The focus of this research is on the professional development of educators responsible for teaching reading literacy to learners. This focus forms the core of this case study. Case studies investigate cause and effect and one of their strengths is the acknowledgement that context is a powerful determinant of both cause and effect. A qualitative research approach is used to collect data by means of semi-structured interviews, observation and questionnaires at three primary schools. This study is aimed at exploring whether educators gained and applied the knowledge and skills from departmental workshops and other professional development intervention to the facilitation of reading literacy. The study investigated and interpreted the participants’ perspectives in order to gain insight and understanding into the professional learning experiences of educators. Proficiency in reading literacy gives learners access to information, broadens their general knowledge, increases their vocabulary and develops their language skills. The improvement of reading literacy commences at the primary level because learners at this stage develop and acquire fundamental attitudes and approaches to learning. Data was collected by means of interviews, observation of lessons and questionnaires on the teaching of reading literacy. Findings indicate that, although the focus of teaching and learning is on the learner, the strategies and criteria are determined by the educator. This could have a negative impact on learners’ acquisition of knowledge and educators’ ability to improve learners’ reading literacy levels. This dissertation recommends that the whole brain learning and reading model, which represents an integration of the literature study, my practical experience and the findings of my empirical study with inputs from principals and educators, should be used as basis for the transformation of reading literacy facilitation in South African schools. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2013 / Humanities Education / unrestricted

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Nigeria is one of the most multilingual nations in Africa which consists of over 450 languages (Adegbija, 2004; Danladi, 2013). It has a population of more than 150 million people, with three major languages, namely Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo, and a number of minority languages. Despite its linguistic and cultural diversity, English is the main medium of instruction from primary to tertiary education. The negative effects of learning through the medium of English second language (L2) are evidenced in the learners’ poor achievement in the external examination results of the National Examination Council (NECO) and the West African Examination Council (WAEC). There is an assumption that learners’ poor performance in English (L2) is due to little attention given to English writing in schools, and the use of less appropriate or effective teaching approaches (Babalola, 2011). There is a special concern about the poor writing proficiency levels of learners, particularly in the Junior Secondary School (JSS) phase which is an exit to Senior Secondary School level where learners are expected to show strong academic literacy skills. Writing is a process which is central to learners’ learning across the curriculum and it enables learners not only to access knowledge from different sources, but also to display the acquired knowledge in different domains. Learners’ poor writing skills are a great concern given that English (L2) is the main medium of instruction at all levels of education in Nigeria. In light of the above, this study set out to explore the pedagogical strategies and problems encountered by both teachers and learners in English (L2) academic writing in Junior Secondary School (JSS 3) classrooms in the Ekiti State, Nigeria. Guided by Second Language Acquisition theory, the study explored the factors that influence second language learning, in relation to the sociocultural and contextual factors that influence learners’ writing abilities. Through the lens of the Genre Pedagogical Theory and the Social Constructivist theory, it investigated teachers’ pedagogical strategies in English (L2) writing, and analysed learners’ written texts in order to understand the extent to which they reflected the features of specific genres that support learners’ writing skills. Four JSS3 teachers in three schools were purposively selected to participate in the study. The study employed a qualitative research paradigm, underpinned by the interpretive theory. Through the use of an ethnographic design, the day-to-day happenings such as thoughts and engagements of both teachers and students in the English (L2) lessons were observed and recorded by means of an audio-recorder in order to build a comprehensive record of the participants’ practice in the classroom. In addition, both semi-structured and unstructured interviews were conducted with the individual teachers. The students’ written texts and other relevant documents were collected and analysed for the purpose of data triangulation. Ethical considerations such as informed consent, voluntary participation, respect and anonymity of participants were observed throughout the study. In this study, the findings show that the teaching of English (L2) writing is still a challenge to many teachers due to a variety of factors which include linguistic, pedagogical and structural factors. As a result, learners’ academic writing suffers, especially writing to learn at secondary school level. Specifically, the findings of this study indicate that the teachers made use of traditional teaching approaches in the teaching of English (L2) writing as against the approaches recommended in the curriculum. The study also reveals that most of the JSS(3) students’ level of proficiency in English writing is below the expected levels stipulated in the curriculum document, although some of them displayed good basic interpersonal communication skills (BICS), Other contributing factors to the learners’ low academic writing proficiency in English (L2) include teachers’ limited understanding and application of the Genre-Based Approach in teaching writing, inadequate language teaching and learning resources, learners’ limited exposure to English (L2) and limited writing opportunities. The study concludes that while the use of the Genre-Based Approach is not the only strategy to enhance learners’ writing skills, the teaching of writing remains crucial as it is central to language use in different knowledge domains. Students’ writing proficiency is critical for cognitive and socio-economic development as it has implications for students’ access to knowledge and academic literacy which spills over to tertiary education. In a country like Nigeria where the main language of instruction is English, there is a need to prioritise teacher development and to revisit the curriculum to determine how it meets the academic needs of learners in this century.

