Transition periods can offer new opportunities to build skills, relationships, and experiences that strengthen self-efficacy. In Singapore, parents play an important role in supporting transition as preschools and primary schools operate independently. Occupational therapists are involved in supporting children with special needs in transitions. Objective Focusing on the transition period of getting children ready for primary school, the objectives are (i) to learn about the strategies that parents used for the purpose of transition and understand the intentions behind what they do and (ii) to compare the transition practices and perceived school readiness between parents of children with and without special needs. Method A longitudinal study involving 48 parents was conducted over 12 months. Parents completed a survey at the start and end of the year to detect changes from baseline, and semi-structured interviews every two months to gather their subjective experiences and track their child’s readiness for transition. The surveys and interviews were conducted on a mobile instant messaging platform. Coding of responses was guided by school readiness domains identified in earlier studies and Occupational Therapy Practice Framework’s approaches to intervention. Results Most parents focused on establishing and maintaining new self-help and academic skills across the year while few were “modifying” or “preventing”. Increasing trends in child readiness were noted for both children with and without special needs. Conclusion In family-centred practice, it is important to recognise parents’ expertise and resources.

MODEL OF PEER-MEDIATED SOCIAL SKILLS INTERVENTION FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS IN INCLUSIVE PRIMARY SCHOOLS

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marlina - Marlina
Keyword(s):  
Social Skills ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Special Needs ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Social Skills Training ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Training Model ◽  
Children With Special Needs ◽  
Social Skills Intervention ◽  
Normal Children

This research is aimed at investigating a model of social skills training for children with special needs in inclusive primary school. The study is used at research and development. The training model involves the normal children as training mediators, the so-called peer-mediated social skills intervention (PMSSI), PMSSI model is developed into seven steps. The results of the development are: (1) PMSSI model is appropriate to meet the needs of children with special needs and normal children as social skills training; (2) PMSSI model has the steps description of social skills training which are organized, hierarchical, and clear; (3) PMSSI model is useful for classroom teachers and special educator teachers in inclusive primary school; and (4) PMSSI model is efficient in terms of cost but not of time. Based on the results of the development, there are two suggestions: (1) the need for training the trainers on the use of PMSSI model before being applied in inclusive primary school, and (2) the implementation of social skills training should be done integratedly in academic activities or in a playgroup setting.

scholarly journals Factors Affecting Technology Integration in EFL Classrooms: The Case of Kuwaiti Government Primary Schools

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 10
Author(s):  
Maha Bader Alghasab ◽  
Anaam Alfadley ◽  
Amel M. Aladwani
Keyword(s):  
Primary School ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Parental Support ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Efl Teachers

Previous Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) research has shown that technology is beneficial for promoting language learning, but some teachers neither use technology as an assisted tool nor integrate it into their language classrooms. It has also been argued that the integration of technology has been unsuccessful in Kuwait. This study aims to explore the factors influencing teachers’ use of technology in English as a foreign language (EFL) classroom in Kuwaiti government primary schools. More specifically, it aims to highlight factors promoting and hindering EFL teachers’ use of technology. For the purpose of this study, 55 questionnaire responses were collected from different primary school teachers in Kuwait, followed up with 15 semi-structured interviews. The study findings show that Kuwaiti primary school EFL teachers who participated in the current study demonstrated positive attitudes towards using technology and acknowledged the implementation of some cutting-edge technologies in their classrooms. Enhancing students’ language learning, innovation and school support were the main factors that encouraged the participating teachers to use technology. Other factors hindered the use of technology; particularly those related to lack of parental support, personal expenses and health problems, teachers’ lack of skills and training, poor classroom infrastructure, and time constraints/workload. The findings also reveal that the lack of professional development training workshops provided by the Ministry of Education led the Kuwaiti teachers to rely more on informal training in which they worked and learnt together with their colleagues in small sub-groups to improve their use of technology. The study findings have implications for policymakers and other stakeholders intending to integrate technology in Kuwaiti primary schools.

scholarly journals Learning Implementation for Students with Special Needs in Inclusive Schools During the Covid-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 90-103
Author(s):  
Teguh Prasetyo ◽  
Asep Supena
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Special Needs ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Online Data ◽  
Students With Special Needs ◽  
Offline Learning ◽  
Inclusive Schools

