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This quasi-experimental study aimed to investigate the effect of polite corrective feedback (CF) on Iranian EFL learners' immediate and delayed grammatical accuracy. The participants included a convenient sample of 60 intermediate male/female EFL learners (four 15-member groups) selected from a private language institute in Tabriz. After the researcher ensured the homogeneity of the participants, a researcher-made multiple-choice pre-test on present and past English tenses was administered. Later, the first and second experimental groups were treated with +Polite Explicit Feedback (in the form of elicitations) and +Polite Implicit CF (in the form of recasts), respectively while the control groups were provided with -Polite Feedback of the same forms. Following the assessment of the learners' oral grammatical accuracy immediately after the treatment (uptake), a multiple-choice post-test was administered two weeks after the immediate post-test to assess their delayed recall. The independent samples t-test and ANCOVA conducted on the pre-test, immediate learning scores, and delayed post-test scores indicated that, although polite CF in both groups had a significant effect on learners' grammatical accuracy, +Polite Explicit Feedback had a more significant effect on participants' performance than -Polite Explicit Feedback and +Polite Implicit Feedback. The results underscore the significance of integrating politeness element into CF discourse, bearing implications for educational planners, materials developers, and EFL instructors.

This research aimed to investigate the impact of learning strategies with learning styles on learning performance in disaster mitigation. Problem Based Learning (PBL) and Direct Instruction (DI) are the strategies used. The learning styles used as moderator variables are kinaesthetic, visual and auditory. The research subjects included two junior high schools, SMPN 1 Sidoarjo and SMPN 1 Maospati, with a total of 122 students. The two-way ANOVA analysis technique was used to process the data obtained statistically. This research indicates that PBL strategy with visual learning style is superior to DI strategy with other learning styles in terms of learning achievement in disaster mitigation. This research has shown that considering the specific learning strategy and learning style of students contributes to positive learning outcomes in disaster mitigation.

As a language teacher, teacher educator and researcher, to me the name Rebecca Oxford has always been synonymous with language learning strategies across the world and specifically the theme of its teachability. Rebecca has always stated that the language teacher's role includes strategy instruction even if it achieves only partial success. Research has focused almost exclusively on how reading comprehension strategies, the focus of this study, can be taught to learners, but the preparedness of pre-service teachers to teach reading strategies has seldom been the focus within initial teacher education programs. The purpose of this study was to determine participants' perceptions of teaching within a mixed reality simulation environment with a specific focus on the explicit instruction of reading comprehension strategies. A case study approach was utilized, and ten second-year pre-service teachers enrolled for the Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) degree as well as one mentor teacher and one teacher educator were purposefully selected to participate in the study. The results indicated that the themes corresponded with the activities during the different stages of a mixed reality simulation action review cycle and included show and tell, collaborative brainstorming, deconstruction of the core teaching practice, anxiety and disbelief, pause and redo, coaching and feedback and focused reflection.

In Thailand, the traditional teaching approach used for English language classes has been to explicitly teach English grammar, but in recent years the strategy has begun to shift towards the implicit teaching of language via communicative techniques. Within academic circles, there has been minimal agreement on the suitability of approaches used. Today, the question of whether it is better to use an implicit or explicit approach remains open to debate. In this study, an explicit approach is used to teach English grammar to learners in the English Program at the Faculty of Education, Lampang Rajabhat University. These learners have experienced implicit teaching during their own learning of English grammar, but upon graduation will have to use explicit methods when they become teachers of English grammar themselves. Initially, it can be observed that their knowledge of English grammar is weak. Also, they may lack the pedagogical skills to teach English grammar explicitly. The target group in this study was 74 Year 1 students. This study involved multiple steps, namely content analysis, a pre-test, explicit English grammar tutoring, a post-test and data analysis. Test results were statistically analysed for percentages, means and standard deviations. Pre- and post-test scores revealed a difference of 360, or 12.16%, with the mean of 4.87 (SD = 9.96). It can be seen that English grammar learning skills of the target group can be developed by using the explicit teaching method and this can support pre-service English teachers to teach grammar more effectively.

This study aimed to address the gap in an environmental science undergraduate course by investigating the impact of explicitly integrating the Nature of Science (NOS) into the instruction of scientific inquiry. The lab-based course focused on developing an understanding of the natural world, as well as the processes scientists use to study that world. Through action research, data collection methods included the Views of Nature of Science Questionnaire (VNOS-B) and analysis of students' reflections on assignments and open inquiry projects for 37 students. Pre- and post-questionnaires were analyzed using NVIvo12, categorizing responses into five levels of NOS understanding thematically. Descriptive statistics were used to assess NOS views. Class reflective assignments and open inquiry projects were coded and evaluated using the revised NSI rubric employing a mixed methods analysis. The results reveal a notable shift in students' NOS understanding following the intervention which demonstrates the significance of deliberate NOS instruction. The research also pinpoints areas where students require focused instruction, offering valuable insights for educators with an emphasis on the impact of NOS integration in enhancing scientific literacy and highlighting the role of action research in refining instructional practices.

