scholarly journals PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICES ADOPTED BY TEACHERS WHEN TEACHING LEARNERS TAKING ENGLISH AS FIRST ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE IN LIFE SCIENCES CLASSROOMS

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Portia Seloma ◽  
◽  
Sam Ramaila ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Life Sciences ◽  
Pedagogical Practices ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Knowledge Domain ◽  
Generic Qualitative ◽  
Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency ◽  
Scientific Phenomena ◽  
Instructional Challenges

This study examined pedagogical practices adopted by teachers when teaching learners taking English as First Additional Language in Life Sciences classrooms. The inquiry adopted a generic qualitative design located within the interpretivist paradigm and involved purposively selected Life Sciences teachers and grade 10 learners from South African township schools as participants. Qualitative data was collected through semi-structured interviews and classroom observations. The empirical investigation is underpinned by the Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) as the underlying theoretical framework. The study uncovered a myriad of instructional challenges facing Life Sciences teachers and learners associated with the use of English as a medium of instruction while it is taken as a First Additional Language by the learners. In particular, the terminology used in Life Sciences as a key knowledge domain posed fundamental instructional challenges in relation to meaningful development of enhanced learners’ conceptual understanding of scientific phenomena. Theoretical implications for meaningful science teaching and learning are discussed.

scholarly journals Global South teacher educators in digital landscape: implications on professional learning

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 19-28
Author(s):  
Maria Antonietta Impedovo ◽  
Sufiana Khatoon Malik ◽  
Kinley Kinley
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Pedagogical Practices ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Digital Resources ◽  
Use Of The Internet ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Digital Landscape

Abstract This article explores Pakistani and Bhutanese teacher educators’ digital competences about the use of social media, digital resources and professional online communities and implications of this on professional learning. The two countries, less discussed in international educational literature, are facing a growing use of the Internet in teaching and learning. Data include a survey completed by 67 teacher educators from Pakistan and 37 teachers from Bhutan, as well as semi-structured interviews from both countries. This study provides evidence of how teachers’ interaction on social networks and the use of digital resources play a central role in the introduction of innovative pedagogical practices of teacher educators, and teacher educators remain interested in knowledge sharing through social media for their professional learning.

scholarly journals Exploring Grade 6 mathematics teachers' use of the language of learning and teaching in assessment for learning

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sizwe B Mahlambi ◽  
Ailwei S Mawela
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Mathematics Teachers ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Assessment For Learning ◽  
Code Switching ◽  
Home Language ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Learning And Teaching

In this study, we aimed to explore Grade 6 mathematics teachers' use of English, the language of learning and teaching in assessment for learning in selected primary schools in Alexandra Township, South Africa. From Grade 4, English is the language of teaching and learning for most learners, despite English being the home language of a minority of learners. Results of studies have shown that in South Africa, in Grades 1 to 3, in which learners are taught using their home-language performance appears to be better than in Grades 4 to 6 where English as a First Additional Language (EFAL) is used for teaching and learning. Guided by qualitative case study design, we used semi-structured interviews and non-participatory observation to collect data from nine purposefully sampled Grade 6 mathematics teachers. In conjunction with the literature reviewed and the theory underpinning the study, we used themes to analyse, interpret, and discuss the data we collected. This research revealed that learners in Grade 6 struggle to understand English as the language of learning and teaching, so, to augment concept development and understanding, teachers and learners use code-switching. In the classrooms observed, this practice has become the norm to improve the performance of learners with limited language proficiency. However, because of the differences between the home language of learners and that of teachers in mathematics classrooms, code-switching is often not enough to ensure understanding.

scholarly journals Students’ Perceptions Towards Extensive Reading In Efl Contexts

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-104
Author(s):  
Rini Lindawati
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Information Search ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Extensive Reading ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Learning English

Most university students are struggling in learning English as Foreign Language. The utilization of an extensive reading strategy will potentially promote more striking influential impacts on EFL learners’ target language proficiency. The students' perceptions influence the success of teaching and learning English. The research aimed to know the students’ perception of Extensive Reading in EFL contexts. The researcher used the Qualitative Research method. This study was conducted in Universitas Islam Majapahit. The researcher selected twelve senior students of the English language education department who have already received the extensive reading subject in their previous semesters. The researcher collected the data through semi-structured interviews. The data were then analyzed by following Miles and Huberman’s (1994) framework. The results showed that the students had positive perceptions toward Extensive Reading practices. They considered if Extensive Reading is a reading activity for pleasure and information search where they can read material without any restraint. Besides, Extensive Reading also contributed to developing their comprehension and English skills such as listening, speaking, reading, writing, vocabulary mastery, and grammar. Moreover, Extensive Reading enabled them to enjoy the learning experience.

scholarly journals Academic Discourse in English Medium Instruction Contexts: A Look at Teacher Explanations

