TEACH Collection Of Christian Education

Movement-based activities can have benefits for children from early childhood and into formal education. However, most current research concerns movement-based activities which are a part of physical education classes. Integrated movement-based activities are activities that involve physical movement that is used to teach subjects other than physical education in the primary curriculum. For example, asking students to demonstrate their understanding of the water cycle by using movement to act out the process. The purpose of this study is to outline the impact that integrated movement-based activities such as this can have on primary school-aged students.

To answer this research question the study was separated into three phases which were conducted in both lower and upper primary classrooms. The data were collected using student guided self-reflection journals, numeracy tests, self-rating scales of concentration, teacher interviews, and researcher observations and reflections. The data were then analyzed using open-coding methods. It was found that when a supportive classroom environment and structure is established, integrated movement-based activities can impact positively on students' concentration, enjoyment of learning, engagement in learning, and interpersonal relationships.

Current trends in educational neuroscience indicate that the brain needs frequent downtime for optimal learning. One way of achieving this in the classroom is with brain breaks. Physical movement brain breaks are the most commonly used, but there is less evidence that compares different types of brain breaks and their effectiveness in promoting student refocus after the brain break is complete. This investigation, in one primary classroom, mapped three different types of brain breaks against student enjoyment/engagement, and the time it took students to refocus on their work. Differences were noted in students’ enjoyment levels of the types of brain breaks and the time it took students to refocus on their work following the activity.

This study examines the impact of using manipulatives in Mathematics on student understanding, efficiency, engagement and enjoyment in a lower primary classroom. Manipulatives are concrete physical objects that students can use in a hands-on approach to learning. During this research, 32 students were involved in various mathematical activities involving different kinds of manipulatives and also in activities where manipulatives were not used at all. The types of manipulatives used were clocks, coins, MAB blocks and the interactive whiteboard. Quantitative data was collected using a survey while qualitative data in the form of observations was also collected. The results showed that students are more engaged when using manipulatives, and that their perception of their learning environment improved in the areas of enjoyment, understanding and efficiency.

Movement-based activities can have benefits for children from informal early childhood settings to more formal education contexts in primary schools. Integrated movement-based activities (IMBAs) are activities involving physical movement that are used to teach subjects other than physical education in the primary school curriculum. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact that IMBAs have on primary school aged students. The study was conducted in lower and upper primary classrooms. The data was collected from the perspectives of students, teachers and a researcher using self-reflection journals, numeracy tests, self-rating scales of concentration levels, teacher interviews and researcher observations and reflections. The data was then analysed using open-coding methods. The study found that, when a supporting and structured classroom environment is established, IMBAs impact positively on students’ concentration, enjoyment of learning, engagement in learning and interpersonal relationships.

Giving effective classroom commands is basic to fostering a positive learning environment. This investigation explored the impact of adding a novelty factor to classroom commands by delivering commands in a foreign language. Foreign language commands (FLCs) are classroom directions given in a language other than the one generally used for learning and teaching. The purpose of this primary classroom-based case study was to examine the impact FLCs had on students’ response times and attitudes when learning about the culture associated with the language of the commands. Twenty-four Grade Three students in one class were exposed to FLCs for a period of five weeks. Data showing how many seconds it took for students to respond to verbal commands in both English and a foreign language were recorded over a variety of lessons. Surveys identified student attitudes towards FLCs. It was found that students responded faster to FLCs than similar English commands and demonstrated different response times to FLCs during different lessons. Variations were also noted in the attitudes of the children towards foreign language commands.

This study examines outcomes associated with the implementation of circle time to improve the social and emotional awareness of students diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Circle time is described as a safe base where students can enhance their social and emotional learning skills within a child-centered and child directed context. Students diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder display deficits in their social and emotional competencies due to the neural circuitry responsible for emotional responses. Current research indicates positive results for students when a social and emotional learning curriculum is implemented. Although there is current research into both social and emotional learning curriculums, and the social and emotional needs of students diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, there is a lack of findings in relation to the implementation of circle time to deliver a social and emotional learning curriculum to students diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. The findings of this study suggest that participation in circle time experiences has a positive impact on the social and emotional development on students diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

This paper describes a pre-service teacher-researcher’s action research study into Year 2 children’s approach to story writing. The purpose of the study was to investigate the use of drawing to improve the quality and quantity of children’s writing by using drawing before writing to scaffold children’s thinking during the story writing process. The use of drawing also sought to improve students’ view of themselves as competent writers. The paper describes a six week period during which children were encouraged to draw their thoughts before commencing the writing of their story. Children’s comments on the drawing process give educators insights into the way lower primary children create and develop story plots during story writing sessions. Data was analysed using themes emerging from anecdotal jottings, and teacher-researcher diary reflections. Student work samples and questionnaires were also collected and analysed. The findings of this research suggest that some children’s thinking and story writing skills benefit from drawing before commencing writing tasks. This research also provides teachers with insight into the way children reflect upon themselves as writers and communicators.