Visual Analysis of Local Content in English Elementary Textbook in Surakarta Indonesia: A Focus on Cultural Local Content

English for elementary education policy in Indonesia states that English is categorized as a local content curriculum area. The local content curriculum is an educational program whose content and media (such as visuals) and delivery strategies are linked to the physical environment, social environment, and cultural environment and regional needs. Based on this government policy, some problems are raised. The objective of this research was to investigate the local content represented visually in the textbook (for example illustrations of cultural local contents that are represented in clothing, physical settings, and so on) that are stated and written in the fourth grade English textbook in Surakarta, Indonesia. This research is qualitative research using directed visual content analysis approach. The subject of focus in this research is the fourth grade English Textbook in the district of Surakarta Indonesia and the object is the visual local and cultural content illustrated in the textbook. The data analysis technique is based on Krippendorf analysis, to which the researchers unitized, sampled, recorded, reduced, inferred, and narrated the data from the analysis of the textbook. The validity of the data used in this study is the persistence of observation. The result of the study shows that local visual content found in the textbook which is tailored to the local and cultural characteristics of Surakarta is only found in Lesson 5 or only 10% from the overall content of the textbook. This means that 90% of the content of the textbook does not really cater visually to the local elements that are important for the identity and pride of Indonesian people in the city of Surakarta. Keywords: English textbook for elementary school, Local content, Visual content analysis

Language AND Content? How do Curriculum Teachers of Year 12 English Language Learners Combine Two Disciplines?

<p>The provision of language instruction in secondary schools for students who speak English as an additional language (EAL) is moving from the domain of the English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) classroom where it traditionally lay. Increasingly, curriculum teachers are urged to take responsibility for language learning within their subject areas. How are curriculum teachers responding? Has this affected their professional relationships with ESOL teachers? What is the nature of the professional engagement between language and content specialists? This qualitative investigation uses an exploratory case study approach to examine the beliefs and teaching approaches identified by secondary school curriculum teachers as beneficial to learning for EAL students in their classes. Data were gathered using a questionnaire, interviews, and classroom observations for seven participant teachers, then analysed thematically using a conceptual framework derived from content-based language teaching principles. The findings were that these teachers’ approaches to teaching language appear to be shaped by their disciplinary beliefs and pedagogical content knowledge. Their openness to applying a systematic language focus to their teaching seemed to relate to whether their curriculum area was characterised as ‘hard’ or ‘soft’. They struggled to differentiate between language and literacy learning and largely assumed language to mean vocabulary. This indicates that many language challenges facing EAL learners may be invisible to their teachers. Curriculum teachers’ unfamiliarity with research-based language teaching has implications for teacher education and professional development. This study suggests the urgency for compulsory pre-service teaching courses to illustrate how disciplinary meaning is shaped by specific language forms. It also indicates that curriculum teachers with specialist qualifications in teaching EAL learners may provide a powerful link between ESOL and subject expertise.</p>

How Does Teacher Professional Development Support and Improve Technology Teacher Practice?

<p>The development and implementation of the New Zealand Curriculum in 2007 and the introduction of standards-based assessment, in the form of achievement standards, has necessitated a raft of changes for technology teachers. Professional development is widely considered to be of value in developing teacher knowledge which can positively impact on student knowledge and achievement. While there is a considerable body of research on professional development, there is a limited amount specific to technology education professional development in a New Zealand context. This thesis is based on an examination of the nature and characteristics of effective professional development for technology teachers. It used a qualitative, interpretive design and gathered data by interviewing a group of ten technology teachers and heads of technology departments from different schools in one region. The interview data were transcribed and sorted using inductive content analysis in order to categorise them and draw conclusions. The findings indicate that there is a wide range of characteristics which may be considered effective for technology teachers in this study, and foremost, the opportunity for teachers to work collaboratively in examining programmes, student work, resources and exemplars, such that teachers can build on their existing knowledge and skills, is most effective for them. The development of pedagogical content knowledge and subject content knowledge enabled the teachers to construct new understandings of teaching and student learning processes in technology education. The implications of this study are that facilitators, teachers, and others working within this curriculum area may be informed by its findings and as a result, professional development may be more effective in supporting teacher learning.</p>

Language AND Content? How do Curriculum Teachers of Year 12 English Language Learners Combine Two Disciplines?

