Researching Pre-school Teachers’ Knowledge of Oral Language Pedagogy Using Video

The Observing Language Pedagogy (OLP) tool uses videos of authentic classroom interactions to elicit the procedural knowledge which pre-school teachers can access, activate and use to support classroom decision-making. Three facets are captured: perceiving (the ability to identify salient language-supporting strategies); naming (the use of specific professional vocabulary to describe interactions); and interpreting (the ability to interpret the interactions observed). Prior research has shown that the OLP predicts classroom quality; with naming and interpreting proving the strongest predictors. This study examines OLP responses from 104 teachers to consider the nature of their pedagogical knowledge (perceiving, naming, interpreting), and describe differences between expert teachers (those leading language-supporting classrooms) and non-expert teachers (those leading lower quality classrooms). It offers insight into the nature of language-related expertise and to guide design of teacher professional development, suggesting a tri-fold focus on knowledge of linguistic input, relational pedagogy and cognitive challenging interactions.

Exploring Primary-School EFL Teacher Expertise in Scaffolding: A Comparative Study

While much attention has been focused—in the field of teacher expertise—on expert teachers’ cognitive and behavioral characteristics, little attention has been devoted to how expert teachers reciprocally interact with the learning process. To bridge this gap in knowledge, this study seeks to explore primary-school EFL (English as a Foreign Language)—teacher expertise in the area of scaffolding. A comparison has been made among 2 expert EFL teachers, 20 experienced non-expert teachers, and 2 novice teachers in Chinese primary-school settings. By adopting a qualitative method of inquiry using interviews, classroom observations, and stimulated recalls, (yet with a quantitative aspect incorporating data analysis), the study demonstrates that expert teachers show a tendency to use scaffolding strategies more frequently and appropriately. These findings suggest that more open-ended activities be conducted to allow for scaffolding in EFL classrooms and that ESL/EFL teacher education raise scaffolding awareness in pre-service and in-service teachers.

Pendidikan Diniyah Formal (PDF) Meningkatkan Mutu Pendidikan Dayah Tradisional di Aceh

This study discusses the role of the Formal Diniyah Education program in improving the quality of traditional dayah education in Aceh. The study using a qualitative approach. The data were obtained through observation, documentation, and semi-structured interview with Diniyah Institution’s managers in Dayah Babussalam. The data collected were analyzed descriptively. The results showed that the presence of the Formal Diniyah Education program was a solution for Dayah Babussalam to improve the quality of her education. In practice, the presence of the Formal Diniyah Education program makes the existing traditional curriculum more developed. In addition, with the Imtiḥan Waṭoni (IW) examination, the quality of students also increases. Likewise, the presence of the Formal Diniyah Education program has also made modern education management integrated with Dayah Babussalam. The motivation of students to study in the dayah is also increasing where the Formal Diniyah Education diploma is very effective in "binding" the students to stay and endure in the dayah. Meanwhile, the challenge faced is the lack of expert teachers in teaching subjects in the Formal Diniyah Education curriculum.AbstrakPenelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif, dengan tujuan membahas peran program Pendidikan Diniyah Formal (PDF) dalam meningkatkan mutu pendidikan dayah tradisional di Aceh. Data penelitian ini diperoleh melalui observasi, dokumentasi serta wawancara semi terstruktur dengan pengelola PDF di Dayah Babussalam. Data yang terkumpul dianalisis secara deskriptif. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa hadirnya program PDF menjadi solusi bagi Dayah Babussalam dalam upaya peningkatan mutu pendidikannya. Dalam pelaksanaannya, kehadiran program PDF membuat kurikulum tradisional yang sudah lebih dahulu ada menjadi lebih berkembang. Selain itu, dengan soal Imtiḥan Waṭani (IW) atau ujian nasional PDF yang berbahasa Arab membuat kualitas santri juga meningkat. Begitu juga, kehadiran program PDF juga membuat terintegrasinya manajemen pendidikan modern di Dayah Babussalam. Motivasi santri untuk belajar di dayah juga semakin meningkat dimana ijazah formal PDF ini sangat efektif “mengikat” para santri untuk bertahan di dayah. Sementara tantangan yang dihadapi yaitu kurangnya guru pakar dalam mengajarkan mata pelajaran dalam kurikulum PDF.