Background: The teaching of reading or reading instruction has largely been carried out in terms of well-developed pedagogies in the field. These pedagogical approaches are, however, derived from research and development in a broad international context, and are often adopted by and implemented in various country settings. Given the contextual variation and resource disparities in South Africa, we feel such settings where approaches are adopted and used to represent a 'one size fits all' approach can be less than ideal. Aim: To explore scientific approaches to reading instruction as alternative approaches that are context specific. Setting: This article questions reading instruction as prescribed in the National Curriculum of South Africa. Methods: A conceptual review of literature was conducted to distil and propose alternatives to the dominant discourses for reading instruction. Results: Given the resource disparities and contextual variations, we argue for and propose a structured approach to reading instruction. Conclusion: Such an alternative should consider scientific evidence, and the teaching of reading needs to be explicit and systematic as well as contextually relevant. We believe it holds promise for improvement in literacy rates as it provides flexible and adaptable approaches. Contribution: We advocate for an alternative approach to reading instruction that is grounded in scientific evidence and emphasises explicit, systematic, and contextually relevant instruction.

This paper presents data capturing Korean university students' familiarity with English online acronyms, examines factors that may predict this familiarity, and presents an explicit instruction intervention involving vocabulary knowledge of online acronyms. The Vocabulary Size Test (VST) measured students' vocabulary size, while a self-report survey measured social media engagement and the percentage of engagement that occurred in English. The Vocabulary Knowledge Scale (VKS) measured initial familiarity and gains in vocabulary knowledge. The results suggest that English learners in Korean universities are not well-acquainted with English online acronyms, but that receptive vocabulary size and English-language social media engagement may offer some predictive power regarding their level of familiarity. An explicit treatment of acronym expansions and their uses resulted in a significant and robust gain in vocabulary knowledge, suggesting that explicit instruction of online acronyms may improve digital literacy and comprehension of computer-mediated communication (CMC) more effectively than simply relying on incidental gains through repeat exposures over time.

This article provides a theoretical and empirical argument in support of explicit language instruction. It proposes on theoretical grounds that certain features of a language are sufficiently complex and subtle that learners are unlikely to be able to decipher their full conceptual meaning on the basis of exposure alone. It further proposes that the kind of explicit instruction that has been assumed in much of SLA research - based on structural rules of thumb - is inappropriate and that an alternative approach, grounded in principles of sociocultural theory is an effective means of promoting development, which in the theory calls for both explicit conceptual knowledge and extensive and intensive communicative practice. The approach, or model, is referred to as Concept-based Language Instruction (C-BLI). Empirical support for explicit instruction using C-BLI is derived from pedagogical studies using the model. In addition, evidence from L2 neuroscience ERP research is considered as well as evidence from cultural evolution. The principles of C-BLI are compared to those supporting Dynamic Usage-Based instruction which emerges from L2 research informed by Complex Dynamic Systems Theory.

Background: While the integration of robot-based learning in early childhood education has gained increasing attention in recent years, there is still a lack of evidence regarding the impact of AI robots on young children's learning. Objectives: The study explored the effectiveness of two AI education approaches in advancing kindergarteners' computational thinking, sequencing, self-regulation and theory of mind skills. Methods: An experiment was conducted with 90 kindergarteners (ages 5-6) randomly assigned to either a direct instruction (DI), cooperative play (CP) or control group. Results: Results show that (1) children in all three groups had significant improvements on computational thinking, sequencing and self-regulation; (2) both early AI education approaches (CP and DI) significantly enhance young children's computational thinking, sequencing, self-regulation and theory of mind skills; (3) the DI group had significant higher improvement than the CP group on computational thinking; (4) the CP group exhibited greater enhancements in theory of mind skills than the DI group. Conclusion: These findings jointly demonstrate that each AI educational approach has unique strengths, underscoring the significance of designing new pedagogies to expand children's skills.

Background: The use of computer-assisted reading comprehension is of critical importance in the context of promoting effective and engaging literacy education in the digital age. It provides students with the opportunity to work at their own pace and convenience, thereby facilitating self-directed learning and accommodating various learning preferences and schedules. Objectives: The objective of the study was to investigate the impact of computer-assisted and direct strategy teaching on reading comprehension, reading comprehension self-efficacy and reading comprehension metacognitive awareness. An experimental application based on the SQ4R strategy was conducted in the direct strategy teaching (DST) and computer-assisted strategy teaching (CAST) programmes. In the DST group, the implementation of the SQ4R strategy was conducted through direct strategy teaching, whereas in the CAST group, the same activities were carried out with the assistance of computer-based resources. The principal objective of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of computer-assisted strategy instruction. Methods: This study employed a combined sequential descriptive design, integrating qualitative and quantitative research models. The study was conducted with 61 fourth-grade students, enrolled in three classrooms of a public school situated in the central district of Kastamonu, Turkey, which is characterised by a moderate socioeconomic level. The quantitative component of the study was designed as a pre-test--post-test control group experimental study. The qualitative component of the study comprised focus group interviews and observation. Two experimental groups and one control group were established in the course of this study. In the quantitative dimension of the combined sequential descriptive model, the Reading Comprehension Test, Metacognitive Reading Comprehension Scale, and Reading Comprehension Self-Efficacy Scale were employed as data collection instruments. In order to collect data in the qualitative dimension, semi-structured interview and observation forms were employed. Furthermore, the researcher's diaries, maintained throughout the research process, were employed as a data source. The quantitative data were analysed using the following techniques: arithmetic mean, frequency, percentage, standard deviation, ANOVA and covariance analysis (ANCOVA). A descriptive analysis was employed for the evaluation of the qualitative data. Results and Conclusions: Upon examination of the post-test scores of the CAST, DST and control group students in the Reading Comprehension Test, it was observed that the CAST group exhibited the highest average. A statistically significant difference was also identified between the CAST group and the control group. Nevertheless, no statistically significant difference was identified between the DST group and the control group. Nevertheless, an examination of the mean scores reveals that the DST group exhibited considerably higher Reading Comprehension Test scores.

