Environments are a complex interaction of physical elements, including sensory components, design and organization, aesthetics, nurturing attributes, and pedagogical resources. Research shows these elements can work together to improve early learning, self-efficacy and higher-order thinking skills.Pamela Evanshen, EdD and Janet Faulk, EdD, have developed an environmental rating scale—Assessing the Pillars of the Physical Environment for Academic Learning (APPEAL)—to help educational professionals evaluate and improve the design and use of elementary learning environments. Transform learning spaces from teacher-centered classrooms where creativity and collaboration are stifled to student-centered, developmentally appropriate learning communities where children thrive. The APPEAL rating scale is a valid and reliable assessment that quantifies six environmental domains: Meaningful Learning: occurs in a healthy, welcoming, and inviting classroom Social Learning: encourages positive learning interactions through room arrangement and seating choices Purposeful Learning: facilitates discover and active engagement through learning centers and stations, personal spaces for children, and teacher space Responsible Learning: encourages children to take ownership of their learning, be accountable for their effort, and work together to accomplish learning goals Continuous Learning: showcases children's understandings of core content knowledge Inquiry-Based Learning: project-based learning and collaborative problem solving supported by rich resources Room to Learn: Elementary Classrooms Designed for Interactive Explorations will help elementary educators completely reinvent their spaces to achieve the best child outcomes. / https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu_books/1219/thumbnail.jpg

This thesis suggests that students with (dis)abilities are immersed in, and emerge from powerful discourses within classrooms named `inclusive'. It suggests that resilient and normative psycho-medical discourses and discourses of special education work to maintain the deep structures of schooling, and work against a valuing of difference, and of the Other, within schools and classrooms named `inclusive'. The inquiry that is the basis of this thesis works with textual representations of `inclusion' and `inclusive schooling' and works to address issues of identity and subjectivity within the various discourses from which `inclusion' and `inclusive schooling' might be understood to emerge. It is sited within Western philosophical streams concerned with language and meaning, discourse and narrative, texts and textuality. It emerges from a qualitative research paradigm and is deeply influenced by the earlier works of Michel Foucault (1969, 1970, 1972, 1991). Through these works Foucault develops `genealogy' as a form of historical analysis. This thesis engages genealogy as a form for critical interpretative inquiry into schooling practices named `inclusive' of students with (dis)abilities. The genealogy admits the historical, social, theoretical and political contexts which frame research, inquiry and interpretation within the social sciences. The inquiry emerges from an epistemology of tentativeness and uncertainty. It accepts that knowledge is contextual, contingent and indeterminate. It addresses the associated `crisis of representation' (Denzin & Lincoln 1994, 1998) related to what might constitute an adequate description of the sets of social relations and spaces named `inclusive schooling' through interpretative processes of opening questions and sets of questions. / This genealogy develops understandings of `inclusion' and `inclusive schooling' through unfolding sequences of questions as 'thought-lines' that are strategies for this interpretative inquiry. Three thought-lines are woven from the questions which both propel, and emerge from, the processes of this critical interpretative inquiry: The 'self-other' thought-line; The 'included-excluded' thought-line; The 'particular-general' thought-line. Thought-lines transgress the borders of form and content in this inquiry. They are enmeshed to become the fabric of the genealogy. The thesis is in three sections, the first, Shaping a Genealogy, offers a theoretical and methodological perspective. The second, Squinting and Connecting, is in the form of a suite of interpretations, and the last, Developing Understanding, offers a range of ways in which inclusion and inclusive schooling might be understood. The thesis culminates in a set of new questions that represent a range of understandings of inclusion and inclusive schooling.