Learning activities during the Covid-19 pandemic are a new challenge for teachers in schools. especially special companion teachers or GPK in inclusive primary schools. GPKs still have to provide maximum service related to the learning process carried out during the Covid-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to obtain information related to the implementation of learning for students with special needs (PDBK) in inclusive schools during the Covid-19 pandemic. The research was conducted using a qualitative approach to the type of case study. The subjects studied were three GPKs in the Kreativa Inclusive Elementary School, Bogor City. Data collection was obtained through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews conducted online. Data analysis was carried out in a descriptive qualitative manner with the help of nvivo 12 plus. The results showed that the PDBK learning during the Covid-19 pandemic was as follows; (1) the GPK has prepared learning tools, especially individual learning programs, (2) offline learning in classrooms and center rooms focus on developing PDBK life skills, (3) learn the content is the same as before the pandemic, (4) online learning is carried out through the zoom application and WhatsApp, and (5) the process of assessing learning outcomes using google forms and worksheets related to PDBK learning activities. The learning challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic faced by GPK, namely; decreased learning outcomes of PDBK, problems with GDPK tantrums during online learning, and communication problems to provide an understanding of learning.

scholarly journals Assessing Stress Factors and Coping Strategies among Primary Schools Adolescents in Moshi District, Tanzania

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (7) ◽  
pp. 4900-4911
Author(s):  
Edith Mwananzila ◽  
Muteti Catherine Mueni
Keyword(s):  
Primary School ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
High Stress ◽  
Signs And Symptoms ◽  
Stress Factors ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
And Coping

The purpose of the study was to determine factors attributed to primary schools adolescents’ stress and common stress coping strategies they use. Four research questions guided this study. The study employed mixed research approach. Descriptive cross-sectional design was used. Participants were 225 primary schools’ adolescents and 15 primary class teachers and five primary heads of schools. Data were collected through structured questionnaire, semi structured interviews and focus group discussion. Data were analysed using both content and thematic analysis. The findings of the study reveal that, most of adolescents had experienced stress even though some of them were not sure whether they were stressed or not due to lack of knowledge regarding stress and the sources of stress. Furthermore, the study found that two thirds of primary school adolescents often experienced symptoms of stress implying that they had high stress levels. Similarly, the study found that majority of the pupils often employed positive coping strategies. The study concludes that primary school adolescents in Moshi municipality were subjected to high levels of stress which affects their psychological wellbeing although they had not been able to address the sources of stress. Adolescents lacked the awareness of signs and symptoms of stress which increased the level of stress among them. Moreover, the pupils reported nervousness, anger, anxiety, sickness and lack of concentration during class hours. Primary schools adolescents were not able to device relevant coping strategies against stress. The Ministry of Education should put more emphasis on the issue of stress and coping strategies in primary schools by introducing well-structured formal support systems. The family should learn to support and be helpful for adolescents faced with stress, no matter how they are adapting to the stress. Moreover, schools should pay attention to students’ trouble with learning and apply appropriate strategies to enhance their learning effectiveness

scholarly journals Transition from Aoga Amata to school: case studies in the Wellington region

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Le'autuli'ilagi Malaeta Faasapisapi Sauvao
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Language Maintenance ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Transition To School ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Performance Tasks ◽  
Sampling Procedures ◽  
The Impact

<p>Background The rapid increase in the number of Samoan children receiving early childhood education in their heritage language through the Aoga Amata movement has prompted the researcher to examine how continuity is being handled during the transition to primary schooling. During 1996-7, I interviewed parents, teachers, principals and children about the transition from Aoga Amata programmes to junior class programmes in fourteen primary schools. In addition, I gathered descriptions of how parents viewed the nature and the quality of Aoga Amata programmes, and how teachers and principals viewed issues of language maintenance. I also asked children to reflect on their Aoga Amata experience and then engage in performance tasks that provided me with an opportunity to gauge their spoken proficiency in Samoan. Aim The primary aim of the study was to gather information from parents, children, teachers and principals about the way the transition to school was organised for Aoga Amata children. Sampling procedures I used a community network approach to gain access to a pool of twenty recent graduates of Aoga Amata and their receiving schools. In addition, I chose six children for case study purposes because of the interesting circumstance each child represented. Thirty-nine parents, fourteen teachers and fourteen principals completed the sample. Procedures I used structured interviews, questionnaire versions of the structured interviews, and performance tasks in order to collect information. I asked about the strategies used to cope with the transition to primary school; the impact of the transition on children, the perceptions of parents about Aoga Amata programmes, perceptions of teachers about the transition to primary school, and the factors thought by stakeholders to be contributing to the maintenance of the Samoan language in school. The procedures used to gather information were carried out using culturally appropriate communication processes that made use of faafeiloaiga faa Samoa (cultural greetings), faaaloalo (respect and supply of food), faamalie ona o ni itu e faalavelavea ai le suesuega (acknowledgement of intrusion) and lauga faafetai/faamavae (speeches of appreciation and farewell). Results Only one Aoga Amata/school partnership had a comprehensive programme where the graduates of the Aoga Amata were received into a bilingual programme taught by a native speaker of Samoan. The Aoga Amata was on the school grounds and this enabled linkages to develop over a period of time between its staff, the teachers at the school, the children, and the children's families. When children were received into schools where there was no continuity of language and curriculum, the transition was perceived as less satisfactory, especially in the early days of the transition. Compared to children who attended other early childhood educational centres, or remained at home, children who had attended an Aoga Amata programme were generally perceived by most teachers and parents as having more developed literacy, numeracy, and social skills. Schools varied in the position they took on language maintenance and on the actions that they were prepared to take. Lack of funding, lack of trained Samoan teachers, and a view that the school's cultural activities were sufficient were all reasons given for absence of language maintenance. Conclusion There is lack of an agreed understanding of what is necessary for successful transition to school in the case of Aoga Amata children. Stakeholders in the children's education will need to target policy, strategies, and standards to guide continuity between home, Aoga Amata, school and community.</p>