Although explicit instruction is effective in helping second language (L2) learners develop intelligible pronunciation, it is necessary to understand why and how L2 teachers implement such explicit pronunciation instruction systematically in class. Because of its key role in enhancing learners' pronunciation skills, understanding the rationale behind the implementation of explicit instruction by teachers in different contexts is necessary. A key aspect of analysis in the implementation of explicit pronunciation instruction is the teacher's metalanguage knowledge, which could showcase a key component of pronunciation teachers' ability to present phonetic-phonological content in an accessible manner to learners during explicit instruction. This case study analyzed an experienced English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) teacher's metalanguage knowledge in L2 pronunciation instruction. Using qualitative data-collection methods (e.g., semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and stimulated-recall interviews), and Freeman's (2020) "Knowledge Base of Language Teaching Framework," the results of this study showcase the way an experienced teacher's metalanguage knowledge influenced the implementation of explicit L2 pronunciation instruction, and how the teacher's metalanguage shaped the type of language available to learners in different activities in class. These results are also discussed in terms of their implications for training teachers in L2 pronunciation pedagogy.

The use of investigations in science teaching is both common and commonly advocated for in science education literature. We suggest that the use of investigations should differ depending on the complexity of the subject matter. That complexity can vary depending on both the nature of the information and students' expertise levels. The present study used Cognitive Load Theory and tested a hypothesis that the sequential order of having investigations first followed by explicit instruction only is more effective than that of having explicit instruction first when students have acquired sufficiently high levels of knowledge. This hypothesis was tested with 85 middle school students. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the two sequences. The results indicated that for sufficiently knowledgeable students, a dis-ordinal knowledge level by sequence interaction was obtained. There was an advantage to the explicit instruction first approach for the less knowledgeable students for whom element interactivity was high but an advantage to the investigation first approach for the more knowledgeable students for whom element interactivity was lower. The results were discussed in light of a recent debate between the authors and De Jong et al. ("Educational Research Review," 39, 1-14, 2023) on the role of investigations and explicit instruction in science education.

As evidenced by national data, a large proportion of students in middle school, content area classrooms in the United States (U.S.) may be considered developing readers. Evidence-based literacy practices and explicit instructional practices can support these students' literacy development. Yet, research suggests that teachers often miss opportunities to integrate evidence-based literacy practices to support students' access to text, and little is known about middle school teachers' use of explicit instructional practices. In this observation study, we document 17 U.S. middle school teachers' use of both explicit instructional practices and evidence-based literacy practices across 51 lessons in general education language arts, science, and social studies classrooms. We find that most explicit instructional practices and literacy practices were infrequently utilized across all content areas; within some content areas, some of these important practices were not used at all. We discuss the contexts in which explicit instruction and/or evidenced-based literacy instruction did occur, and the importance of school-wide literacy models and related professional learning opportunities to increase middle school content-area teachers' ability to support developing readers.

Purposeful and strategic use of L1 can help with L2 learning. However, in many contexts, monolingual immersion approaches dominate, leading language teachers to refrain from using L1. It can also mean that teachers are not professionally prepared to implement evidence-informed uses of L1. In this article, we share the findings of an intervention study that aimed to raise preservice English language teachers' awareness of purposeful L1 use while co-exploring ways generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools (e.g. ChatGPT) can aid teachers' knowledge development and strategic utilization of L1 in L2 classrooms. Data were collected from fifty-six preservice language teachers in Hong Kong through a pre- and post-intervention mixed-method survey and follow-up group interviews. The findings show that explicit instruction on the use of L1 in L2 classrooms can increase preservice teachers' intention to use L1 as well as their knowledge about the evidence-informed use of L1 and the ways in which generative AI tools can assist their implementation of L1.

This study's purpose was to examine the effects of the concrete-representational-abstract integrated (CRA-I) sequence on the performance of students who struggled with rational number concepts. Three students in southeastern U.S. fifth grade class participated in the study. The CRA-I intervention was grounded in the principles of explicit instruction and showed rational number concepts related to fractions and decimals using fraction blocks, number lines, base 10 blocks, and coins. Students learned about unit fractions, fraction magnitude, fraction equivalence, addition of fractions with unlike denominators, equivalent decimals, and notation of fractions as decimals. The researchers used a multiple probe across behaviors design and demonstrated a functional relation between CRA-I and three behaviors: decreased fraction estimation error, accuracy in adding fractions with unlike denominators, and accuracy writing fractions as decimals.

All interventions -- whether academic, behavioral, or social-emotional -- should be consistently delivered as planned to realize desired student outcomes. In other words, they should be delivered with fidelity. School psychologists can address this concern by monitoring fidelity and providing support for intervention implementation. In this final installment, the authors identify common reasons that interventions are not implemented with fidelity and share implementation supports that can be provided by school psychologists. Even after evidence-based universal intervention implementation supports, some teachers may benefit from more help. For teachers requiring additional support, practitioners can evaluate what type of support is needed (i.e., skill or performance deficit) and intensify support accordingly to ensure that teachers' unique needs are met, and students experience high-quality intervention delivery that is more likely to lead to improved outcomes.

