International students' academic learning in mainstream classrooms: A case study

<p>This study sought to explore the academic learning experiences of a group of secondary international students. A number of schools provide education to international students in this country, however little attention has been paid to exploring this group of students’ academic learning. This study addressed the subject with two questions: What are international ELL students’ perspectives on their mainstream academic learning; and What do mainstream teachers report facilitate these students’ learning? I used a case study approach to examine the five students’ and four teachers’ experiences in their unique settings (Lichtman, 2013), as reported by them (Cohen, Manion & Morrison, 2011). I transcribed and coded the interviews. According to both teachers and students, group activities and the teachers’ scaffolding via one-to-one oral discussions or written feedback were the most productive learning strategies for students. From the perspective of Vygotsky’s (1978) concept of the Zone of Proximal Development, the students appeared to move towards independent learning through supported interactions with their peers and teachers to achieve the learning outcomes in their mainstream subjects.</p>

International students' academic learning in mainstream classrooms: A case study

<p>This study sought to explore the academic learning experiences of a group of secondary international students. A number of schools provide education to international students in this country, however little attention has been paid to exploring this group of students’ academic learning. This study addressed the subject with two questions: What are international ELL students’ perspectives on their mainstream academic learning; and What do mainstream teachers report facilitate these students’ learning? I used a case study approach to examine the five students’ and four teachers’ experiences in their unique settings (Lichtman, 2013), as reported by them (Cohen, Manion & Morrison, 2011). I transcribed and coded the interviews. According to both teachers and students, group activities and the teachers’ scaffolding via one-to-one oral discussions or written feedback were the most productive learning strategies for students. From the perspective of Vygotsky’s (1978) concept of the Zone of Proximal Development, the students appeared to move towards independent learning through supported interactions with their peers and teachers to achieve the learning outcomes in their mainstream subjects.</p>

LEVEL OF READINESS AND ACCEPTANCE OF MAINSTREAM TEACHERS TOWARDS THE IMPLEMENTATION OF INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN LEARNING DISABILITY

Inclusive Education Program (IEP) is a challenging educational transformation as the teachers who are involved in it need to equip themselves with a strong field of knowledge, sound teaching skills as well as commendable attitudes. This study aims to examine the state of readiness of mainstream teachers in terms of knowledge and acceptance of the implementation of the Inclusive Education Program for learning disabilities. A total of 80 mainstream teachers in several primary schools in the district of Kota Bharu Kelantan were selected as respondents in this study. Data were collected through an online survey using a google form questionnaire and were analyzed descriptively. The findings show that the involved mainstream teachers have a high level of state of readiness in terms of knowledge of the Inclusive Education Program, while in the aspect of acceptance, most respondents obtained a moderate level. The results of this study show that many efforts and programmes are needed to help improve knowledge and the level of acceptance among mainstream teachers to successfully implement an Inclusive Education Program for learning disability. AbstrakProgram Pendidikan Inklusif (Inclusive Education Programme, IEP) merupakan satu program transformasi Pendidikan negara yang mencabar kerana guru yang terlibat perlu melengkapkan diri dengan pengetahuan pendidikan inklusif yang mantap, kemahiran mengajar yang baik dan memiliki sikap yang terpuji. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji tahap kesediaan guru arus perdana dari segi pengetahuan dan penerimaan pelaksanaan IEP dalam masalah pembelajaran. Seramai 80 orang guru arus perdana di beberapa sekolah rendah di daerah Kota Bharu, Kelantan telah dipilih sebagai responden kajian. Data dikumpulkan melalui kaedah tinjauan menggunakan borang soal selidik Google Form secara atas talian dan dianalisis secara deskriptif. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan guru arus perdana yang terlibat mempunyai tahap kesediaan yang tinggi dalam aspek pengetahuan berkaitan IEP, manakala dalam aspek penerimaan, majoriti responden menunjukkan tahap yang sederhana. Hasil kajian ini menunjukkan perlunya pelbagai usaha dan program dijalankan bagi membantu meningkatkan pengetahuan dan tahap penerimaan dalam kalangan guru arus perdana untuk melaksanakan IEP dalam kategori masalah pembelajaran.

