Self-efficacy beliefs among non-specialist teachers in primary English education

Although the teaching of English to primary school children has been rapidly growing in many English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) countries around the world, a shortage of specialist teachers remains a persistent challenge. Consequently, non-specialists, such as homeroom teachers initially trained as generalists, are more often required to teach English. The present study, focusing on 304 non-specialist teachers serving in Japan’s public primary schools, was designed to explore their perceived self-efficacy for teaching English, and to examine the impact of teacher characteristics (i.e., their perceived English proficiency, English-teaching experience, and appraisals of collaboration with native English-speaking teachers) on their level of self-efficacy. A multiple regression analysis revealed that the collaboration variable was more influential than the proficiency variable and that there was no significant relationship between teachers’ self-efficacy and teaching experience. Moreover, integration of these results and teachers’ comments in the open-ended question suggested that they functioned most effectively in student engagement by playing roles unique to non-specialist teachers and that they perceived team teaching to be more beneficial in classroom management than solo teaching. Implications for in-service training are discussed to support non-specialist teachers in primary English education.

Utility and Professional Attitudes toward Assistive Technology in UAE Special Needs Centers

The attitude of teachers about the use of technology is critical. As a result, when teachers have a constructive outlook toward a new type of assistive technology, they are more likely to make meaningful efforts to successfully integrate it into the teaching-learning process. The way assistive technology is used in the teaching and learning environment is heavily influenced by a special education teacher’s attitude. Therefore, the study explored the availability of assistive technology and explored the attitudes of professional of special education towards the use of assistive technologies in special needs centers of United Arab Emirates (UAE). Questionnaires were distributed and 100 responses were received from special education professionals. No statistically significant differences were observed in the attitudes of special education teachers and therapists with respect to their experiences, profession, gender, academic qualification, or locality. Assistive technologies were mostly used in different areas of special education including computer access, spelling, learning, recreation, environmental control, vision and hearing, writing, communication, mathematics, mobility, and positioning and seating. There is a constructive impact on the learning process of the children with special needs considering the expertise of specialist teachers and therapists on assistive technology linked to positive educational outcomes of students with special needs.

Delivering Music Education Training for Non-Specialist Teachers through Effective Partnership: A Kodály-Inspired Intervention to Improve Young Children’s Development Outcomes

A priority area identified by the Department of Education (England) and the Economic Social and Research Council is the development of teachers, especially in primary music education where the limited opportunities for training offered by teacher training providers have raised concerns. This paper reports on an evaluation of a collaborative partnership training non-specialist teachers, using a Kodály-inspired pedagogy to teach music in a classroom setting. Participants included 54 teachers (and 1492 pupils, aged 5–6), selected from 55 schools, as part of a large randomised control trial (RCT) in the north of England. This paper presents findings from a qualitative study that was conducted alongside the RCT, but which was not part of the RCT itself or the RCT’s implementation and process evaluation. Results from the study, which include a pre-post survey of teachers, focus group interviews and reflective journals suggest promising effects on teachers’ pedagogical skills, their self-efficacy and competence, and children’s self-confidence and disposition for learning.

Perspectives of Teachers on Challenges of Teaching in Deaf Schools, Afghanistan

Aims: this study aims to investigate teachers ’perceptions about the challenges of teaching in deaf schools in Kabul city, Afghanistan. Study Design: This study was describing the status of Deaf schools in Kabul. For gathering information used questionnaire. Place and Duration of Study: Sample: teachers participated from three deaf schools across Kabul city. Between September 2020 and June 2021. Methodology: We included 74 (33 men, 41 women). Data was collected through a questionnaire and analyzed with SPSS software. The reliability of the questionnaire was 0.83%. T-test and ANOVA tests were used to analyze data. Results: Results showed there was a significant difference between male and female teachers with challenges of teaching. There were no significant differences among specialist and non-specialist teachers, and experience of teaching with challenges of teaching. Conclusion: there were four factors (students, teachers, content, and physical environment) that influence challenges of teaching.

A Descriptive Study of Specialist and Non-Specialist Teachers’ Preparation towards Educational Inclusion

Attention to educational diversity in educational centers has become an important topic, so it is necessary to address challenges to offer an individualized educational response. Thus, specialist teachers must adopt a leading role in order that education systems move towards inclusion. The objective of this study is to measure Spanish primary school teachers’ perceptions about their preparation for inclusive education, considering possible differences between specialist teachers (therapeutic pedagogy and hearing and speech) and non-specialist teachers. The sample was made up of 284 teachers who work in the primary education stage in public Spanish schools, who responded to the Questionnaire for the Evaluation of Teacher Preparation for Inclusion (CEFI-R). Significant differences were found according to the specialism of the participants. It can be concluded that teachers consider their initial preparation in this subject insufficient but show positive conception towards educational inclusion.

Ivan Fedorovych Prokopenko is 85 years old!

The article is devoted to the description of the life path of the doctor of Pedagogy, professor, academician of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine Ivan Fedorovych Prokopenko, who has been working for 40 years as rector of H.S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University — one of the leading higher pedagogical education institutions in Ukraine with high creative potential, where modern standards and technologies are being introduced, a new structure of organization and management of the educational process, the material and technical base is being strengthened, the volumes and quality of scientific and pedagogical personnel training are expanding. The main direction of the university's activity during all the years of I.F.Prokopenko’s tenure as rector was the training of specialist teachers — nationally conscious citizens, patriots and real professionals. Academician I.F.Prokopenko has worked out and provided a new educational system for training a future teacher into the practice of higher pedagogical education, which is implemented through innovative pedagogical technologies aimed at developing the student’s personality, his creative potential. I.F. Prokopenko is an example of an intelligent and decent person, a talented and successful organizer of educational activities, an experienced and principled educator.