Explicit instruction is a high-leverage practice for special education and is associated with improved learning for students with disabilities (Hughes et al., 2019). The high-leverage practices are 22 critical practices in special education that are effective for improving outcomes for a broad range of students with and at risk for disabilities (Hughes et al., 2019). Reading interventions that use explicit instruction are effective for improving both younger and older students' reading skills (Flynn et al., 2012; Gersten et al., 2020; Herrera et al., 2016). Explicit instruction is an approach to teaching that is focused around a specific learning goal; to meet this goal, skills are clearly explained and demonstrated, and then students are guided through practice with support and feedback until they can perform the skill independently (Archer & Hughes, 2011). Intervention adaptations, such as making instruction more explicit, are embedded within a larger system of data-based individualization (DBI). DBI is a problem-solving process for intensifying interventions through the systematic use of data and intervention adaptations that has been shown effective for improving students outcomes across academic areas (Jung et al., 2018).

One of the most challenging aspects of being an EFL teacher is coping with reticent students who are largely unwilling to communicate. This mixed-methods single case study, conducted with volunteer preparatory class students experiencing speaking anxiety at a Department of English Language and Literature in Turkey, aims to determine whether explicit training in communication strategies alleviates English-major students' speaking anxiety. The study employs a pre-posttest experimental research design and combines qualitative and quantitative research methods. Both verbal and numerical data indicate that the students' use of communication strategies, language production, and classroom participation are relatively higher compared to their levels before the strategy training. The results suggest that strategy training can effectively reduce EFL speaking anxiety among students. Accordingly, the study provides valuable insights for educators, practitioners, and program designers aiming to enhance students' oral communication skills in EFL settings.

More than two-thirds of middle school students do not read proficiently. Research has shown that targeted interventions using explicit instruction methods can improve reading outcomes for struggling readers. A central feature of explicit instruction is the systematic implementation of instructional interactions, but it is not clear what specific instructional interaction practices lead to stronger outcomes for middle school readers. This study used a regression discontinuity design to compare the frequency and impact of instructional interactions experienced by U.S. eighth-grade students who received a targeted reading intervention (n = 1,461) with those who did not (n = 4,292). Results indicated that students who received intervention experienced far more instructional interactions with their teachers than did students who did not. However, the association between rates of interaction and student need in the intervention group was minimal, and the relationship between the rate of instructional interactions and reading growth was mixed. Implications for intervening with struggling students in the middle grades are discussed.

Purpose: Developmental language disorder (DLD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that impacts approximately 7% of the population and is characterized by unexplained deficits in expressive and/or receptive components of language. A common procedural learning task, serial reaction time (SRT), has been used to develop models of the basis of DLD. However, paradigms involve differing levels of implicit and explicit learning during this task, muddying interpretations of the data. Here, we tested adults with DLD on implicit and explicit SRT tasks to better understand implicit and explicit procedural learning in this population. We hypothesized that adults with DLD would demonstrate reduced learning on only the implicit SRT task, as alternate explicit neural mechanisms could lead to equivalent performance on the explicit task. Method: Fifty participants (25 with DLD and 25 with typical language) completed implicit and explicit SRT tasks, measuring their ability to learn visually presented 10-element sequences. Group differences were evaluated on sequence learning, error rates, and explicit recall of the sequence after learning. Results: Sequence learning was the same between the groups on both tasks. However, individuals with DLD showed increased errors and significantly worse recall of the explicitly learned sequence. Conclusions: Results suggest that sequence learning may be intact in this population, while aspects of explicit learning and motoric responses are impaired. Results are interpreted in light of a neurobiological model of DLD.

This research explored the impact of informal learning (IL) in primary music initial teacher training. A small group of undergraduate student teachers had an opportunity to learn about and facilitate an IL approach. Data were collected from interviews, participant reflective logs and researcher reflections. The findings show that perceived benefits included freedom for serendipity, pupil autonomy and aural learning; perceived tensions included student teacher anxiety and a lack of teacher control. The researchers propose two aspects for consideration: first, that language associated with IL has social meaning that must be updated; second, that while direct instruction remains at the heart of primary teacher education, IL can continue to be justified despite the current emphasis on direct explicit teaching.

Teachers and clinicians report feeling underprepared to implement evidence-based behavior supports. As such, effective models of professional development that lead to improved outcomes for all individuals are required. Critical components of high-quality professional development include explicit instruction, modeling, practice, direct feedback, and, potentially, individual coaching. However, delivering all components may be resource intensive. Professional development approaches that extend the tiered logic of multi-tiered systems of support to adult learning may address these challenges. In such models, universal professional development is provided to whole-staff groups on specific skills using explicit instruction, modeling, practice, and feedback. Data are then collected and used to inform targeted, individualized supports. The current systematic literature review addressed a gap in the literature by identifying, summarizing, and appraising 20 published studies that examined tiered, responsive professional development models. While consistent practices were identified (e.g., group didactic training at Tier 1 and coaching at Tiers 2 and 3), the form and shape of specific interventions at each tier differed across studies. The same was observed in the data-based decision-making processes employed to determine the need for additional trainee support. Practical implications to inform the ongoing examination of tiered responsive professional development models are discussed.