The Application of Global Education in Child-Friendly School: Descriptive Study in Primary School in Sumedang

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 71
Author(s):  
Hany Handayani ◽  
Pupung Rahayu ◽  
Agusfianudin .
Keyword(s):  
Elementary School ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Global Education ◽  
Student Understanding ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
School Students ◽  
The Face ◽  
Green School ◽  
Child Friendly

Integration of global education in schools is considered insignificant by teachers, whereas in the face of the era of globalization, education is very important given to elementary school students, so with this consideration this research is carried out. The method used in this study is a descriptive method of the International Green School Primary School in Sumedang which implements child-friendly school education. This study aims to find out how schools apply global education to subjects in the classroom. The technique of data collection is done through semi-structured interviews, observation and documentation. This study was analyzed using a grounding approach. The findings of this study highlight the implementation of global education in child-friendly schools at the Green School Elementary School. Based on these findings, Elementary School teachers found learning patterns in the implementation of global education in Primary Schools. The results obtained are: 1) increasing student understanding of international and intercultural issues and, 2) increasing student understanding of strategies to participate locally, nationally, and internationally.

scholarly journals Transition from Aoga Amata to school: case studies in the Wellington region

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Le'autuli'ilagi Malaeta Faasapisapi Sauvao
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Language Maintenance ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Transition To School ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Performance Tasks ◽  
Sampling Procedures ◽  
The Impact

<p>Background The rapid increase in the number of Samoan children receiving early childhood education in their heritage language through the Aoga Amata movement has prompted the researcher to examine how continuity is being handled during the transition to primary schooling. During 1996-7, I interviewed parents, teachers, principals and children about the transition from Aoga Amata programmes to junior class programmes in fourteen primary schools. In addition, I gathered descriptions of how parents viewed the nature and the quality of Aoga Amata programmes, and how teachers and principals viewed issues of language maintenance. I also asked children to reflect on their Aoga Amata experience and then engage in performance tasks that provided me with an opportunity to gauge their spoken proficiency in Samoan. Aim The primary aim of the study was to gather information from parents, children, teachers and principals about the way the transition to school was organised for Aoga Amata children. Sampling procedures I used a community network approach to gain access to a pool of twenty recent graduates of Aoga Amata and their receiving schools. In addition, I chose six children for case study purposes because of the interesting circumstance each child represented. Thirty-nine parents, fourteen teachers and fourteen principals completed the sample. Procedures I used structured interviews, questionnaire versions of the structured interviews, and performance tasks in order to collect information. I asked about the strategies used to cope with the transition to primary school; the impact of the transition on children, the perceptions of parents about Aoga Amata programmes, perceptions of teachers about the transition to primary school, and the factors thought by stakeholders to be contributing to the maintenance of the Samoan language in school. The procedures used to gather information were carried out using culturally appropriate communication processes that made use of faafeiloaiga faa Samoa (cultural greetings), faaaloalo (respect and supply of food), faamalie ona o ni itu e faalavelavea ai le suesuega (acknowledgement of intrusion) and lauga faafetai/faamavae (speeches of appreciation and farewell). Results Only one Aoga Amata/school partnership had a comprehensive programme where the graduates of the Aoga Amata were received into a bilingual programme taught by a native speaker of Samoan. The Aoga Amata was on the school grounds and this enabled linkages to develop over a period of time between its staff, the teachers at the school, the children, and the children's families. When children were received into schools where there was no continuity of language and curriculum, the transition was perceived as less satisfactory, especially in the early days of the transition. Compared to children who attended other early childhood educational centres, or remained at home, children who had attended an Aoga Amata programme were generally perceived by most teachers and parents as having more developed literacy, numeracy, and social skills. Schools varied in the position they took on language maintenance and on the actions that they were prepared to take. Lack of funding, lack of trained Samoan teachers, and a view that the school's cultural activities were sufficient were all reasons given for absence of language maintenance. Conclusion There is lack of an agreed understanding of what is necessary for successful transition to school in the case of Aoga Amata children. Stakeholders in the children's education will need to target policy, strategies, and standards to guide continuity between home, Aoga Amata, school and community.</p>

