421 research outputs found

    An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis exploring the experiences of language needs and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) for secondary school teachers of English

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    Government policy and publications have reiterated the message that all teachers should be teachers of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and meet the varying and diverse needs of all learners within a mainstream classroom (HM Government 2022a; 2022b). Language needs, a feature of a communication and interaction difficulty, is one area of SEND. Within the secondary school context, these difficulties have received little research attention and focus. This research with secondary school teachers of English (N=5) utilised semi-structured interviews and vignettes which provide written case study descriptions of how language needs may present in the classroom (Starling et al., 2011; Ramsey, 2015). Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to explore participants’ experiences. IPA is a qualitative methodology in which the central tenets focus on phenomenology (experience), hermeneutics (interpretation) and idiography (individual, nomothetic data) (Smith et al., 2022). Four group experiential themes were identified which depicted participants’ experiences of being a teacher and supporting language needs and SEND; Expertise; Interactions; Feeling Challenged; and Interpretation. How participants each related to these individual constructs varied and similarities (convergence) and differences (divergence) in their individual experiences were noted. The research provides a descriptive and interpretive account of the experiences of participants when teaching and supporting students with SEND and language needs. Situating these experiences within an ecological framework of the classroom, appreciates the contextualised experience of being a teacher and the interactions between students, other professionals, systems and structures and the emotive elements that accompanies this experience. Continued and renewed focus and awareness of the presentation of language needs in the secondary context remains pertinent as some teachers felt that they lacked expertise and confidence in this area. Educational Psychology as a profession may be unique in its contribution when supporting schools to consider holistic and ecological influences on the presentation of SEND and support the problem-solving capacity of the school workforce, particularly in an educational context where access to specialist services is hindered due to scarcity of resources

    Towards a Digital Capability Maturity Framework for Tertiary Institutions

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    Background: The Digital Capability (DC) of an Institution is the extent to which the institution's culture, policies, and infrastructure enable and support digital practices (Killen et al., 2017), and maturity is the continuous improvement of those capabilities. As technology continues to evolve, it is likely to give rise to constant changes in teaching and learning, potentially disrupting Tertiary Education Institutions (TEIs) and making existing organisational models less effective. An institution’s ability to adapt to continuously changing technology depends on the change in culture and leadership decisions within the individual institutions. Change without structure leads to inefficiencies, evident across the Nigerian TEI landscape. These inefficiencies can be attributed mainly to a lack of clarity and agreement on a development structure. Objectives: This research aims to design a structure with a pathway to maturity, to support the continuous improvement of DC in TEIs in Nigeria and consequently improve the success of digital education programmes. Methods: I started by conducting a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) investigating the body of knowledge on DC, its composition, the relationship between its elements and their respective impact on the Maturity of TEIs. Findings from the review led me to investigate further the key roles instrumental in developing Digital Capability Maturity in Tertiary Institutions (DCMiTI). The results of these investigations formed the initial ideas and constructs upon which the proposed structure was built. I then explored a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods to substantiate the initial constructs and gain a deeper understanding of the relationships between elements/sub-elements. Next, I used triangulation as a vehicle to expand the validity of the findings by replicating the methods in a case study of TEIs in Nigeria. Finally, after using the validated constructs and knowledge base to propose a structure based on CMMI concepts, I conducted an expert panel workshop to test the model’s validity. Results: I consolidated the body of knowledge from the SLR into a universal classification of 10 elements, each comprising sub-elements. I also went on to propose a classification for DCMiTI. The elements/sub-elements in the classification indicate the success factors for digital maturity, which were also found to positively impact the ability to design, deploy and sustain digital education. These findings were confirmed in a UK University and triangulated in a case study of Northwest Nigeria. The case study confirmed the literature findings on the status of DCMiTI in Nigeria and provided sufficient evidence to suggest that a maturity structure would be a well-suited solution to supporting DCM in the region. I thus scoped, designed, and populated a domain-specific framework for DCMiTI, configured to support the educational landscape in Northwest Nigeria. Conclusion: The proposed DCMiTI framework enables TEIs to assess their maturity level across the various capability elements and reports on DCM as a whole. It provides guidance on the criteria that must be satisfied to achieve higher levels of digital maturity. The framework received expert validation, as domain experts agreed that the proposed Framework was well applicable to developing DCMiTI and would be a valuable tool to support TEIs in delivering successful digital education. Recommendations were made to engage in further iterations of testing by deploying the proposed framework for use in TEI to confirm the extent of its generalisability and acceptability

    Developing Socially-Just Teachers Through A Proposed Alternative Curriculum For Initial Teacher Education

