UNDERSTANDING AND DEVELOPING LITERACY IN THE ESL/EFL CLASSROOM

Abstract: Literacy in the Australian Curriculum is defined in terms of the important role language plays in the construction of meaning in diverse social and cultural contexts and their related situations (ACARA 2013, Halliday & Hasan,1985; Vygotsky,1976). To this end, in this paper we will briefly review some relevant pathways to literacy, namely, the teaching/and learning cycle that informs the literacy pedagogy, and the language learning theories that underpin the accepted literacy approach choices. In addition, this paper will address an important link to literacy, namely, the intercultural understanding general capability. This will be done via a brief coverage of the work of Golding (2005) in relation to his suggestions regarding the development of ‘a thinking classroom’. This will be achieved in an arena that also presents the views of other researchers (Pohl, 2000; Pope & Denicolo, 2001; Arthur, 2005; Lipson, 2006) who also believe in the importance of student and teacher wellbeing in the classroom. It is hoped that the discussions that are covered in this paper will provide a useful review of the relevant literature and related findings. Keywords:literacy, intercultural understanding, text types, genre theor

Educational community stakeholders' perspectives about teachers' responsibilities for mental health promotion in Maltese schools

The role of school teachers in promoting students’ mental health is receiving increasing international attention. However, before venturing into schools with new initiatives such as mental health promotion, it is essential to take into account local contextual affordances and constraints. One issue is whether teachers and other school community stakeholders believe that activities related to mental health promotion are within teachers’ realms of responsibility and capabilities. This paper reports findings from two questionnaire-based studies in Malta. The first questionnaire, about teachers’ responsibilities in areas related to developing students’ positive mental health, was delivered to community stakeholders attending three public lectures. The second questionnaire asked teaching staff in seven schools about their knowledge and capabilities for teaching to promote positive mental health. Results from the two studies indicate a foundation of support for whole school approaches to mental health promotion. Teachers’ responses from the second study indicate that many teachers do not feel strongly efficacious and knowledgeable about their roles in mental health promotion. Implications for teacher professional learning are discussed.The studies reported in this paper were supported by grants from the European Union FP7 Marie Curie International Research Staff Exchange Scheme, the Australian Academy of Science, the Faculty of Education, Humanities and Law at Flinders University and the European Centre for Educational Resilience and Socio-Emotional Health at the University of Malta

Students' experience of the first term in high school

Published version of the paper reproduced here with permission from the publishe

Aktywność a zdrowie psychiczne młodzieży w okresie izolacji społecznej spowodowanej pandemią COVID-19

Cel: Celem badania było poznanie relacji pomiędzy formami aktywności młodzieży (w środowisku wirtualnym i w świecie realnym) a jej zdrowiem psychicznym w okresie przymusowej izolacji społecznej związanej z pandemią COVID-19. Prezentowane wyniki są fragmentem większego projektu międzynarodowego (research-all.org). Metody: Grupę badaną stanowili uczniowie krakowskich szkół podstawowych i średnich (N = 455), w wieku od 11 do 18 lat (M = 15,38, SD = 2,10). Narzędziami badawczymi były skala dobrostanu MHC-SF Karaś, Cieciucha i Keyesa, skala prężności psychicznej CD-RSC Connor-Davidsona, skala depresji, lęku i stresu DASS-21 Lovibondów. Uczestnicy oceniali ponadto aktualną ilość czasu spędzanego na ośmiu rodzajach aktywności (online oraz offline) w porównaniu z czasem sprzed izolacji społecznej. Badanie przeprowadzono w czerwcu 2020 roku. Wyniki: Analiza korelacji wykazała, że im więcej czasu uczniowie spędzają na aktywności w środowisku wirtualnym, tym wyższy prezentują poziom depresji (r = 0,27; p < 0,001), lęku (r = 0,25; p < 0,001), stresu (r = 0,25; p < 0,001). Długość aktywności online jest również negatywnie skorelowana z dobrostanem psychologicznym (r = –0,13; p = 0,013), emocjonalnym (r = –0,15; p = 0,003) i społecznym (r = –0,12; p = 0,026). Dobrostan jest tym wyższy, im więcej jest aktywności niezapośredniczonych żadnym medium (r = 0,17; p = 0,001). Wnioski: Izolacja społeczna spowodowała wzrost aktywności online zarówno w edukacji, jak i w życiu społecznym młodzieży. Uzyskane wyniki wskazują na nasilenie negatywnej afektywności u adolescentów dłużej aktywnych online. Ponadto wykazano znaczenie ochronne aktywności ruchowych i towarzyskich podejmowanych poza Internetem dla zdrowia psychicznego młodego człowieka.Purpose: The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between the forms of youth activity (in a virtual environment and in the real world) and their mental health in the period of forced social isolation related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings presented here are part of a larger international project (research-all.org). Methods: The subjects were students of primary and secondary schools in Kraków (N = 455), aged 11 to 18 (M = 15.38, SD = 2.10). The instruments used in this study were: the MHC-SF Karaś, Cieciuch and Keyes wellbeing scale, the Connor-Davidson CD-RSC resilience scale, and the DASS-21 Lovibond scale designed to measure depression, anxiety and stress. The participants also reported the amount of time they spent on eight types of activity (online and offline) during and before social isolation. Results: Correlation analysis showed that the more time students spend actively in a virtual environment, the higher the level of depression (r = 0.27; p < 0.001), anxiety (r = 0.25; p < 0.001), stress (r = 0.25; p < 0.001). The duration of online activity is also negatively correlated with psychological well-being (r = –0.13; p = 0.013), emotional well-being (r = –0.15; p = 0.003) and social well-being (r = –0.12; p = 0.026). Well-being increases with a higher number of activities that are not mediated by a screen medium (r = 0.17; p = 0.001). Conclusions: Social isolation resulted in an increase in online activity both in education and in the social life of young people. The results obtained indicate the intensification of negative affectivity in adolescents who spend more time in the online environments. Moreover, the protective role of non-Internet physical and social activities for the mental health of young people has been demonstrated