<p>The provision of language instruction in secondary schools for students who speak English as an additional language (EAL) is moving from the domain of the English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) classroom where it traditionally lay. Increasingly, curriculum teachers are urged to take responsibility for language learning within their subject areas. How are curriculum teachers responding? Has this affected their professional relationships with ESOL teachers? What is the nature of the professional engagement between language and content specialists? This qualitative investigation uses an exploratory case study approach to examine the beliefs and teaching approaches identified by secondary school curriculum teachers as beneficial to learning for EAL students in their classes. Data were gathered using a questionnaire, interviews, and classroom observations for seven participant teachers, then analysed thematically using a conceptual framework derived from content-based language teaching principles. The findings were that these teachers’ approaches to teaching language appear to be shaped by their disciplinary beliefs and pedagogical content knowledge. Their openness to applying a systematic language focus to their teaching seemed to relate to whether their curriculum area was characterised as ‘hard’ or ‘soft’. They struggled to differentiate between language and literacy learning and largely assumed language to mean vocabulary. This indicates that many language challenges facing EAL learners may be invisible to their teachers. Curriculum teachers’ unfamiliarity with research-based language teaching has implications for teacher education and professional development. This study suggests the urgency for compulsory pre-service teaching courses to illustrate how disciplinary meaning is shaped by specific language forms. It also indicates that curriculum teachers with specialist qualifications in teaching EAL learners may provide a powerful link between ESOL and subject expertise.</p>

How Does Teacher Professional Development Support and Improve Technology Teacher Practice?

<p>The development and implementation of the New Zealand Curriculum in 2007 and the introduction of standards-based assessment, in the form of achievement standards, has necessitated a raft of changes for technology teachers. Professional development is widely considered to be of value in developing teacher knowledge which can positively impact on student knowledge and achievement. While there is a considerable body of research on professional development, there is a limited amount specific to technology education professional development in a New Zealand context. This thesis is based on an examination of the nature and characteristics of effective professional development for technology teachers. It used a qualitative, interpretive design and gathered data by interviewing a group of ten technology teachers and heads of technology departments from different schools in one region. The interview data were transcribed and sorted using inductive content analysis in order to categorise them and draw conclusions. The findings indicate that there is a wide range of characteristics which may be considered effective for technology teachers in this study, and foremost, the opportunity for teachers to work collaboratively in examining programmes, student work, resources and exemplars, such that teachers can build on their existing knowledge and skills, is most effective for them. The development of pedagogical content knowledge and subject content knowledge enabled the teachers to construct new understandings of teaching and student learning processes in technology education. The implications of this study are that facilitators, teachers, and others working within this curriculum area may be informed by its findings and as a result, professional development may be more effective in supporting teacher learning.</p>

The Role of Male Educators and the Challenges in Sexuality Education

Sex education is an educational curriculum area that represents a challenge for teachers, mainly if they are men. Therefore, the present study was carried out to identify the difficulties that male teachers face when addressing sex education with their students. It seeks to broaden the subject's understanding comprehensively and reflect on it in several dimensions, considering the actors involved: The State, the school, the role of teachers, and parents. A qualitative methodology was used, with a comprehensive-interpretive approach. Four public elementary teachers from the city of Veracruz, Mexico, participated. The instrument we used was a semi-structured interview. The findings were as follows: regarding their role as an educator, they consider that it is up to them to inform students on a scientific basis about sexuality; regarding their role in sex education, they think that they have the responsibility of reinforcing in the classroom the education that parents give their children at home. The challenges refer to the claims they receive from parents for talking about sexuality with kids and the lack of precision and depth in the content of the free textbooks regarding the matter. Finally, we conclude that sex education is a joint work in which the institutions' functions, both educational and family, are interrelated.

A Historical Review of Physical Education in China (1949-2020)

With the drastic changes in the historical context, political and social reconstructions played a significant role in the formation of the contemporary education system in China as well as other countries around the world. Based on the chronicled outline of past revolutions in the Chinese society, this paper aims to provide a broad historical overview of the history and development of physical education (PE) in China since the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1949. The process of PE reform in China occurred in four distinct stages, including the Initial Establishment Stage (1949 to 1956), the Exploration Period (1956 to 1966), the Regression Era (1966 to 1976), and the Era of Renaissance and Transformation (1979 to present). This historical review describes the development of PE as a curriculum area across these four critical periods and includes an analysis of historical contexts, policies, faculty training, curriculum settings, and pedagogical content in PE. This paper focuses mainly on PE within elementary and secondary schools in China, accompanied by a brief introduction to college PE in China. Through an examination of the four distinct stages of PE reform in China, a comprehensive understanding of the overall development of PE within these historical periods is presented. Inspired by the development of the educational system in China, a touch on the physical education concepts in countries around the world will also be included. The systematic review on international PE establishments serves to provide a general idea of how future improvements can be adapted to the trend of globalization and other potential public transformations.