Using the Learning by Design multiliteracies framework, writing workshop was transformed into composing workshop. The researcher worked with a team of four second grade teachers in an urban public elementary school to redesign their Kevin Henkes author study to equally value art and design, guiding their students in creating their own narrative picturebooks. The researcher addresses the following two research questions: 1. What explicit instructional practices did the teachers enact? 2. What influence did these explicit instructional practices have on the second graders' composing work? The researcher applied cross-case analysis, first to create an inventory of explicit instructional practices, and second, to identify illustrative cases and representative samples of explicit practices. The researcher documents the teachers' explicit instruction, harnessing social cognition of the learning community, that resulted in students' application of an expanded semiotic landscape to express their own narrative understandings. Students demonstrated knowledge transformation and development of metalinguistic understandings. The reflexive nature of implementing Learning by Design pedagogy means that curriculum design is always a work in progress, always in need of redesign to be responsive and supportive of the children in front of us.

Musical expression is often not explicitly addressed in secondary instrumental rehearsals due to the perception of expression as an obscure concept and the instructional time constraints on music educators. Secondary music educators, however, are encouraged to discuss expressive performance goals with instrumental students from the beginning of formal instruction. The three most common methods of teaching expression in music include metaphor, aural modeling, and explicit instruction regarding instrumental techniques. With the use of plainly stated performance goals, music educators can help clarify the concept of and expectations for expressivity for instrumental students.

This study investigates the effects of a synchronous online intervention that explicitly taught equivalent fractions using virtual manipulatives to fifth-grade students with learning disabilities. Employing a multiple probe across participants single-case design, this study provided 15 fraction lessons via video conferencing programs to three fifth-grade students with learning disabilities. During these online interventions, participants received one-on-one explicit instruction, practiced key concepts using virtual manipulatives, and solved fraction problems using interactive boards. Researcher-developed probes measured the participants' percentages of correct answers across baseline, intervention, and maintenance phases via an online assessment tool. In overall, students' performance improved as the intervention was introduced; however, the extent and maintenance of improvement varied according to the students' participation and perspectives regarding online instruction.

The study aimed to investigate cognitive and metacognitive strategies and products of cognitive and metacognitive processes that preservice science teachers engaged in while reading heat-temperature text after being exposed to no reading strategy instruction, explicit reading strategy instruction,and peer tutoring reading strategy instruction. This study differs from other strategy teaching studies in terms of determining the cognitive and metacognitive reading strategies used by individuals after being exposed to different types of reading strategy instruction, which which was specifically designed to improve conceptual understanding. This study employed holistic multiplecase study wherein preservice teachers were assigned to one of the three groups that received no reading strategy instruction (n = 9), explicit reading strategy instruction (n = 10), and peer tutoring (n = 10) based on their scores on Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies Inventory and good communication among them. The content of strategy instruction included various domain-specific reading comprehension strategies used for activating cognitive and metacognitive processes that contribute to improving conceptual understanding and conceptual change. It was found that the diversity and frequency of using cognitive strategies and products of cognitive processes were the highest in the explicit strategy instruction group, and the metacognitive strategies and products of metacognitive processes were more diverse and frequent in reading strategy instruction groups compared to no strategy instruction group. [Paper presented at the National Science and Mathematics Education Congress (13th, Denizli, Turkey).]

In occupational therapy practice, critical thinking is a foundational skill for the delivery of effective care; however, there is limited evidence on the development of critical thinking skills in occupational therapy education. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects and student perceptions of concept mapping on critical thinking skills in occupational therapy education. This study used a quasiexperimental design with a retrospective pre-post assessment after two teaching conditions: (a) traditional lecture and (b) concept mapping. The same convenience sample of students was used for each condition. Additional outcome measures included assessment of student concept maps using a scoring rubric and a survey of students' perceptions on the use of concept mapping. Results of the retrospective pre-post assessment indicated significant gains in student knowledge (p<0.001) following both the concept mapping activity (n=39) and traditional lecture (n=46). Assessment of the concept maps along with the results of the student survey indicated that concept mapping supported student use of key critical thinking skills including interpreting knowledge, understanding relationships, communicating their rationale, and reflecting on their thinking. Overall, students reported strong affective acceptance of concept mapping and found concept mapping easy to use. Given these findings, occupational therapy educators need to consider incorporating concept mapping as a form of active, student-centered learning to support enhanced knowledge of content and higher-level thinking.

The aim of this research is to examine the effectiveness of the concrete-pictorial-abstract learning strategy presented with the direct teaching method in teaching the subject of mixtures, which is one of the science subjects, to students with intellectual skills disabilities. The study used multiple-probe model with a probe phase, one of the single-subject research models. While the dependent variable of the research was the level of showing the mixtures of the students participating in the study; the independent variable is the concrete-pictorial-abstract learning strategy presented with the direct teaching method. The research was conducted with two girls and one boy living in Bolu, diagnosed with intellectual disability, and attending primary school. The data collected in the study were analyzed through visual analysis. As a result of the research, it has been observed that the concrete-pictorial-abstract learning strategy is effective in teaching the subject of mixtures to students with intellectual skills disabilities, that the permanence of this subject learned by the students can be maintained one and three weeks after the end of the education, and that all students can generalize this learning to different environments and tools.