Understanding EAL: International Secondary School Teachers’ Experiences and Attitudes in Ukraine and Eastern Europe

This article highlights the need to understand mainstream international secondary school teachers’ attitudes to and experiences of accommodating English as an Additional Language (EAL) learners, and what current collaborative relationships there are between mainstream and EAL teachers in terms of co-teaching and co-planning. The article draws on data collected from a questionnaire sent to secondary teachers at an international school in a major city in Ukraine and to other international schools that offer International Baccalaureate programmes in Eastern Europe. The questionnaire investigated English language training in education, attitudes to EAL in mainstream subjects and participants’ collaboration with EAL teachers. Further follow-up qualitative data collected from a focus group in the school in Ukraine investigated the topics of competencies, responsibilities and collaboration with respect to EAL in the mainstream classroom. Building on this data, the discussion ultimately focuses on the challenges for mainstream teachers and how collaboration with EAL teachers is often confused and lacks definition in terms of current practice and ways forward. Recommendations for next steps of research are made.

A Model of Practice for Improving Autism Knowledge in Teachers of Mainstream Students on the Autism Spectrum in Australia

Australian mainstream school teachers report a severe shortage of accessible autism-focused resources, strategies, and professional development (PD). This 2-part mixed methods study investigated the effect of using a web-based model of practice (MoP) for PD. The MoP contains evidence-based, autism-specific educational practices and resources designed for mainstream teachers of students on the autism spectrum. The aim was to examine teacher responses to using the MoP and the impact of the mode of delivery. In Part 1, 3 PD delivery conditions for using the MoP were trialled (8 weeks): face-to-face support, online support, or web-based access to detailed resources only. Support was provided by expert autism educators. Teachers (N = 15) reported that the MoP was an accessible, comprehensive, and practical support for educational decision-making, and that support encouraged implementation of the MoP practices. Part 2 trialled a hybrid PD model in 6 regional schools. Limited face-to-face and online support plus access to the MoP was trialled. Interview data indicated that a hybrid model can be an effective method of providing immediate support for teachers.

Perceptions of linguistically responsive teaching in language specialist teachers and mainstream teachers

Linguistically responsive teaching (LRT) means understanding the role that language has in building meaningful learning environments. In this paper linguistically responsive teaching is viewed as one way of implementing the notion of intercultural education. This qualitative study analysed data from 10 specialist language teachers and mainstream teachers to examine their perceptions of linguistic responsiveness in teaching Spanish as a second language to immigrant students. The findings revealed that there are differences in the perceptions of teachers on linguistically responsive teaching. Overall, the language teachers, as compared to mainstream teachers, showed a more extensive perceptions related to the LRT framework. Qualitative data suggested that training in relation to teaching L2 and previous experiences in teaching immigrant students had an influence on participants’ perceptions. Finally, the study indicates that while teachers did consider several elements of the LRT framework in their discussions on their practices, much more work regarding skills and knowledge aspects of understanding second language acquisition is necessary to prepare linguistically responsive teachers.

Survey on the attitude of general education teachers towards the inclusive education

The report addresses some of the problems associated with attitudes towards inclusive education among mainstream teachers. The role of the general education teacher in the process of inclusion is analyzed. Knowledge of the inclusive education standard and its application in practice. The research raises several global questions: What are the attitudes of general education teachers towards inclusive education and its application in practice?; To what extent do general education teachers feel prepared and motivated to work in an inclusive educational environment? Does inclusive education support the whole school approach to implementing the process of inclusion in mainstream education? The survey revealed a positive attitude towards inclusive education among teachers. The large percentage of them still do not feel well prepared. The need for methodological support remains crucial. The willingness of teachers to implement the whole school approach and co-teaching as tools to improve the inclusive educational environment is interesting. The survey answered that pre-service training has a close relationship with the attitudes and attitudes of general education teachers in the inclusion process