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    Problems of teacher burnout, low job satisfaction and high rates of teacher attrition are not specific to England but are also global concerns and symptomatic of a profession in crisis. In England, teacher education is a highly regulated sector and, in recent years, has become increasingly complex, fragmented and marketised. Increased government control over what pre-service teachers learn during their initial training phase has resulted in a centralised teacher training curriculum which is both reductionist and situates teachers as technicians. Universities have always played a distinctive role in teacher education, but the marketisation of the sector in recent years has led to a de-professionalisation and re-professionalisation of university teacher educators. The disappearance of universities from teacher training policy discourse and the tightening of government control over what is taught to pre-service teachers reflects a lack of trust in the university teacher education sector. Given this aggressive policy context, it is not surprising that some higher education institutions in England have withdrawn their teacher education courses. Courses which were once the ‘bread and butter’ of many institutions are now viewed as a reputational risk. Inspection regimes seek to enforce the government prescribed curriculum and there are heavy penalties that are imposed on institutions where the prescribed curriculum is not being delivered in its entirety or where it is not being taught in sufficient depth. The government curriculum is reductionist and produces teachers as technicians who believe in and can implement the prescribed approaches. This thesis presents 13 published papers. Implications to support the development of an alternative teacher education curriculum are drawn from the findings. The findings of the papers demonstrate that matters of inclusion and social justice need to be given greater emphasis in teacher education to enable pre-service teachers to respond to the professional challenges that they will face in classrooms. Key broad themes drawn from the papers include teacher identity, social justice and inclusion as critical components of a teacher education curriculum. These themes are used to develop a proposed curriculum framework for initial teacher education, which aims to situate teachers as critical thinkers who can challenge government policy, advance equality and prioritise both their own mental health and the mental health of their students. In addition, a framework for a mentor curriculum is also proposed to support the implementation of the teacher education curriculum in schools

    Supporting Preschoolers’ Early Writing Through Parent-Teacher Collaboration: A Design Based Study

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    This study used a design-based methodology to investigate the impact of parents\u27 and teachers\u27 collaborative efforts in supporting preschool children\u27s early writing. The sample included the lead teachers of the 3K and 4K classrooms at a local child development center. Six parent-child dyads from the 3K classroom and five parent-child dyads from the 4K classroom were selected using a convenience sampling technique. Data on children’s literacy skills and parents\u27 and teachers’ involvement were collected using quantitative and qualitative measures. Children\u27s literacy skills were measured in four areas: concepts about print, letter identification, letter writing, and name writing using Clay\u27s Observational Survey instrument. Children were expected to write daily using the Teacher Child Parent (T.C.P) Writing Collaborative Notebook with the support of their parents. Teachers’ involvement in children’s early writing skills was collected through classroom observation, pre- and post-semi-structured interviews, and feedback in the notebook. Parents’ involvement in children’s early writing skills was collected through pre- and post-semi-structured interviews and comments in the writing notebook. Findings revealed that children\u27s emergent literacy skills were significantly improved and were connected to the frequency of the use of the notebook and the strategies used by parents. Parents employed different strategies to support their children\u27s writing. Interestingly, the type of feedback teachers provided in the T.C.P Writing Collaborative Notebook and the frequency and nature of this feedback influenced parents\u27 motivation to work with their children and send the notebooks back to school daily. Therefore, this study demonstrated that effective parent-teacher collaboration significantly improves preschool children\u27s early writing and other related skills. It also makes important contributions to existing research because no studies known to the researcher have examined how parents and teachers can collaborate to support preschool children over a period using an iterative, design-based method that integrated research-based strategies

    Practitioner perspectives of technology use in early years settings.

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    Perspectives of early years practitioners in English preschools were the focus for this thesis. Particularly exploring the use technology in the EYP role, and how they support children to use technology. Originally, intending to explore how the removal of technology and ICT from the 2021 revised Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework would affect provision, data was collected during the national lockdowns of COVID-19, so practitioners also shared experiences of how the use of technology and digital media changed during this time, and how children’s technology and digital media use in settings differed from pre lockdown. To ensure data collection could continue during lockdowns, the original data collection method of focus groups changed to telephone interviews and online questionnaires that allowed 103 practitioners to share their views. However, despite a change in methods, a qualitative methodology remained. Data suggests practitioners used digital media more during periods of lockdown, providing learning opportunities for children, meeting virtually with colleagues, and supporting parents. Children’s technology and digital media use in settings also changed; due to policy guidance, sanitising equipment and keeping children in ‘bubbles’ meant sharing devices became more difficult. Practitioners shared opinions and beliefs that children use technology too much at home, without considering whether children use technology for consumption or creation in these spaces. Further, practitioners often use technology with children to ‘tick a box’ for OFSTED without considering how these technologies can be woven into the classroom ecology to benefit all areas of learning and development as a tool for multimodal learning. Recommendations for practice include working with qualification awarding organisations to ensure early years qualifications include some content on technology use, and the creation of a lead practitioner role (Digital Activity Lead Co-ordinator, or DALCo) who can champion and lead technology use in their setting