Grade 12 national examination assessment practices for learners with visual impairments in selected schools in Mwense and Lusaka districts, Zambia

The study aimed at examining the practices at Grade 12 level with respect to learners with visual impairments. The sample was drawn from Mwense and Lusaka districts of Zambia. The study was guided by the following objective: to establish the current practices of the Grade 12 national examination assessment for learners with visual impairments in selected schools of Mwense and Lusaka districts, Zambia. The study was qualitative, and a case study design was used. The study comprised 22 respondents consisting of four pupils, six school leavers, and six school specialist teachers, two school headmasters, two Education Standard Office (ESO) in charge of special education, and two officials from the Examination Council of Zambia (ECZ). Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data based on the themes that emerged in the study. The study findings revealed that learners who were totally blind wrote their examinations using braille format, and enlarged print was used for those learners who were partially sighted. The findings of study also showed that the examination questions were modified into a descriptive form, and by doing so, learners were able to access the examinations. The study further revealed that learners were given extra time during the examinations, although this was not adequate. It was equally revealed that there were no special provisions that were considered when marking examination scripts for the learners with visual impairments, meaning their scripts were marked just like other scripts for learners without sight challenges. Based on the findings, it was recommended that the Examination Council of Zambia should come up with a marking centre where the scripts for the learners with visual impairments could be marked to solve the problem of missing results, among others.

A Lecture in 2 Parts: 1. ORBYTS: Inspirational Research Partnerships for School Students from Historically-Excluded Groups and 2. Extraordinary X-rays from the Outer Planets

<p>The lecture will be split into two parts:</p><p><strong>1. ORBYTS</strong></p><p>In the UK, physics faces chronic diversity issues, shortfalls in subject-specialist teachers and 20% lower uptake beyond age 16 than in the 1980s. ORBYTS is a movement that partners researchers with schools to involve school children in active scientific research. Since 2017, ORBYTS has grown to 30 school-researcher partnerships, with 75% of ORBYTS school pupils from groups historically-excluded from physics. While the first research projects were exoplanets focussed, we now have researchers working with schools on: protostellar formation, molecular spectroscopy, planetary science, plasma physics, galaxy characterisation, AI, quasars, supernovae and more.</p><p>Through involvement in research and partnerships with relatable science role models, ORBYTS is providing positive change in school students’ attainment and is dispelling harmful stereotypes. Schools involved in the programme at age 14-16 report 100% increases in post-16 uptake of physics by girls and students from more than 40 ethnicities. Since 2017, the programme has enabled more than 150 school students to author published papers.</p><p>We welcome contact from anyone interested. We hope to continue to sustainably expand the programme to new researcher-school partnerships that can help make science more inclusive for all.</p><p><strong>2. X-ray Observations of the Outer Planets</strong></p><p>A revolution is happening in the field of planetary X-rays. In the last few years, there have been unprecedented campaigns totalling hundreds of hours of observations by the flagship NASA and ESA X-ray observatories (Chandra and XMM-Newton). Currently, ground-breaking X-ray instruments are travelling to Mercury on BepiColombo and soon to observe the Earth on the ESA/CAS SMILE spacecraft. This is shifting X-ray studies of planets from an enigmatic niche to an essential component of our multi-waveband exploration of other worlds.</p><p>So, what do X-ray images of planets look like and what do they reveal about environments, properties and processes across our solar system? I provide an overview history of the field and highlight recent discoveries, with a particular focus on the outer planets and their moons. This will include recent observations in tandem with NASA’s paradigm-shifting Juno spacecraft, that reveal the physical processes responsible for some of Jupiter’s spectacular auroral displays and bizarre quasiperiodic pulsations. I also touch on the recent discovery of X-ray emissions from Uranus, before looking to what we can expect from the coming years. </p><p>Finally, I connect the two parts of the lecture by showcasing planetary X-ray research by school students.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Research Collaborators: </strong>Z.Yao, G.Branduardi-Raymont, D.Grodent, G.R.Gladstone, R.Kraft, L.Ray, A.Wibisono, D.Weigt, E.Woodfield, A.Sulaiman, W.Kurth, S.Nulsen, C.Jackman, S.Elliott, G.Hospodarsky, M.Imai, S.Kotsiaros, G.Clark, B.Bonfond, K.Haewsantati, I.J.Rae, H.Manners, P.Rodriguez, J-U.Ness, B.Mauk, R.Ebert, D.X.Pan, B.B.Ni, R.L.Guo, F.Allegrini, R.Desai, S.Bolton, E.McClain, B.Snios, G.Tremblay</p><p><strong>ORBYTS Researchers: </strong>M.Fuller, H.Osborne, A.Portas, K.Chubb, L.McKemmish, C.Sousa Silva, T.Rivlin, M.Gorman, M.Tessenyi, G.Tinetti, J.Tennyson,<strong> </strong>J.Holdship, L.Offer, M.Niculescu-Duvaz, T.James, R.Jaworek, R.Meyer, K.Kade, J.Smutna, S.Brannan,  A.Francis, K.Putri, F.Hardy, H.Andrews, M.Rickard, D.De Mijolla, Q.Changeat, B.Edwards, M.Saraf, M.Morvan, S.Wright, A.Updahyay, O.Katz, B.Edwards, R.French, M.Mooney, C-L.Liew-Cain, A.Sheppard, E.Armstrong, G.Yip, F.Azad, J.Sandhu, A.Smith, M.Walach, W.Gould, A.Bader, C.Ho, M.Bakrania, P.Patel, Q.Afghan, W.Somogyi, C.Regan, M.Mahmoud, A.Wibisono, S.Grafton Waters, F.Staples, S.Bentley, C.Watts, I.J.Rae, A.Robson, G.Branduardi-Raymont</p>