10.29007/cl6r ◽  
2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
María Ángeles Martín-Del-Pozo
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Academic Language ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Learning Content ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Academic Language Proficiency ◽  
Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency ◽  
English Medium Instruction ◽  
Research Questions

Teaching and learning content subjects through English requires a competence in academic language which Cummins (1984) labeled CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency). Revisiting this concept could shed light on the academic language skills necessary for communication in bilingual classrooms. A first step in this long journey could be a deeper comprehension of the academic linguistic or cognitive discourse functions (Dalton-Puffer, 2013). This paper approaches the function of explaining.To accomplish this aim, six lecturers teaching through English at Escuela de Ingeniería de Informática (Segovia, Spain) were videotaped. Lessons were transcribed to create a corpus. The main research questions followed Dalton-Puffer´s (2007) model for a secondary education context:1. How many occurrences of the academic function of explanation are there in the corpus?2. What is the linguistic form of these explanations?3. Is there any signaling language or metalanguage around them?The seventy explanation fragments found were classified in three categories following Brown´s taxonomy (2006).• Interpretative explanations respond to the question ‘What?’ and are very close to definitions.• Descriptive explanations respond to the question ‘How?’ and centre on processes, structures and procedure.• Reason giving explanations respond to the question ‘Why?’ and provide reasons and causes.The findings show a rich frequency of this academic function in contrast to the very limited comparable previous studies in bilingual classrooms (Dalton-Puffer, 2007). Bar graphs of frequencies and distribution of types per lecturer are presented. Regarding qualitative aspects, the samples found offer insights about how explaining is performed in bilingual content lectures. The form of these explanations and the metalanguage signaling them are analyzed and illustrated with numerous examples from the corpus.Taking as starting point the description of the explanations present in lecturer discourse some reflections about their potential for the learning of content and language are provided. The conclusions section suggests some pedagogical implications for the linguistic education of both students and lecturers in English medium instruction environments.

scholarly journals Meeting business students’ English language needs in the Algerian tertiary education

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 124-139
Author(s):  
Soraya Benzerdjeb
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Digital Platforms ◽  
The Government

Graduate Algerian economic sciences students, who will be future university teachers or workplace managers, are urged to use the English language. However, most of them reveal that they are unable to use the English language appropriately. The main aim in this paper is to depict students’ difficulties and help them improve their academic language performance. This paper describes the teaching and learning situations of English for Business and Economics (EBE) in the Department of Economic Sciences at the University of Tlemcen. The investigator used a questionnaire and two structured interviews. The sampling included EBE learners and English for specific purposes teachers as well as workplace managers (former EBE students). The main findings in this investigation confirmed that students had poor target language proficiency. Results revealed that the content of the actual EBE course was inappropriate to learners’ needs. The investigator wants to integrate new technologies as the government supplies digital platforms to the Algerian universities.   Keywords: Algerian, tertiary education, English, Economics, business students.

scholarly journals Teachers’ beliefs and practices when teaching life sciences using their second language

2021 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. S1-S15
Author(s):  
Amos Ntokozo Motloung Amos Ntokozo Motloung ◽  
Lydia Mavuru ◽  
Carmel McNaught
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Life Sciences ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Beliefs And Practices ◽  
Teachers Beliefs ◽  
Teaching Life ◽  
Personal Context ◽  
Prior Experiences

African township schools are characterised by cultural and linguistic diversity, hence, teachers have the dual task of ensuring that learners grasp scientific concepts, while also catering for the diversity in the learners’ backgrounds. The study reported on here was aimed at investigating teachers’ beliefs and practices in teaching life sciences using English, a language that is not their own home language. The study was underpinned by a socio-constructivist perspective, emphasising how one’s personal context, including prior experiences, influences the development of beliefs about language use in life sciences classes and the manner in which teaching and learning might occur. The sample comprised 6 teachers who all spoke English as a second language. We collected the data using structured interviews to ascertain the teachers’ beliefs about the teaching of life sciences in English to Grade 11 classes, and classroom observations to identify their classroom practices. The findings indicate that the beliefs that the teachers expressed differed from their actual choices and practices in the lessons observed.

scholarly journals “That’s Schoolified!” How Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment Shape the Educational Potential of Poetry in Subject English for Black High School Learners

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Cooper
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
First Language ◽  
Pedagogical Practices ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Education Policies ◽  
Figures Of Speech ◽  
Model C ◽  
Educational Potential ◽  
Literary Devices

