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Abstract: The quality of educational work is inextricably linked to many factors at the system, school, teacher, and student levels. This research was carried out within the project ‘Education of Teachers as a Factor of Providing High-quality Life-long Learning in the Learning Society/The Society of Fast Socio-economic Changes and Unsure Future’, funded by the Slove-nian Research Agency. This paper provides a basic overview of the char-acteristics of open instruction, an umbrella term that combines active and learner-centred didactic strategies. The empirical section focuses on the use of didactic strategies. The survey was carried out with 1,536 primary school4 pupils in Grades 7 and 9 and 263 of their teachers. Both pupils and teachers cited problem-based learning and research-based learning as the most commonly used didactic strategies, while project-based learning was the least frequently used. Despite the agreement on the most and least frequently used didactic strategies, there are statisti-cally significant differences between pupils’ and teachers’ perceptions of all selected didactic strategies. Teachers reported that they used these strategies more often than was perceived by their pupils. We also found a statistically significant impact of better learning performance on the perception of certain didactic strategies. The results of the study raise new research questions, especially in the design of more detailed analy-ses of the use of didactic strategies in pedagogical practice.
Keywords: academic performance, didactic strategies, primary school, pupil activity
Published in DKUM: 14.08.2024; Views: 76; Downloads: 7
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Abstract: Nobody knows for certain where and when people started telling stories; however, people of all ages enjoy them. It has been proven that stories can be useful in any classroom as they are a powerful teaching tool. Language teachers are known for using them frequently, since they do not just motivate the students but also develop their reading skills. Stories can be used as stand-alone study material that provides everything for teaching a topic, or they can be additional material that enriches the lesson. Teachers are more likely to work with pre-prepared materials that are readily available than to make their own. As a future English teacher, I would like to incorporate my love for books into my lessons; therefore, I have researched the appropriateness of J.K. Rowling’s The Tales of Beedle the Bard for teaching EFL in upper primary schools in Slovenia. First, I presented theoretical background about stories, Slovenian primary schools, The Tales of Beedle the Bard, and choosing an appropriate story for classroom use. In the practical section, I analysed the appropriateness of The Tales of Beedle the Bard for teaching EFL and prepared some lesson plans for teaching EFL with The Tales of Beedle the Bard.
Keywords: EFL, primary school, tales, The Tales of Beedle the Bard, magic
Published in DKUM: 07.10.2022; Views: 595; Downloads: 40
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Abstract: Educational institutions carry an immense responsibility as the key institutions where migrant children start their integration process. Educational workers at schools are the ones that actualize government policies in their classrooms and directly influence migrant students’ integration process and monitor their progress. Teachers need proper education, training, and support to be able to work with migrant students successfully. Our master thesis focused and researched issues and problems teachers encounter when teaching migrant students English in the first triennium of primary school. In the first part of our thesis we defined migrant students and presented legislation and national guidelines surrounding migrant student integration. We introduced the immigration situation in Slovenska Bistrica, where a proportionally large Kosovo minority lives, and the two primary schools where we conducted our research. In the empirical part of our thesis, we interviewed four teachers that teach English in the first triennium of primary school about their experience with teaching in multicultural classrooms. Teachers rely on visual aids and mime to teach English through group activities where students actively participate through song, dance and games. The analysis of interviews showed that even though all English lessons are conducted in English, migrant students’ lack of Slovenian knowledge and their lack of socialization present the biggest problems interviewed teachers face.
Keywords: migrant students, migrant student integration, challenges of migrant student integration in the English classroom, English in the first triennium of primary school, English teachers
Published in DKUM: 27.07.2021; Views: 1295; Downloads: 69
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Abstract: This MA thesis deals with animated songs and their use in early foreign language teaching. In the theoretical part I have described child development, first and second language acquisition, multimedia, foreign language teaching and the use of songs in the classroom. As the literature on animated songs has not yet been developed, I have turned to theory on multimedia, music and art to formulate a set of criteria for easier choice of animated songs for use in class. In the empirical part I have chosen some high quality, didactically apropriate animated songs. Content, sound, music, text, design, animation, multimedia learning theories, art theory and didactics were taken into account. The final part of the paper shows the results of a questionnaire that was forwarded to Slovenian teachers who teach children aged 3–11 to see to what extent they know and use animated songs. Nowadays acces to songs is no longer a problem so it is important for teachers to know how to evaluate multimedia materials. There are both favorable opinions and cautions regarding technology use in childhood, so good judgement is needed. The choice and use of animated songs in the young learner classroom should be didactically justified.
Keywords: animated songs, songs, young learners, foreign language teaching, English, German, multimedia, modern technology, didactics, preschool, primary school
Published in DKUM: 25.10.2019; Views: 1537; Downloads: 173
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Abstract: The author of the present paper first theoretically describe the didactic concept of integrated lessons, then layout the discussions on integrating lessons in subject Natural and social studies (now Environmental studies) with lessons in Slovene subject. In the empirical part she demonstrate the attitude of teachers in the first triad toward integrated lessons and how the subject Environmental studies is included into this concept. The findings show that the teachers included in the sample had different opinions about integrated lessons. They saw one of the basic advantages of integrated lessons compared to classical ones in the linking of the lessons with the pupils' lives. In the integration of the subject Environmental studies with other subjects, the subject Slovene language plays an important role. Teachers, however, cannot find connections with some of the subjects, despite the fact that they are defined in the national curriculum. The teachers claim they have greatest difficulties in the phase of planning integrated lessons.
Keywords: education, primary education, integrated lessons, elementary school, environmental studies
Published in DKUM: 19.12.2017; Views: 1291; Downloads: 160
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