The study described in this report attempted to describe some high school classrooms in terms of such physical features as lighting, acoustics, thermal comfort, furniture design and spatial arrangements. It also sought to explore the possible associations between student seating preference and such "ecological features". The study first tried to confirm some previous research findings with regard to the existence of "zones of participation", associated with student personality traits including academic ability. The researcher then explored whether the "physical conditions" prevalent in classrooms were as much the determinants of student seating choice, as much as the student's personality traits and relationships with his peers and teachers. It further sought to confirm whether seat selection was consistent and to explore whether it was characterised by a range of factors which could be identified and classified. The study lastly aimed to obtain anecdotal data about the students' perceptions of their classroom environments. Information was obtained from one thousand and eighty-six completed questionnaires from students in years seven to ten, in two different types of classroom, in two separate high schools in the Australian Capital Territory. The results in general supported previous findings regarding associations between central and peripheral seating locations and a student's personality traits and academic achievement level. The results, furthermore, suggested some possible dependence upon the classroom's dimensions and opportunity for teacherstudent eye contact as a crucial factor in the relationship between seating location and student achievement level. The data further confirmed that a number of physical as well as social factors were determinants of a student's choice of seat. These factors were found to be consistently identifiable over various age groups, in different kinds of classroom, in different subject areas and between separate schools. The anecdotal data further established the degree of concern and importance attributed to the physical environment by the students.

The assessment reform movement has focused on classroom assessment and grading practices as a potential means to improving teaching and learning. Many researchers agree that the best way to enhance learning for a diverse range of students is through appropriate, reliable, and valid classroom assessment and grading practices. This is of particular importance in Saskatchewan because the inclusive philosophy has been mandated for all schools. Classroom teachers are responsible for the instruction, assessment, and grading of students with mild disabilities, learning, emotional, and behavioral challenges, and other needs that require specific attention. This study examined secondary classroom teachers assessment and grading practices in one urban school division. A survey instrument adapted from the work of Duncan and Noonan (2007) and McMillan (2001) asked current secondary teachers, within inclusive classrooms, to indicate their current assessment and grading practices. Evidence from the survey demonstrated that teachers in this division have diverse assessment and grading practices and that they have begun to explore the potential for assessment to assist all students in their learning. This study has provided data to move forward with some professional development opportunities for teachers and further research in assessment and grading with particular focus on students with special needs in inclusive classrooms.

The assessment reform movement has focused on classroom assessment and grading practices as a potential means to improving teaching and learning. Many researchers agree that the best way to enhance learning for a diverse range of students is through appropriate, reliable, and valid classroom assessment and grading practices. This is of particular importance in Saskatchewan because the inclusive philosophy has been mandated for all schools. Classroom teachers are responsible for the instruction, assessment, and grading of students with mild disabilities, learning, emotional, and behavioral challenges, and other needs that require specific attention. This study examined secondary classroom teachers assessment and grading practices in one urban school division. A survey instrument adapted from the work of Duncan and Noonan (2007) and McMillan (2001) asked current secondary teachers, within inclusive classrooms, to indicate their current assessment and grading practices. Evidence from the survey demonstrated that teachers in this division have diverse assessment and grading practices and that they have begun to explore the potential for assessment to assist all students in their learning. This study has provided data to move forward with some professional development opportunities for teachers and further research in assessment and grading with particular focus on students with special needs in inclusive classrooms.

Thesis (M.S.C.I.T.)--Regis University, Denver, Colo., 2006. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Sept. 19, 2006). Includes bibliographical references.

The overall aim of this research is to explore my interest in the influences on teachers’ attitudes towards behaviours which challenge them and to illuminate my experiences and perspectives through those of others. It sets out to explore and to gain understanding about what affects how teachers feel about supporting pupils in mainstream classrooms with behavioural difficulties. As a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) in a secondary school, I saw the difference a teacher’s style of classroom leadership could have on children’s engagement with school and learning. I became extremely frustrated with the way that some teachers appeared to have little inclination to meet the needs of some of the pupils in their classes, particularly those with special educational needs. Comments such as “S/he’s one of yours! YOU deal with it,” because the children were on the Special Educational Needs Register, summarised this. Here, I attempt to scrutinise what may affect teachers’ understanding of their responsibility towards the specific special need of challenging behaviour. For the research, fifteen in-depth interviews were carried out with a variety of professionals whose roles involved supporting the needs of pupils whose behaviour can challenge teachers. All the participants were asked the same questions and a hierarchical questioning structure was used (Tomlinson 1989). The responses indicated a diverse range of factors influencing teachers’ tolerance towards challenging behaviours and these were used to construct a framework which gathers these together. The research has implications in two main areas; the links between school ethos and teachers feeling supported and able to manage challenging behaviours and the development of opportunities to share good practice.