Syftet med detta arbete är att undersöka hur pedagoger arbetar med elevers muntliga färdighet, alltså hur denna färdighet arbetas med i klassrummet samt om den medför konsekvenser, både positiva och negativa.  Metoden som används är kvalitativa intervjuer där 5 grundlärare i årskurs 1-3 intervjuas. Metoden kvalitativa intervjuer valdes för att kunna titta närmare på pedagogernas erfarenheter och åsikter.  Resultatet från intervjuerna styrker till största del den tidigare forskningen. Pedagogerna tar under intervjuerna upp någonting som forskningen inte gör. De tar upp exempel på aktiviteter där den muntliga färdigheten tränas. Forskningen och de intervjuade håller dock med varandra om att den muntliga färdigheten är någonting som hela tiden måste arbetas med och vidareutvecklas. Forskningen visar att pedagogen oftast är den som tar upp mest talutrymme i klassrummet samtidigt som de intervjuade kan anse att talutrymmet är lika stort för både elever och pedagog. Både forskningen och de intervjuade ser att den muntliga färdigheten medför både hinder och möjligheter. Dock vinner möjligheterna i längden. / The purpose of this work is to study how teachers work with pupils' oral proficiency. The purpose is to find out how this proficiency is being trained in the classroom and whether it has consequences, both positive and negative.  The method used is qualitative interviews, where five elementary school teachers in grades 1-3 are interviewed. The qualitative interviews were chosen to study the educators' experiences and opinions.  The results obtained from the interviews largely reinforce the results from previous research. During the interviews, the educators mentioned something that the previous research did not mention. They list examples of activities where the oral proficiency is trained. The research and the interviewees agree, however, that the oral proficiency is something that must always be worked on and further developed. Research shows that the pedagogue usually takes up the most speech space in the classroom, while the interviewees may think that the speech space is the same for both students and educators. Both the research and the interviewees agree that the oral proficiency consists of both obstacles and opportunities. However, opportunities usually prevail.

English Language Learners (ELLs) are considered to be at higher risk for developing emotional and behavioral difficulties due to their limited English proficiency. As a result, the present study examined the identification of emotional and behavioral risk (EBR) among ELLs and non-ELLs through the use of universal behavior screening measures. The study consisted of 395 students enrolled in kindergarten through 5th grades, ranging in age from 5 years, 6 months to 12 years, 4 months. Over half of participants (52.4%) were male and a majority (42.8%) identified as Hispanic/Latino(a). Approximately one-fifth (19.7%) of students were classified as ELLs. Teachers completed the electronic version of the BASC-2 Behavioral and Emotional Screening System-Teacher Form (BESS) for each student in their classroom. Demographic student data was provided by the school via the school’s electronic database. Results showed no relationship between ELL status and EBR. However, there was a relationship between gender and the identification of EBR among ELL students, where males demonstrated increased risk levels. In addition, students' reading ability, age, and gender predicted whether ELL and non-ELL students would be identified as at-risk for emotional and behavior problems. Although results did not show a relationship between language proficiency and EBR, ELLs remain a group vulnerable for being identified as at-risk for emotional and behavioral difficulties, due to academic and/or social-emotional problems that they may experience. In practice, schools may want to consider using an integrated approach to conducting universal screening, where schools screen for reading difficulties and behavior concerns, thus allowing them to address a broader range of concerns through early intervention programs.

