After the In-Service Course: Challenges of Technology Integration

This case study chronicles one teacher\u27s experience in the semester after an in-service course, Using Technology for Instruction and Assessment. Results suggest that success in the course and good intentions do not necessarily translate into dramatic change in methods or media of instruction. Student mobility and special needs, unexpected administrative mandates, the anxiety of being judged as competent based on standardized test results, poorly designed classrooms, insufficient time to master new software, and habitual ways of conceptualizing what and how students should learnall complicate efforts to help students use computers to construct meaning and represent their learning to others. Certainly, a professional development course is just one variable in a complex equation which has, as its solution, transformative teaching

Technology-enhanced Personalised Learning: Untangling the Evidence

Technology-enhanced personalised learning is not yet common in Germany, which is why we have tasked scientists with summarising the current status of international research on the matter. This study demonstrates the great potential of technology in implementing effective personalised learning. Nevertheless, it has not been assessed yet whether the practical implementation actually works: Even in countries such as the U.S., which lead the way in using techology in classroom settings, hardly any evaluation studies have been done to prove the effectiveness of technology-enhanced personalised learning. In the light of the above, the authors make recommendations for actions to be taken in Germany to make best use of the potential of technology in providing individual support and guidance to students

Multilingual classrooms: opportunities and challenges for English medium instruction in low and middle income contexts

This report is the product of a research collaboration between Education Development Trust, the British Council and The Open University. Its starting point was to consider the complex field of English Medium Instruction (EMI) policies in low and middle income countries (LMICs). Its purpose is to provide insight and support to those responsible for setting policy or enacting it in complex language environments around the world. The work recognises the importance given to English language by governments in the future development of intellectual and economic capital, and to accessing opportunity in an increasingly global world. It also recognises and respects the strong argument calling for education and learning to be conducted in a language spoken by learners and teachers. Navigating these two influences can appear impossible at times as they can be unhelpfully positioned as opposites. This research study set out to do two things: • Look at the global literature and draw on the lessons from existing research. • Focus on illustrating the operational enactment and levels of understanding of EMI polices in schools in two primary school contexts – Ghana and Bihar, India. These very different contexts provide valuable lessons that will help policy makers, educators, teacher trainers and schools to navigate the complexities of multilingual EMI environments

Involving Parents in CALL: An Empirical Study

The study examined Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) together with parental participation on Saudi students’ English language achievement. A teaching-learning software, pre-posttest, observation checklist, and semi-structured interviews were constructed. Two intermediate sections with 25 students at each took part in the study. The study reported the effectiveness of parental involvement on students’ overall performance in English language learning. Key words: EFL, CALL, Intermediate class, Parental participation, Saudi Arabia

“How Am I a Maker Making a Makerspace?” : A Focus on Teachers in Practice Self-Authoring as Makers in Constrained K-8 Spaces

Although there has been an abundance of empirical inquiry into making in recent years, interestingly, and despite growing interest in the integration of making into N-12 education, little seems to be known empirically about the ways in which teachers are implementing making and creating makerspaces in their own classrooms. Very little direct attention has been paid to ‘pioneer’ N-12 teachers who are engaging students in making. This gap in the research obscures our understanding of how teachers think about making, how they practice as teachers and makers, and how their school context might influence their teaching and making practices. This multiple-case study asked: In what ways do three K-8 teachers appear to be conceptualizing and implementing making with students? In sum, the three teachers in this study encountered numerous tensions while navigating the contexts of their school, N-12 education, and the Maker Movement as they implemented making in their classrooms. They practiced with a strong sense of agency despite the fact that so many constraints were imposed upon them by more powerful authorities, such as standards-based school reform measures and formal school structures. This in-depth case study contributes new insights into ways in which teachers make decisions about implementing making as a part of their teaching practice and ways in which teachers make use of their agency within the current accountability climate

ChatGPT in Language Education: Perceptions of Teachers - A Beneficial Tool or Potential Threat?

The burgeoning advancement in artificial intelligence, particularly ChatGPT, has increasingly drawn attention among specialists and practitioners. This study investigates the perceptions of language teachers in Indonesia regarding ChatGPT's potential as a language learning tool and the concerns associated with its deployment. A quantitative approach was adopted, utilizing an online questionnaire comprised of 18 items rated on a four-point Likert scale and three open-ended queries. The sample included 100 educators, spanning English, Indonesian, and Mandarin language teachers and lecturers. Findings indicate that a significant proportion of respondents are familiar with internet-based artificial intelligence and recognize the applicability of ChatGPT in pedagogical contexts. Notably, 87% of language educators endorse initiatives to enhance understanding and integration of Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIEd) to bolster instructional efficiency and efficacy. Consequently, a majority concur that ChatGPT can aid language learners in honing vocabulary, grammar, oral and written competencies. Based on these insights, it is imperative for educational stakeholders to strike a judicious equilibrium between the deployment of AI tools and a pedagogical paradigm that emphasizes student engagement and critical cognitive development