Self-reported harm of adolescent peer aggression in three world regions

While the poor psychosocial outcomes of young people who have experienced bullying are well known, the harm associated with experiences that do not meet the bullying criteria is not well understood. The aim of this study was to examine the level of harm associated with experiences of peer aggression, as well as bullying, by directly measuring the four elements of intent, perceived harm, repetition and power imbalance that comprise the bullying criteria. The purpose of the study was to establish whether bullying was the most harmful form of peer aggression and whether other types of peer aggression that did not comprise all elements of bullying were comparably harmful. Over 6000 students (aged 11–16) from 10 countries completed a student victimization and aggression questionnaire. Data showed that pproximately 50% of participants were not intentionally harmed through peer aggression, although this varied across countries, ranging from 10% in India to 87.5% in Taiwan. In all countries, analyses identified a group that had experienced repeated peer aggression, but with no power imbalance, comparable in size to the bullied group, suggesting that bullying is just “the tip of the iceberg”. Victims of bullying selfreported the greatest experiences of harm, although victims of repeated aggression reported comparable harm. The findings show that peer aggression experiences that do not meet the bullying criteria are also rated as harmful by victims. More research is needed to fully understand negative peer interactions that include behaviors outside the scope of the bullying definition, particularly with regard to repeated peer aggression. This study suggests that researchers should consider the level of harm experienced by individuals and avoid terminology such as bullying, while policy makers should place a strong and explicit focus on encompassing a broader realm of harmful peer aggression

Self-reported harm of adolescent peer aggression in three world regions

While the poor psychosocial outcomes of young people who have experienced bullying are well known, the harm associated with experiences that do not meet the bullying criteria is not well understood. The aim of this study was to examine the level of harm associated with experiences of peer aggression, as well as bullying, by directly measuring the four elements of intent, perceived harm, repetition and power imbalance that comprise the bullying criteria. The purpose of the study was to establish whether bullying was the most harmful form of peer aggression and whether other types of peer aggression that did not comprise all elements of bullying were comparably harmful. Over 6000 students (aged 11\u201316) from 10 countries completed a student victimization and aggression questionnaire. Data showed that approximately 50% of participants were not intentionally harmed through peer aggression, although this varied across countries, ranging from 10% in India to 87.5% in Taiwan. In all countries, analyses identified a group that had experienced repeated peer aggression, but with no power imbalance, comparable in size to the bullied group, suggesting that bullying is just \u201cthe tip of the iceberg\u201d. Victims of bullying self-reported the greatest experiences of harm, although victims of repeated aggression reported comparable harm. The findings show that peer aggression experiences that do not meet the bullying criteria are also rated as harmful by victims. More research is needed to fully understand negative peer interactions that include behaviors outside the scope of the bullying definition, particularly with regard to repeated peer aggression. This study suggests that researchers should consider the level of harm experienced by individuals and avoid terminology such as bullying, while policy makers should place a strong and explicit focus on encompassing a broader realm of harmful peer aggression