The present research approaches differentiated instruction in light of metacognition and collaborative practices. The aim is to examine the contribution of a Tier 2 intervention implemented by teachers through a program entitled The Strategic Planners of Writing to the writing performance of 3rd and 4th grade students with writing difficulties. The special teachers and 31 students who received special education services in inclusive classes at eight public primary schools in the prefecture of Attica in Greece were randomly selected. Sixteen students in four inclusive classes participated in the intervention program and formed the experimental group. Fifteen students in another four inclusive classes received regular classroom instruction from their special teachers and formed the control group. The teachers of the experimental group received intensive practice in specific strategy instruction and collaborative practices in a differentiated teaching environment such as that of the Tier 2 Response to Intervention Program. The students were evaluated before and after the end of the intervention regarding the general quality of the written narratives they produced and the metacognitive knowledge they possessed about writing. The experimental group received an 8-week intervention with a frequency of two lessons per week. The teachers followed the structured lesson plans and applied educational material given to them according to the stages of the Self-Regulated Strategy Development model. The results indicated that the experimental group showed statistically significant improvements in text structure and in the general quality of the produced narratives compared to the control group. At the same time, it was found that there was a statistically significant difference in the experimental group's awareness of the planning phase of the writing process and structural elements of a good narrative text compared to that of the control group.

Minimal guidance or maximal independence? How can teachers achieve that complex balance when teaching mathematics? In this pre-and post-test quasi-experimental research study, the authors explored the above broad questions in Grade 10 Financial Mathematics following guided discovery and mathematical modelling principles. Fifty-four (54) Grade 10 students at a Government High School in Johannesburg, South Africa, participated in the study. One group of students was taught following guided discovery and modelling principles and another group was taught the same contents but following explicit instruction. Students' mean scores were compared at the end of the interventions. Two teachers with similar experience and qualifications taught the two groups independently. The main findings revealed that although the overall performance in the posttest appeared similar in both groups, there was in fact a significant difference in understanding the concept of compound interest in the guided discovery and modelling group compared with the explicit instruction group. The research highlights the promise offered by the former teaching approaches over explicit instruction in supporting the understanding of difficult concepts to the students. Our findings led us to propose that foundation skills such as, plotting coordinate points, reading, and interpreting graphs, substituting into, and using formulas, and factorizing algebraic expressions should be thoroughly covered at the lower high school to prepare students to cope with more challenging related concepts at the higher level.

Background: Teachers are important role players in improving literacy; however, they lack the expertise to explicitly teach reading comprehension strategies. Studies have showed that when teachers are motivated to explicitly teach reading comprehension strategies in their classrooms, learners' comprehension is improved. Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate what motivates teachers to explicitly teach reading comprehension strategies in their classrooms after a workshop. Method: Purposive sampling was used and 20 teachers took part in this study. The research followed a qualitative approach, and the data were obtained from teachers' responses to an open-ended questionnaire. Thematic analysis using concepts from Shulman's 'Pedagogical Content Knowledge', Vygotsky's 'Social Constructivism', Bundura's 'Self-efficacy' and Chalmers and Gardiner's 'Academic Professional Development Effectiveness Framework' was conducted. Results: One key finding was that teachers developed competence through effective pedagogical practices used by facilitators of the workshop; this boosted their confidence. Conclusion: The findings suggest that professional development training plays an important role in making teachers aware of reading comprehension strategies, equipping them with skills that will enable them to guide learners to become proficient readers. Contribution: The uniqueness of this study is that it hinged on collecting empirical evidence, within a South African context, on what motivates teachers to explicitly teach reading comprehension in their professional practice after being exposed to a repertoire of reading comprehension strategies during a workshop.

This case study compared preservice primary school teachers' and primary school teachers' experiences with multi-grade teaching in the 2018--2019 academic year. The sample consisted of 17 fourth-year students in the department of primary school teaching education of a public university and 14 multigrade teachers from 12 schools in Turkey. The preservice teachers and multi-grade primary school teachers developed similar lesson plans and executed similar learning processes. Although the multigrade teachers claimed that they used different methods (brainstorming, drama, observation, etc.), the preservice teachers observed them mostly use Q&A and direct instruction techniques. The preservice teachers did not use multidisciplinary teaching activities but instead showed students videos and slides and designed textbook-based activities. They did not use different methods to plan a multi-grade lecture. Multi-grade teaching training offered by the faculties of education should be interdisciplinary and encourage collaboration among teachers from other branches (e.g., teacher agency). [Paper presented at the European Conference on Educational Research (Online, Sep 6-9, 2021).]

In this study, it was aimed to determine the effectiveness of the explicit teaching method using "Augmented Reality (AR)" in teaching sensory organs to students with "Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)". The participants of this research are consist of three male students with ASD. They are attending Special Education Vocational School. The design of this research is the multiple probe design with probe conditions across subjects. The dependent variable of the research is the learning level of the structure and functions of the sensory organs of the students with ASD. The independent variable is the explicit teaching method using AR. The findings indicated that the explicit teaching method using AR is effective in teaching the structure and functions of the sensory organs in three students with ASD. It was revealed that the participants maintained their acquisitions about sensory organs they learned in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd weeks. Additionally, generalization data indicated that three students with ASD generalized the skills they learned.