The flipped classroom structure is a new concept designed to accommodate current students in place of the traditional classroom structure. Instead of in-class lectures, students do the majority of learning outside of class and use in-class time to participate in interactive activities with peers and with educators. Most out-of-class learning materials involve use of lecture videos, online games, or lecture notes. Recent studies found success with flipped classrooms in a variety of settings and students. However, there are no studies regarding whether current students better retain information when providing lectures in digital media as opposed to traditional media. This study compares the mean difference of pretest and post classroom scores for pharmacology using NBME exams of PA students given study materials in digital form and those given study materials in traditional paper form. We hope the study can contribute to effective teaching for future students.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Education in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters in Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instructional Studies at the University Of Zululand, 2018 / This study investigated whether the practices of translanguaging exists in Social Sciences classrooms and whether it is effectively adopted (This research was be solely based in Zululand district schools which offer isiZulu as a first language and English as First additional language).The study employed a mixed-methods approach in investigating Translanguaging in grade 9 Social Sciences classroom in the Zululand District. Observations were used to observe grade 9 Social sciences teachers and see how they use language as they are teaching, in order to determine their language of input and language of output. A reading comprehension inventory was administered through Solomon 4 quasi-experiment design by means of a class test in order to determine the learner’s language of input and language of output in the Social Sciences lesson. The main finding from the observation is that, teachers alternate between isiZulu and English, in order to make lessons understood by learners. The lesson was understood better by learners when both languages were used. Results indicate that home languages play a vital role in educational activities of learners because it is the language they are most familiar with. The main finding from the reading comprehension inventory revealed that, when learners used isiZulu as a language of input and English as a language of output they performed better. Furthermore it was discovered that the language of output played no major role in improving reading comprehension scores of learners. The significant factor was the language of input. It was evident that teachers are reluctant to use translanguaging in their lessons because it is not prescribed in the language in education policy; however when they use the prescribed language (English) they do not receive desired responses/ output from the learners and lessons become less interesting. The study recommends a need to review language policies in place and accommodate for adjustments to allow flexibility in teaching and curriculum content. This would enhance comprehension of the content subject and may improve learners’ academic performance in content subjects.

This longitudinal quantitative study compared literacy achievement of students from second through sixth grade based on two organizational systems: graded (traditional) and nongraded (multiage) classrooms. The California Standards Test (CST) scaled and proficiency scores for English-Language Arts (ELA) were used as the study’s independent variable to measure student performance. A matched control was utilized in which nongraded students were compared with graded students based on gender, ethnicity, and date of birth. Data analysis included independent samples t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and effect size. Results showed that nongraded students had a significant advantage over their graded counterparts in literacy achievement (p=0.000). Effect size for the matched group increased with length of exposure in the nongraded program from Cohen’s d=0.49 to d=0.99. It is difficult to determine if significant outcomes were the result of classroom structure or instructional strategies used in the nongraded setting. However, a unique quality of this study involves the rare conditions and matched control design that allowed for variables to be controlled, which have yet to be simultaneously accounted for in multiage studies to date. Based on the results, this study suggested that nongraded education, by responding to the developmental nature of children in the classroom, may offer a viable alternative to the graded system. In nations such as Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands, Finland, and Canada with the highest literacy rates in the world, nongraded classrooms are common educational practice.