scholarly journals Experiencing Transformation of Professional Identity: From Teaching to Leadership in a Small Rural Primary School in Cyprus

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. p158
Author(s):  
Pavlina Hadjitheodoulou Loizidou ◽  
Marianna Fokaidou
Keyword(s):  
Primary School ◽  
Professional Identity ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Professional Growth ◽  
Previous Experience ◽  
Head Teacher ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Learning Program ◽  
Head Teachers

The study used the Clarke and Hollingsworth (2002) model on teacher professional growth to investigate the changes and the transition of professional identity when a deputy head teacher was appointed as an acting head teacher in a small rural primary school in Cyprus. The head teacher had no previous experience in headship, and did not receive any training or followed an induction course to the job. The goal of the study was to identify ways to support novice acting head teachers for effective leadership in the complexities of small primary schools. Data was collected through diary notes and semi-structured interviews using thematic analysis of qualitative data. The analysis revealed the importance of the interaction between the external stimuli and information through informal professional learning in the role set and the personal knowledge and previous experience. Feelings of isolation as the main outcome of this experience enabled changes in leadership practice through enactment and reflection. The teacher’s suggestions for a professional learning program could be the contribution of her personal experience on the educational context.

scholarly journals PERCEPTIONS OF PRIMARY AND HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS ON THE USE OF MOTHER TONGUE IN EFL CLASSES

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dilek Durukan ◽  
Ayhan Kahraman
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Primary School ◽  
High School Teachers ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
School Teachers

Whether the mother tongue (L1) should be included or excluded in foreign language classes has been debated by researchers and there is no consensus on this controversial issue.   However, most of the studies are conducted on the tertiary level, and there is very few on the primary & secondary levels.  Therefore, this study explores the perspectives of English teachers working in primary schools in comparison to high schools affiliated with national education. It also investigates for which language skills both of those groups find the use of mother tongue (Turkish) relatively effective and their justification behind the use of L1 in their classes in which English is taught as a foreign language. A total of 30 primary and 30 high school teachers working in Usak participated the study voluntarily. The study has employed mixed-method and   data was collected through a questionnaire developed by Kuru and Tekin (2019). Moreover, semi structured interviews were conducted to obtain qualitative data with randomly selected primary school (8) and high school teachers (8). By means of SPSS, descriptive statistics were conducted and qualitative data were analyzed thematically. Findings of the quantitative data indicated that majority of both primary and high school teachers support the use of mother tongue in EFL classes. Additionally, there is no significance difference between the perceptions of primary school and high school teachers regarding the use of L1. Finally, results of the qualitative data advocate the findings of the quantitative data.

scholarly journals The Perceptions of Primary School Teachers of Online Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic Period: A Case Study in Indonesia

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rasmitadila Rasmitadila ◽  
Rusi Rusmiati Aliyyah ◽  
Reza Rachmadtullah ◽  
Achmad Samsudin ◽  
Ernawulan Syaodih ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Government Schools ◽  
Primary School Teachers ◽  
Online Collaborative Learning

This study explores the perceptions of primary school teachers of online learning in a program developed in Indonesia called School from Home during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Data were collected through surveys and semi-structured interviews with 67 class teachers in primary schools. Data analysis used thematic analysis of qualitative data. The analysis results found four main themes, namely, instructional strategies, challenges, support, and motivation of teachers. This research contributes to the literature of online collaborative learning between teachers, parents, and schools that impact student success. Broadly, the success of online learning in Indonesia during the COVID-19 Pandemic was determined by the readiness of technology in line with the national humanist curriculum, support and collaboration from all stakeholders, including government, schools, teachers, parents and the community.

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