The support of academics, professionals, and researchers from the most diverse scientific areas to STEAM education is due to the strong impact it has on preparing citizens for a world of continuous scientific and technological development. Among its benefits, we highlight the improvement of critical, innovative, and creative thinking; the development of problem-solving, collaborative, cooperative, and communication skills; the gain of self-confidence, self-motivation, empathy, and resilience. However, the pace of implementation is not the same in all world regions. Developing and less developed countries have limitations of assorted nature in almost all areas of scientific-technological knowledge. With a consensus on the impact of STEAM Education on the progress of any society, its implementation in developing countries becomes fundamental and urgent. The study described here focuses on Cape Verdean teachers' perception of STEAM education and its integration into their pedagogical practices. It includes the analysis of data collected via a questionnaire adapted from one developed by the community for science education in Europe, SCIENTIX, and reported information on official documents. The findings reflect not only teachers' ideas and beliefs about STEAM education, but also their pedagogical approaches, the resources they (do not) use, and the obstacles they face.

The research on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) writing has garnered considerable attention over the years, particularly concerning the impact of corrective feedback (CF) on students' errors. However, in the context of Kurdish EFL students, this area of research has received limited attention, despite its potential to enhance their grammatical accuracy in writing tasks. This paper addresses this gap by examining the impact of Explicit Written Corrective Feedback (EWCF) on Kurdish EFL undergraduate students' writing accuracy in terms of "subject-verb agreement (SVA)." For data collection, the study employed a mixed-method approach and recruited sixty junior EFL undergraduate students who were randomly assigned to two groups: the experimental group (n=30) received EWCF on their SVA errors for five weeks, while the control group (n=30) received only implicit feedback without correction on SVA errors. Data was collected through questionnaires and pre-and post-tests, and the results revealed that EWCF was preferred by students and was more effective in enhancing their writing accuracy in terms of SVA, as evidenced in the post-test. The study has several theoretical and pedagogical implications, including the need for instructors to provide EWCF to enhance students' grammatical accuracy in writing tasks. Further, the study contributes to the limited body of research on EFL writing in the context of Kurdish students, highlighting the need for further investigation in this area.

English language learners (ELLs) need to build competency with the English language quickly, in order to benefit from classroom instruction. Reading Recovery offers theoretical underpinnings which support accelerated language acquisition with valuable applications in a classroom setting. Teachers need to develop language as a meaningful whole, making connections between speaking, reading, and writing. By carefully observing a child's use of language, teachers can design instruction to build on the child's current language strengths. Learning a new language is complex and teachers must support ELLs by providing explicit teaching and massive opportunities to practise speaking, reading, and writing.

Research has noted the constraints to applying constructivist pedagogical models such as Sport Education and Teaching Games for Understanding in practicing and prospective physical education teachers. This study was an investigation of prospective physical educators' preferences for Direct Teaching, Sport Education, and Teaching Games for Understanding in physical education and what they liked and disliked about each model. The sample consisted of 309 undergraduate physical education students who received preliminary training and experience with each instructional approach in an upper-level undergraduate university games course. There was substantial support for each of the three instructional models although students preferred Sport Education and Teaching Games for Understanding over Direct Teaching. These findings provide valuable insight into the relative strength and specificity of prospective physical educators' views about these models and evidence that, in settings where these models are explicitly taught and practiced, prospective physical educators can have progressive knowledge and beliefs about them.

The purpose of this research is to examine how working individually and as a team in solving pedagogical scenarios for teaching science subjects is reflected in the teaching preferences of preservice science teachers. This interpretive case study was conducted with 69 preservice science teachers studying at a university in eastern Turkey. The data of the study were collected using the teaching pedagogy preference form. The data analysis included descriptive analysis based on four instructional pedagogies: direct instruction, direct active, guided inquiry, and open inquiry. The research results revealed that preservice teachers did not sufficiently turn to inquiry-based teaching pedagogy for solving problem scenarios in both individual and teamwork. In addition, the results indicated that preservice science teachers' professional knowledge of teaching various science subjects is largely based on traditional teaching pedagogy. Based on these results, it is recommended that science educators use problem scenarios to reveal preservice teachers' inquiry-based teaching preferences.

The debate between effectiveness of explicit and implicit teaching has taken a center stage in the second language acquisition literature over a long period of time. Most of such debates center on grammar teaching and very few discuss suprasegmental features especially, syllable structure. All languages have some sort of syllabicity; however, the phonetic characteristics of syllables differ across languages. The difference can be seen in onset and coda. The current study examines the effects of explicit instruction on the acquisition of English syllable structure among Ghanaian learners of English. The paper investigates the efficiency of interventions through explicit teaching on the English syllable structure in a classroom setting. English syllables have some structures that are absent in the first language of the participants and these structures pose difficulties for speakers who learn English. This paper explores those structures and adopts explicit instruction as an intervention to remedy the difficulties. The investigation is done on participants who are Ghanaian speakers learning English. The study discovers that in disyllabic words there is a preference of trochaic syllables over iambic syllables, the acquisition of onsets is easier than acquisition of codas and finally, explicit teaching is very effective in the classroom.