This article explores the teaching of English poetry in two Gauteng high schools, one a suburban, former Model C school and another in Soweto. Both schools are attended predominantly by Black learners for whom English is not their first language. Nine in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with educators at the two schools. The choice of poems, pedagogy and assessment emerged as important themes in making poetry relevant and educational in South African schools. Writers from similar backgrounds, with common “race” or class-based identities, helped make poetry relevant, but were no guarantee that learners would relate to these poets. Teaching poetry was described as an intimidating experience both for learners and educators, resulting in many teachers retreating to the safe space of a defined set of teaching practices focused on figures of speech, literary devices and a line-by-line analysis of the poems. While some intentions existed to teach poetry in a way that encouraged a range of interpretations and possible answers to assessment questions, the standardised matric examination shaped pedagogical practices, as educators wanted to support learners to excel. These findings are interpreted in a post/decolonial context where a range of disparate “Englishes”, identities, learners and histories exist, and neoliberal education policies and practices increasingly standardise assessment processes, with implications for the teaching and learning of poetry.

scholarly journals An Exploratory Study of the Interplay between EFL Writing Teacher Cognition and Pedagogical Practices in the Palestinian University Context

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eman I. Alzaanin
Keyword(s):  
Writing Instruction ◽  
Curriculum Design ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
L2 Writing ◽  
Pedagogical Practices ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Efl Writing ◽  
Writing Instructors ◽  
The Impact

This multiple case study explores some intricate connections between the cognition and the pedagogical practices of eight English as a foreign language (EFL) writing instructors over one academic year in two Palestinian universities. The study also examines how their cognition and pedagogical practices interplayed with the ecological contexts in the setting in which they taught. Integral to the study was the use of semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, stimulated-recall interviews, and course document review. Constructivist grounded theory informed the data analysis. Results revealed that the instructors’ cognition about second language (L2) writing, about teaching and learning L2 writing, and about their professional roles influences their teaching approach, curriculum design, and classroom assessment methods. The findings also stressed the role of the ecological contexts as a mediating force influencing the interaction between cognition and practices. The classroom context was identified as the most significant barrier to teaching writing; however, gaining access to L2 writing scholarship was viewed as the most significant facilitator for implementing effective practices in the L2 writing classroom. The findings showed that the instructors’ cognition about themselves as professionals could mitigate the impact of the ecological constraints hindering L2 writing instruction. This finding of the role of cognition may explain why teachers working in the same context under the same conditions teach differently. The implications of these findings include the importance of encouraging EFL writing instructors to reflect upon their cognition, pedagogical practices, and working contexts and the need for introducing recommended models of L2 writing instruction in tertiary institutions.

An investigation into the mediation of the representation of gender roles in God of women : a critical discourse analysis of pedagogic practices in selected Namibian schools

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Josephine Mwasheka Nghikefelwa
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Literature ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Pedagogical Practices ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Mediation Process ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Pedagogic Practices

This is a qualitative study designed to investigate the role of pedagogical practices in the mediation of stereotypical gender representations in the drama God of Women by Sifiso Nyathi (1998). This drama is one of the literature setworks for Grade 9 English Second Language learners in Namibian Secondary schools. Fairclough’s (2012) Critical Discourse Analysis was used as a research design, as well as the conceptual and analytical framework. The analysis of this drama by teachers during the teaching and learning process, pedagogic practices they employ, learners’ engagement in classroom activities, and the nature of comments that teachers write on students’ assignment, based on God of Women, formed part of the unit of analysis. The study explored teachers’ pedagogical practices during English Literature teaching to gain insight into whether and how teachers shape learners’ engagement with literature to promote critical thinking. Focus on the mediation process (‘teacher talks around the text’) concerned a close analysis of teachers’ engagement with the text during lessons. Semi-structured interviews, classroom observation and documentary evidence were used to generate data. The research site and study participants were purposively sampled.

scholarly journals Práticas Pedagógicas desenvolvidas com alunos com deficiência: um estudo de caso em uma escola do campo de Feira de Santana - BA

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-26
Author(s):  
Priscilia Natalia Pereira Ferreira ◽  
Klayton Santana Porto
Keyword(s):  
Elementary School ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Pedagogical Practices ◽  
Government Agencies ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Descriptive Research ◽  
Qualitative Descriptive ◽  
Education Network

This research aims to understand the pedagogical practices developed by the teachers of a school in the countryside of the Municipal Education Network of Feira de Santana-BA, located in the District of Maria Quitéria, in the process of including students with disabilities, enrolled in the final years of the Elementary School. Such investigation was developed through a qualitative descriptive research, carried out through a case study, whose data were collected through semi-structured interviews with two teachers who work with students with disabilities. The results showed that among the main implications of this study, we highlight that, despite the fact that students with disabilities have their enrollment and access to school guaranteed by law, the lack of accessibility and qualified training causes this education provided to them to be neglected. In addition, the investigated teachers pointed out some difficulties for the teaching and learning of students with disabilities, and showed that despite the difficulties faced by the rural school and by them, such as the lack of specialized teaching materials, lack of resources and the lack of interest government agencies, they are concerned with developing differentiated strategies to include them.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document