scholarly journals TOWARDS THE INTEGRATION OF CULTURE INTO TEACHING ENGLISH IN UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOLS: TEACHERS’ CONCERNS AND EXPECTATIONS

2018 ◽  
Vol 127 (6B) ◽  
pp. 121
Author(s):  
Hoa Thi Hoang Chau
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Education ◽  
Educational Reform ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Secondary Level ◽  
Teaching English ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Upper Secondary Education ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
Intercultural Integration ◽  
Upper Secondary Level

<p>As a part of educational reform in upper secondary education, intercultural competence has been identified as a goal of foreign language teaching to enable the Vietnamese young people to work and study in globalized environment. In fact, culture has been incorporated in the expected English teaching curriculum for general education. Prior the change of curriculum at national scale, this study aimed to explore teachers’ perceptions of integrating intercultural competence into teaching English at upper secondary level. The quantitative and qualitative data collected from 101 teachers of English in a province of the Mekong Delta, indicated that they took the four aspects into considerations, namely learners’ learning strategies and motivations, teachers’ intercultural instructions, course books and curriculum, and management aspects. For better practice of intercultural integration, the teachers had high expectation for pedagogical training to enhance their intercultural competence and intercultural integrating pedagogies. From the findings, some pedagogical implications were made to foster the feasibility of intercultural integration in teaching English in upper secondary level.</p><p><strong>Keywords.</strong> educational reform, intercultural competence, intercultural integration, teachers’ perceptions, upper secondary education</p>

scholarly journals The positioning of dual qualification studies in Finnish upper secondary education and government policy since the 1980s

2022 ◽  
pp. 147490412110653
Author(s):  
Outi Lietzén
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Education ◽  
Education Policy ◽  
Education System ◽  
Compulsory Education ◽  
Secondary Level ◽  
Upper Secondary Education ◽  
Political Discourses ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
Flexible Education ◽  
Upper Secondary Level

This article explores the positioning of dual qualifications (DQs) in the Finnish education policy and the education system since the late 1980s. The analysis is carried out in the context of academic-vocational divide. At the end of the 1980s, Finland questioned the functionality of the strict academic-vocational divide in post-compulsory education, and a unified upper secondary education was initiated. DQ was the result of two contradictory political discourses: the aim to make education system more equal and the 1990s’ market oriented education policy. In the 2000s, although segregation at the upper secondary level was strengthened, the DQ simultaneously became an established study route. However, in 2007 due to changes in political power, the DQ was repositioned on the periphery of education policy and academic-vocational divide became stronger. The main focus as regards the functions of DQs until the end of the 2010s was on efforts to enhance the use of educational resources and improve the possibilities for individual and flexible education choices. The aim of the current government, elected in 2019, is to strengthen cooperation at upper secondary level, which is also expected to include DQs. However, the actualisation might be mitigated by the educational reforms of the previous government.

scholarly journals First and second thoughts about teaching secondary chemistry

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 371-380
Author(s):  
Georgios Tsaparlis
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Education ◽  
Secondary Level ◽  
Teaching Methodology ◽  
Chemistry Curriculum ◽  
Secondary Chemistry ◽  
Upper Secondary Education ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
8Th Grade ◽  
Strengths And Difficulties ◽  
Lower Secondary Education

This paper selectively reviews both early and more recent work by the author on the teaching of chemistry at secondary level. The purpose is twofold: (i) to review the proposals, their features, and the research behind them, (ii) to emphasize the strength over time of the work presented, but also the need for constant revision. The reviewed topics for lower secondary education (7th-9th grades) include: a revised curriculum (1984); a study of Greek students’ contextual chemistry knowledge (1987); an updated proposal about the curriculum (2001); an integrated physics and chemistry program for the 7th grade (2000), that has been further developed recently (2011) to include biology; two research studies on teaching methodology (2000)’; a chemistry course for the 8th grade (2010); revision of the current formal Greek chemistry curriculum (2014). The reviewed topics for upper secondary education (10th-12th grades) include: three early (1981, 1985a, 1985b) studies on Greek students’ strengths and difficulties with chemistry; a context-based chemistry curriculum (1988, 1991); proposals for new chemistry curricula (2000, 2011, 2014) for the 10th and 11th grades. Coupling to the PARSEL modules is also made. The paper concludes by making reference and connection to the work of Hans Jürgen Schmidt.