Some children come to school with a smaller vocabulary than their peers. If children do not have knowledge of the meaning of the words they read in texts, they will fail to comprehend those texts and struggle to keep up with their peers. This is critical because the link between vocabulary and comprehension is very clear (Sticht et al., 1974, as cited in Vadasy & Nelson, 2012). If teachers do not intervene when students are in the early grades, we see that those children who know more words learn additional words more quickly, and subsequently, other children could continue to struggle with reading (Stanovich, 1986). Consequently, some children struggle with reading even more when they enter the upper elementary grades where they can fall into what is referred to as the "fourth-grade slump" when children are beginning to encounter words and word meanings that are increasingly challenging (Chall et al., 1990, p. 1). The author discusses the importance of teaching vocabulary and what vocabulary instruction can look like in the early grades to combat this challenge.

Despite the prevalence of students with learning disabilities (LD), athletic coaches face challenges in recognizing and effectively supporting the needs of athletes with LD due to lack of professional development in this area. Sometimes referred to as a "hidden disability", LD is not easily perceived by teachers and coaches. Students with LD have average level intelligence and often demonstrate both strengths and weaknesses in academics. What coaches may not realize, however, is that athletes with LD can have the same challenges in learning aspects of the sport that they have in learning academics. They can have difficulties with understanding and following multi-step directions, remembering sequences of information (Gargiulo & Bouck, 2018), problems with processing skills and self-monitoring their behavior (Watson et al., 2016). Therefore, addressing the needs of athletes with LD requires a set of specialized instructional strategies that helps athletes focus and increase performance. This article describes three evidence-based instructional strategies which support the needs of athletes with LD: behavior specific praise, explicit instruction, and self-talk. Guidelines for using the strategies are provided and emphasize the importance of modeling of the desired behaviors and providing sufficient opportunities for athletes to rehearse and process the new behaviors. Use of these strategies can enhance the coaching experience for all athletes and promote inclusiveness while at the same time, improving athletic performance.

"Research Findings:" Early science skills predict later science achievement, and persistent achievement gaps in science appear as early as preschool. The current study compared the effectiveness of different instructional approaches for teaching preschoolers about sinking and floating and examined individual differences in learning. Typically developing 4--5-year-olds (N = 93; 47% female) were randomly assigned to an Explicit Instruction, Discovery Learning, or No-Instruction Control condition. A pre-posttest design was used to measure change in children's knowledge of sinking and floating using an assessment created for the current study. Participants also completed measures of executive function and non-verbal and verbal IQ. Children in the Explicit Instruction condition learned more than children in the other two groups. Additionally, individual differences in age, socioeconomic status, IQ, and executive function predicted learning, although only age and SES were uniquely predictive when all variables were included in the model. Lastly, children's sinking and floating pretest scores significantly interacted with instructional condition to predict learning. Among children in the Discovery Learning condition, those with more prior knowledge gained more after instruction than children with less prior knowledge. "Practice or Policy:" These findings highlight the importance of considering how learner characteristics might influence the effectiveness of different instructional approaches.

Purpose: Professional development (PD) is an essential component of continuing learning for in-service teachers. This paper discusses a school-based example of using the best practice of coaching in early childhood education supported by a professional development school partnership. We explain how a teacher identified need led to a collaborative, multistep approach to meeting that need in connection to State mandates. Design/methodology/approach: In this research, we used a case study methodological approach with a team of preschool teachers at one school. The model combines use of PD sessions, classroom coaching, classroom observation and reflection. Findings: Teachers' feedback indicates that using the strategy positively impacted most of the participants' ability to support communication, community-building and inclusive practices in their classrooms. The data that emerged in the following year evidenced increased use of visual supports in classrooms, use in connection with literacy goals and interest in creating new uses in the school. Originality/value: This article contributes an action-oriented school-based example of bridging research to practice to support teachers' needs through PD and coaching in a PDS. The design and practical implications may interest preschool educators, instructional coaches, administrators, professional development schools and others involved with monitoring teacher development initiatives.

Background: Inquiry-based instruction is a prominent teaching strategy in science education that is assumed to be an effective means to foster not only students' understanding of science content but also their procedural and epistemic knowledge concerning inquiry processes. Empirical studies have repeatedly shown that inquiry-related activities should be combined with instruction that explicitly addresses procedural and epistemic knowledge to support students' learning effectively. Purpose: The aim of this study is to explore to what extent explicit instruction on procedural and epistemic knowledge is occurring in inquiry-based biology and chemistry lessons. Sample: The sample analysed in this study consist of 16 inquiry-based biology and chemistry lessons recorded in German classrooms. Design and Methods: The video recordings of the lessons were analysed in three steps. First, event-based codes were used to identify all phases of a lesson in which students were engaged in an inquiry-related activity (e.g. developing questions, planning investigations). Second, each phase was analysed with respect to features of explicit instruction (e.g. explications of inquiry strategies). Third, event-based codes were used to capture individual features of explicit instruction in a phase. Results: In our sample explicit instruction on procedural knowledge occurred rarely and mostly in the form of brief sidenotes rather than as a comprehensive and deliberately planned action. Furthermore, explicit instruction on epistemic knowledge was virtually non-existent. However, we observed that many tasks and questions that are given by the teachers during their lessons have a high potential for making procedural (and epistemic) aspects explicit. Conclusion: While this explorative study does not allow for causal explanations for the lack of explicit instruction, its findings provide important insights into classroom practice. Implications for teacher education and future research are discussed.