    Vielfalt und Integration - diversitĂĄ ed integrazione - diversitĂ© et intĂ©gration: Sprache(n) in sozialen und digitalen RĂ€umen: Eine Festschrift fĂŒr Elisabeth Burr

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    Diese Festschrift fĂŒr Elisabeth Burr stellt Vielfalt und Integration in der Sprachwissenschaft und in den Digital Humanities in den Mittelpunkt. Die BeitrĂ€ge berĂŒhren zentrale Fragen im Schaffen Burrs: Wie kann Sprache und ihre Variation in AbhĂ€ngigkeit von sozialen und geographischen Faktoren adĂ€quat beschrieben werden? Wie lassen sich informatische und digitale ZugĂ€nge dafĂŒr nutzen? VerknĂŒpft werden sie mit ihr wichtigen und aktuellen Themen aus Sozio-, Gender- und Korpuslinguistik, Dialektologie und Sprachgeographie sowie den digitalen Geisteswissenschaften. Die Beitragenden sind u. a. Stefania Spina, Thomas Krefeld, Annette Gerstenberg, Lazslo Hinyadi, Carol Chiodo und Lauren Tilton, Manuel Burghardt, Øyvind Eide, JĂŒrgen Hermes, Andreas Witt. Ray Siemens, Arianna Ciula, Alejandro BĂ­a sowie Rob Evans

    Geographic information extraction from texts

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    A large volume of unstructured texts, containing valuable geographic information, is available online. This information – provided implicitly or explicitly – is useful not only for scientific studies (e.g., spatial humanities) but also for many practical applications (e.g., geographic information retrieval). Although large progress has been achieved in geographic information extraction from texts, there are still unsolved challenges and issues, ranging from methods, systems, and data, to applications and privacy. Therefore, this workshop will provide a timely opportunity to discuss the recent advances, new ideas, and concepts but also identify research gaps in geographic information extraction

    Designing hybridization: alternative education strategies for fostering innovation in communication design for the territory

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    Within the broad context of design studies, Communication Design for the Territory stands as a hybrid discipline constantly interfacing with other fields of knowledge. It assumes the territorial theme as its specific dimension, aiming to generate communication systems capable of reading the stratifications of places. From an educational perspective, teaching activities are closely linked to research and can take on different levels of complexity: from the various forms of cartographic translation to the design of sophisticated transmedia digital systems. In the wake of COVID-19, this discipline has come to terms with a profoundly changed scenario in terms of limited access to the physical space and the emergence of new technologies for remote access. In this unique context, we propose a pedagogical strategy that focuses on the hybridization of communication artifacts with the aim of fostering design experimentation. As a creative tool, hybridization leads to the design of innovative systems by strategically combining the characteristics of different artifacts to achieve specific communication goals. By experimenting with these creative strategies, students are led to critically reflect on existing communication artifacts’ features and explore original designs that deliberately combine different media, contents, and communication languages in innovative ways. Through hybridization, the methods for territorial knowledge production appear more effective, effectively combining the skills and knowledge embodied in multiple subject areas. The paper presents the experience developed in the teaching laboratories of the DCxT (Communication Design for the Territory) research group of the Design Department of Politecnico di Milano. The teaching experience highlights how hybridization strategies can increase the effectiveness in learning about territorial specificities, in acquiring critical knowledge about communication systems, and in developing innovation strategies that allow to influence the evolution of traditional communication models

    “LUMINESCENT AS AN ANGLERFISH”: CREATIVE WRITING AS A STRATEGY FOR BUILDING FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE SKILLS IN SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN

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    This pretest/ posttest nonequivalent groups study explored the relationship between classroom-based creative writing instruction and the figurative language abilities of fourth grade students. Figurative language is widespread within the oral and written discourse of K-12 classrooms and is an essential component of higher-level language and literacy development. Despite the prevalence of non-literal language in educational settings and its relevance to children’s academic and social success, research concerning best practices for teaching non-literal language remains scarce. A few studies have suggested that creative writing may be an effective vehicle for fostering figurative language in children. Poetry writing seems especially promising, since poetry is rich in figurative forms and tends to be motivational for young writers. In this study, I compared pretest and posttest scores on a brief measure of figurative language which I administered to two groups of fourth grade students. The treatment group (n = 30) received six weeks of poetry writing instruction between pretest and posttest, while the comparison group (n = 37) did not. Results of a within subjects analysis using paired samples t tests revealed that only the treatment group demonstrated significant gains on the posttest. Results of between subjects analysis showed that the change in the treatment group’s scores between differed significantly from the comparison group’s change in scores. The effect size was large for both the within subjects and the between subjects analyses. Although generalizability is limited due to the nonrandomized design, the results suggest that creative writing deserves more attention as a means of teaching figurative language to school-aged children
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