scholarly journals INTEGRATING CULTURE INTO EFL TEACHING BEHIND CLASSROOM DOORS: A CASE STUDY OF UPPER SECONDARY TEACHERS IN VIETNAM

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chau Thi Hoang Hoa ◽  
Truong Vien
Keyword(s):  
General Education ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
English Curriculum ◽  
Upper Secondary Education ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
Education Needs ◽  
Intercultural Integration

In the context of globalization, intercultural integration has gained a better position in teaching and learning English in Vietnam, even in general education. In fact, intercultural objectives and intercultural content have been added to the expected curriculum and pilot coursebooks for teaching English in upper secondary education. Prior to the implementation of the new curriculum, it is essential to explore how teachers deal with intercultural content provided in the coursebooks. From the view of intercultural teaching, this study focuses on the positionality of intercultural objectives and intercultural teaching strategies in teachers’ practice. Data collected from 101 teachers through questionnaire and six class observations illustrate that (1) teachers did not include intercultural objectives in EFL lessons and (2) they rarely conducted intercultural language activities in their teaching practice. It is recommended that intercultural education needs more attention from educational managers to support the EFL teachers in upper secondary schools to incorporate culture into their teaching more effectively, which contributes to the accomplishment of a reformed English curriculum objective – building comprehensive intercultural competence for the students.

scholarly journals Study of intellectual capital in the academic area of the upper secondary level, in the state of Tabasco, to generate a proposal for improvement

2020 ◽  
pp. 29-36
Author(s):  
Hortensia Eliseo-Dantes ◽  
Juana María Morejon-Sánchez ◽  
Iris Cristel Pérez-Pérez ◽  
David Antonio García-Reyes
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Education ◽  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Secondary Level ◽  
The State ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
Public Body ◽  
Comprehensive Diagnosis ◽  
Higher Secondary Education ◽  
Academic Area ◽  
Upper Secondary Level

Objectives. Generate a comprehensive scenario that facilitates designing a proposal for the development of Intellectual Capital in Higher Secondary Education Institutions, in the state of Tabasco through an instrument that allows to measure intellectual capital, to make a comprehensive diagnosis and generate the proposal. Methodology. A methodological scheme is structured to establish a guide, which is useful for the author during the development of the research. The stages of the methodology are described, it should be clarified that each stage is divided by the period of time in which it is elaborated, Stage one: emergence of the idea, stage two: research protocol where the actors and experts are detected, stage three design of the instrument, stage four: obtaining the scenario and design of the proposal. Contribution. The study carried out in a decentralized public body of Higher Secondary Education, in such a way that it was possible to identify various limitations for obtaining Intellectual Capital, as well as areas of opportunity that could complement its obtaining. The results revealed that cultural, social and technological aspects originated little development of the system to obtain Intellectual Capital, this with the active participation of the experts

scholarly journals The Challenge of Teaching English in a Heterogeneous Classroom

2017 ◽  
pp. 56-80
Author(s):  
Annette Svensson
Keyword(s):  
Computer Games ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Education ◽  
School Context ◽  
Secondary Level ◽  
Teaching English ◽  
Diverse Classroom ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
Upper Secondary Level ◽  
Heterogeneous Knowledge

The present study aims to explore in what ways teachers at upper secondary level work in a diverse classroom with particular focus on the students’ heterogeneous knowledge of the English language. This heterogeneity, the participants experience, is primarily caused by the discrepancy between those students who use English to a great extent outside the classroom through, for example, frequently playing computer games, and those students who do not use the English language at all outside a school context. In order to explore this aim, a pilot study was conducted where five teachers at upper secondary level were interviewed. The results show that this heterogeneity is their most challenging part of working as English teachers today. It thus adds to other factors, such as, multiculturalism, multilingualism, difficulties with reading and writing etc. and makes it an even more difficult task for teachers to support every student’s individualised learning. The results further show that despite the teachers’ attempts to differentiate the English education, there is a lack of, and need for, strategies that are useful to support an individualised learning in a heterogeneous classroom.