Enrichment of Biscuits with Andaliman and Fermented Buffalo Milk Biscuits for the Intervention of Malnutrition in Children Under Five

BACKGROUND: Nutritional problems in children under 5 in Indonesia are very large and need effective intervention. Local ingredient is potential to create enrichment biscuits. AIM: This study aims to produce biscuits enriched with Andaliman (Zanthoxylum acanthopodium) and fermented buffalo milk and to perform organoleptic tests on the taste, color, aroma, and texture of the biscuits. METHODS: Three types of biscuits were made, namely, biscuits without Andaliman and fermented buffalo milk, biscuits with 2 g of Andaliman and 200 g of fermented buffalo milk, and biscuits with 3 g of Andaliman and 200 g of fermented buffalo milk. The all three biscuits were then tested organoleptically in the form of preferences by a panel of expert teachers to see choices for taste, color, aroma, and texture. The biscuits are then tested in a laboratory to assess their nutritional content. RESULTS: Biscuits with 2 g of Andaliman and 200 g of fermented buffalo milk had the greatest preference. Statistically, the three groups of biscuits differed in taste, aroma, and texture (p < 0.05). The nutritional content of biscuits is above the standards set by the Ministry of Health. CONCLUSION: Biscuits containing 2 g of Andaliman and 200 g of fermented buffalo milk have the potential to be produced as one of the intervention methods for under 5-year-old children malnutrition in Indonesia.

Interactive Craft Activities – Elevating Special Needs Education Learning Tools with “Craft Interactive Teaching Approach”

The aim of this study is to determine the Expert Panels agreement and consensus on the suitable items for the development of the Craft Interactive Teaching Approach (CiTA). A purposive sampling consisting of 12 Expert Teachers with more than ten years of experience in the field of Special Education were used in this research to measure their consensus on the design and development of the CiTA video module. The CiTA video module was developed using the ADDIE Model that is supported by the Delphi Technique. This study utilised the Design Development Research (DDR) approach that consisted of three phases. However, for the purpose of this article, the researchers will only discuss Phase 2: Design and Development in developing the Interactive Teaching Approach Video module. The responding twelve VAE teachers provided positive feedback towards learning and teaching using the tutorial module. With the interquartile range of 0 to 1.00 for all items included in the activities, all Expert Teachers in the field of Special Education approved with the content of the CiTA video module from the two rounds of Delphi surveys performed. The CiTA video module was developed with the inclusion of all items that were highly approved by the participating Expert Teachers in the Special Needs Education. Since the two rounds of item evaluation demonstrated a significant relationship between Round One and Round Two, the development of the video module could improve inclusive learning in the Malaysian classroom. Keywords: Interactive Visual Arts Education, Special education needs, Special needs children.

Recognising the impact of highly accomplished and lead teachers

The Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher (HALT) Certification process introduced in Australia in 2012 was designed to recognise expert teachers, to encourage them to continue to influence and impact their students and colleagues through their exemplary classroom practice. Expert teachers prepare evidence of their impactful practices, and have this evidence evaluated through a National Certifying Authority. HALTs are a relatively new role in Australian education, and little is known about their impact in schools, or the potential for their ongoing role as middle leaders in schools. This paper analyses the experiences of HALT teachers who had been certified by Independent Schools Queensland (ISQ) in 2018, and what impact they recognised they were having in the schools who supported them through their certification process. Impact is theorised as a temporal, reflexive narrative. Data were gathered in a cascading evaluative process through portfolio analysis, interviews with nationally certified teachers, school-based mentors and school leaders and a survey about their teacher and middle leader efficacy. The process of applying for HALT Certification had significant positive personal impact for the teachers, their students, their colleagues in their school and for some, beyond their school. The recognition of impact as a temporal narrative with distinct genres, and the concept of HALT teachers as middle leaders may point to new avenues of supporting applicants and to potential benefits for schools to encourage teachers to consider national certification.

Teachers' professional vision in action

In need of simultaneously tackling various tasks at a fast pace, teaching is a job that requires skillful attention allocation. Selective visual attention forms the basis of teacher's professional vision – the expertise of attending to and interpreting classroom features, but it is also a process mostly hidden from direct observation. Eye tracking can capture this otherwise invisible attentional process and has long been used in demonstrating the visual expertise in various skill domains. Yet, the relationship between expertise and teachers' eye movements during real-life teaching remains a seldom explored area. The current study investigated the distinctive features of teachers' gaze in relation to their expertise levels. Specifically, eye movements were collected from 25 pairs of expert and novice teachers, with each pair teaching in the same classroom and with the same content. The eye movements were analyzed using scanpath comparison and point pattern analysis method. Results revealed that compared with novices, expert teachers had overall shorter fixation durations and larger quantity of fixations. They also had smaller proportion of fixations directed to objects irrelevant to teaching and the distribution of their fixations were wider. These results demonstrated that teachers had distinctive eye movement features in relation to their expertise levels. Most importantly, expert teachers exhibited better selective attention – a key component of professional vision. The implications regarding teacher education and instruction were also discussed.