scholarly journals The limitations of conducting collaborative argumentation when teaching argumentative essays in Malaysian secondary schools

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 1111-1122
Author(s):  
Aireen Aina Bahari ◽  
Haddi Junaidi Kussin ◽  
Raja Nor Safinas Raja Harun ◽  
Misrah Mohamed ◽  
Norfaizah Abdul Jobar
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Time Pressure ◽  
First Language ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Class Discussion ◽  
Esl Teachers ◽  
Essay Writing ◽  
Five Factors ◽  
Collaborative Argumentation ◽  
Argumentative Essays

The writing of argumentative essays promotes higher-order thinking skills amongst students regardless of their level of studying only when it involves collaborative argumentation. Hence, argumentation researchers recommend that teachers use group argumentation to teach argumentative essays since Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory believed that group argumentation improves students’ writing skills. The study’s objective is to explore the use of group argumentation during the teaching of argumentative essays in English as a Second Language (ESL) classrooms in Malaysia. Hence, the involvement of practitioners is significant so that the full extent of the problem is known rather than being interpreted solely by researchers. This qualitative study was conducted on nine ESL teachers through convenience sampling. Data was collected through online interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings demonstrated that ESL teachers did not practice group argumentation when teaching argumentative essays. They resorted to the whole-class discussion instead. Five factors contribute to the negligence of group argumentation in ESL classrooms, that is, time, pressure to deliver curriculum, students’ attitude, students’ speaking skills, and the use of the first language (L1). The findings indicated that it is necessary to promote the teaching of argumentative essay writing using group argumentation as one of the teaching approaches in secondary schools to ensure students reap the benefits of collaborative learning to improve their argumentation skills.

scholarly journals ESL TEACHERS’ STRATEGIES TO FOSTER HIGHER-ORDER THINKING SKILLS TO TEACH WRITING

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (Number 2) ◽  
pp. 195-226
Author(s):  
Charanjit Kaur Swaran Singh ◽  
Revathi Gopal ◽  
Nor Azmi Mostafa ◽  
Rhashvinder Kaur Ambar Singh ◽  
Eng Tek Ong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Classroom Observation ◽  
Higher Order Thinking ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Teaching Writing ◽  
Esl Teachers ◽  
Higher Order Thinking Skills ◽  
Esl Learners

Purpose - This research focuses on ESL teachers’ strategies to foster higher-order thinking skills to teach writing to weak ESL learners in two selected secondary schools in Malaysia. ESL teachers’ strategies to foster higher-order thinking skills to teach writing to weak ESL learners were captured and encapsulated to enable the ESL learners to understand and master higher order thinking to improve their writing. Methodology – A qualitative descriptive case study design was employed in the study. The sample was based on a snowball sampling and 4 ESL teachers were selected from two different secondary schools in Malaysia. The main data collection method was classroom observation while thematic analysis was used for data analysis. Each teacher was observed twice. Classroom observation forms and video recordings were used as a main source in data collection. Findings – Findings showed that ESL teachers selected strategies to foster higher-order thinking skills to teach writing including the general procedures in implementing higher-order thinking skills for teaching writing and major considerations at each stage of the implementation. ESL teachers exposed learners to the general procedures of the higher-order thinking skills which were explaining and helping students to understand what higher-order thinking is, leading students to connect to concepts in writing, helping students to infer through real-life situations, using more graphic organizers and teaching problem-solving skills. Significance – The findings can be used to guide decisions on higher-order thinking skills training for ESL teachers, educators and curriculum developers regarding the thinking skills strategies to be mastered in teaching writing.

scholarly journals Teaching Picturebooks in First Year Literature Courses

2021 ◽  
pp. 108
Author(s):  
Danielle A. Morris-O’Connor
Keyword(s):  
Group Work ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Class Discussion ◽  
First Year ◽  
Essay Writing ◽  
Work Activities ◽  
Transferable Skills ◽  
Arts And Sciences ◽  
Secondary Sources

In many universities, first year literature courses are required for students in a wide variety of programs, including arts and sciences. These courses are generally focused on teaching transferable skills and strategies, such as critical analysis, essay writing, and research. This article argues that picturebooks are an exceptional teaching tool for these broadly focused first-year courses, because they quickly engage students as learners, encourage participation, and open students to new approaches of critically reading texts while challenging their assumptions and personal biases about children’s literature. Examples of picturebooks, secondary sources, class discussion, and group work activities used in first year literature courses are shared, along with students’ responses to these approaches. The article ends with an explanation of a short, low-stakes assignment that instructors can assign students to help build essential skills with picturebooks, and exercises to do around picturebooks to work on critical thinking skills. Picturebooks are often perceived as being simple and only for children, but many picturebooks are layered texts that make great teaching tools for any literature course.

Second Round Electronics: A Case for Critical Thinking

2013 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 983-989 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathalie Johnstone ◽  
Brandy Mackintosh ◽  
Fred Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Emerging Technologies ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Financial Accounting ◽  
Class Discussion ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Writing Assignment

ABSTRACT This instructional case requires students to provide advice to a client who is currently the sole owner of a for-profit company that reconditions and sells used electronics. The client is considering purchasing a similar company with the vision of expanding into the sales and service of emerging technologies. The target company's unaudited financial statements contain questionable accounting choices and judgments that appear to enable the company to meet external financial reporting constraints. In their role as financial advisers, students are expected to use critical thinking skills to identify and evaluate questionable choices in the target company's financial statements. This case is suitable for use in introductory and intermediate financial accounting as well as introductory auditing and assurance courses, and can be used as a context for in-class discussion, as a basis for exam questions, and/or as a writing assignment. Assessment rubrics and Teaching Notes accompany the case for use by instructors.

Esl for Students with Visual Impairments

1997 ◽  
Vol 91 (6) ◽  
pp. 555-563 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Guinan
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Visually Impaired ◽  
First Language ◽  
Visual Impairments ◽  
Teaching English ◽  
Esl Teachers ◽  
Second Languages ◽  
Visually Impaired Students

This article reviews the literature on teaching English as a second language (ESL) to, and research on the acquisition of first and second languages by, both sighted and visually impaired students. Although braille should be taught to students in their first language, the author offers suggestions for teaching students in a second language when instruction in a first language is not possible. She concludes that closer cooperation between vision teachers and ESL teachers is essential for children with limited proficiency in English and visual impairments to become fully literate and communicatively competent.

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