scholarly journals Teachers’ perceptions of autonomy in the tensions between a subject focus and a cross-curricular school profile: A case study of a Finnish upper secondary school

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janne Elo ◽  
Christina Nygren-Landgärds
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Level ◽  
Teacher Autonomy ◽  
Teacher Accountability ◽  
Global Trends ◽  
Level Of Education ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
The Cross ◽  
Upper Secondary Level

AbstractRecent research has indicated global trends of decreasing teacher autonomy and increasing teacher accountability. Standardised national tests have been identified as one of many factors constraining teacher autonomy. Another trend influencing teachers’ scope of action is the profiling and branding of schools that compete for students. This qualitative case study concerns the general upper secondary level in Finland, the only level of education in the country with a high-stakes final examination—the matriculation exam. The upper secondary level is generally regarded as Finland’s most subject-focused level of education. In contrast to this subject-focused tradition, the case school for this research has developed a cross-curricular profile emphasising creativity, boundary crossing and an outward orientated approach. The study explores the teachers’ perceptions of how their autonomy is constrained in this context characterised by tensions between the cross-curricular school profile on one hand, and the subject-focused tradition and student evaluations on the other. Although one might expect these tensions to constrain teacher autonomy, the results show that the teachers, in fact, experience the cross-curricular school profile as increasing their individual autonomy. The study demonstrates that upper secondary teachers can experience extensive autonomy despite global trends of increasing teacher accountability and diminishing teacher autonomy.

scholarly journals Brain drain from vocational to academic education at upper-secondary level? An empirical analysis for Switzerland

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharina Jaik
Keyword(s):  
Vocational Education ◽  
Secondary Level ◽  
Academic Education ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Success Rates ◽  
Upper Secondary Education ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
Academic Tracks ◽  
Lower Ability ◽  
Upper Secondary Level

Abstract Despite the ongoing debate about how much academic versus vocational upper-secondary education is favorable for a country and large differences across countries of those two types of education exist, the interplay of vocational and academic education on upper-secondary level and its consequences for the entire education system remain under-researched. Although difficult to analyze directly, we first construct a measure to capture companies’ reactions to changes in academic education rates and second analyze whether academic education rates are associated with success rates in vocational education over time and with control variables. To measure companies’ reactions, we use a cantonal average requirements profile consisting of the academic requirements profile of an occupation and the number of apprenticeships started in this occupation per year and canton. Although results of the first part of the analysis are ambiguous, combined with the second part, they suggest a non-reaction of companies (i.e., they keep offering the same occupations but have to fill their positions with lower-ability candidates). Results of the second part show that more opportunities for academic education appear to draw highly-able students away from vocational education, with negative consequences for the success rates in vocational education. Our findings have important implications for countries with vocational and academic tracks in their education systems, but also for those who plan to introduce or strengthen (dual) vocational education.

Towards Flipped Learning in Upper Secondary Mathematics Education

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Robert Weinhandl ◽  
Zsolt Lavicza ◽  
Stefanie Schallert
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Education ◽  
Mathematics Education ◽  
Mathematics Learning ◽  
Flipped Learning ◽  
Educational Innovations ◽  
Design Based Research ◽  
Secondary Mathematics Education ◽  
Upper Secondary Education ◽  
Mathematics Classrooms ◽  
Upper Secondary

Challenges for students in the 21st century, such as acquiring technology, problem-solving and cooperation skills, also necessitates changes in mathematics education to be able to respond to changing educational needs. One way to respond to these challenges is utilising recent educational innovations in schools, for instance, among others are flipped learning (FL) approaches. In this paper, we outline our explorative educational experiment that aims to investigate key elements of mathematics learning in FL approaches in upper secondary education. We describe the methodologies and findings of our qualitative study based on design-based research to discover key elements of FL approaches in upper secondary education. Analysing the data collected over ten months suggested categories (a) confidence when learning; (b) learning by working; and (c) flexibility when learning could be essential to understand FL approaches practices in mathematics classrooms.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document