PENINGKATAN KEMAMPUAN PEMAHAMAN KONSEP KELILING DAN LUAS BANGUN DATAR PADA SISWA KELAS VII-2 MTsN 28 JAKARTA DENGAN MENGGUNAKAN ALAT PERAGA

This classroom action research answers three questions, namely (a) Is there an increase in the ability tounderstand the concept of circumference and area of flat shapes by using real media? (b) How is the useof real media increase understanding of circumference and area of flat shapes? The study was conductedin two cycles. Each cycle consists of four stages, namely: design, activity and observation, reflection,and revision. The subject of this research is students of class VII-2 MTsN 28 Jakarta. Data werecollected through questionnaires, teacher and student activity questionnaires, formative test, andteaching and learning activity observation sheets. Data were analyzed descriptively using descriptivestatistics and qualitative analysis. The results showed that the students' ability to understand theconcept of the circumference and area of a flat shape increased from cycle I to cycle II. In the first cycleof meeting 1 (31.6%), the first cycle of meeting 2 (55.8%), the second cycle of meeting 1 (71.1%), thesecond cycle of meeting 2 (92.1%). The conclusion of this study is the use of real media can increaseunderstanding and have a positive effect on understanding of circumference and area of flat shapes.The research recommends that teacher can use real to better teaching in the curriculum area. Penelitian tindakan kelas ini menjawab tiga pertanyaan yaitu (a) Apakah terjadi peningkatankemampuan pemahaman konsep keliling dan luas bangun datar dengan digunakannya alat peragarealita? (b) Bagaimanakah penggunaan alat peraga realita terhadap kemampuan pemahaman konsepkeliling dan luas bangun datar?Penelitian dilakukan sebanyak dua siklus. Setiap siklus terdiri dariempat tahap yaitu: rancangan, kegiatan dan pengamatan, refleksi, dan revisi. Sasaran penelitian iniadalah siswa kelas VII-2 MTsN 28 Jakarta. Data dikumpulkan melalui angket pengelolaan kelas, angketaktifitas guru dan siswa, hasil tes formatif, lembar observasi kegiatan belajar mengajar. Data dianalisissecara deskriptif menggunakan statistik deskriptif dan analisis kualitatif. Hasil penelitian menunukkanbahwa kemampuan pemahaman konsep keliling dan luas bangun datar pada siswa mengalamipeningkatan dari siklus I sampai siklus II. Pada siklus I Pertemuan 1 (31,6%), siklus I Pertemuan 2(55,8%), siklus II Pertemuan 1 (71,1%) siklus II Pertemuan 2 ( 92,1%). Simpulan dari penelitian iniadalah penggunaan alat peraga dapat meningkatkan dan berpengaruh positif terhadap kemampuanpemahaman konsep keliling dan luas bangun datar. Penelitian ini merekomendasikan agar para gurusebaiknya menggunakan media realia dalam pembelajaran materi tersebut.

Research on the Optimal Path of Practice Teaching in Teacher Education

The teacher education major is a highly practical major, and practical teaching is an important curriculum area of the teacher education major, which plays an important role in improving the professional practical ability of students. At present, although many universities pay more and more attention to practical teaching, there are still certain problems in the process of ideological understanding and actual implementation. To optimize practical teaching, it is necessary to recognize the factors that affect practical teaching and the role of each factor in talent training, and put forward optimization paths and measures based on the establishment of collaborative cooperation mechanism, construction of teaching staff, and formulation of practice manuals.

Negotiating the pedagogical requirements of both explicit instruction and culturally responsive pedagogy in Far North Queensland: teaching explicitly, responding responsively

This article documents a teaching journey in a 6/7 class with 20 Torres Strait Islander students in the curriculum area of literacy, over the course of one academic year. Specifically, this action research study explores a classroom teacher's efforts to navigate and respond to the prominent teaching model of explicit instruction and culturally responsive teaching, both of which inform policy statements in Far North Queensland. Using a reflective journal, teacher observations, informal student dialogue sessions, yarning circles and student work samples, the first author (D'Aietti) endeavoured to adjust her teaching practice to determine how best to meet her learners' needs. Through on-going critical reflection, engagement with two critical friends and in consultation with a cultural mentorship group, her teaching underwent transformation. One of the key findings of this study was that students want to learn, and for this to occur, teachers must independently navigate the curriculum documents, and in doing so, the explicit instruction model must be re-aligned, re-adjusted and re-positioned to suit Torres Strait Islander student needs.