Teaching mathematics towards mathematical proficiency cannot easily be described since mathematical proficiency is complex and no term alone capture all aspects. The purpose of the study was to examine how mathematical proficiency in conceptual understanding can be discriminated through the concept of subtraction in grade 1 and 3 primary school. Question raised by the study was 1. What different levels in quality can be discriminated in the ways students subtracts?   2. Can progression be discriminated within subtraction operations between grade 1 and 3? Concepts like mathematical artefacts, capability and ability have been useful tools when analyzing the material. Developing mathematical thinking in students is about developing conceptual understanding anchored in the process rather than focus on procedures and outcome. When subtracting with comprehension one knows that subtraction undoes addition since subtraction is the inverse operation of addition.      The methods used are qualitative studies using observations and interviews. The material consists of notes from observations, recordings of interviews and written solutions. The study developed an analysis tool in order to compare the different ways of thinking when doing subtraction activities. Developing the tool was critical in order to compare and discriminate different levels of mathematical thinking. The results indicate that the Swedish curricula in mathematics do not support mathematical teaching towards mathematical proficiencies because it’s lack of concrete measurable goals.

Linguistic error has proven to be a recurrent area of interest for researchers. There exist several types of approaches to error; some studies have focused on specific errors, such as grammatical errors, others on more general or exogenous issues, such as the perception of error of the group object of study, etc. From the point of view of methodology, some have been dedicated to the definition and description of error, while others have studied the identification of erroneous uses of language. Several proposals for error categorisation have also been propounded. In the case of error production in languages foreign to the speaker, the learning factor must also be included. Some authors have focused on the underlying reasons, questioning if the cause for errors rests upon an inadequate teaching method, or the actual teacher, or even if the cause is intrinsic to any learnt language, as opposed to the Mother Tongue. From the principle that it is possible to improve the language proficiency level of students by looking at the errors produced, this doctoral dissertation studies pragmatic error in the production of written English. In addition, it includes pedagogic perspectives that introduce a Second Language to potential speakers and the European Framework of Reference. The thesis is structured as follows: the first part is dedicated to a theoretical justification of the research, with an introduction to Pragmatics, Error Analysis, Contrastive Analysis, Second Language Acquisition -in particular the Communicative Approach- and the European Framework for Languages. The third chapter is dedicated to the objectives. Chapter 4 explains the methodology used for data processing and analysis. The results are explained in chapter 5 and chapter 6 presents the conclusions derived from these. To begin with, a proposal for error analysis and identification is presented. This takes into account error distribution and classification and language levels proposed in the Common Europea Framework of Reference for Languages as an open tool for the analysis of errors investigated. / Mestre I Mestre, EM. (2011). Error in the learning and teaching of english as a second language at higher education level [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/11277 / Palancia

Thesis advisor: Martin Scanlan / While the U.S. student body is increasingly racially, ethnically, culturally, and linguistically diverse, the teaching population itself, however, does not mirror this same diversity. As such, there is an urgent need for teachers who can adequately meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student population (Sleeter, 2001). Some teachers are undeniably more successful at the task of educating diverse student populations than others. How then - are these teachers in particular - successfully able to effectively teach students across various lines of difference? The purpose of this qualitative individual study is to explore teachers’ views on how they have developed their cultural proficiency. How do teachers who have been identified by school leaders as particularly effective at teaching diverse student populations develop their culturally responsive practice, and more pointedly - their capacity to effectively teach students from historically marginalized groups (i.e. students from racially minoritized groups or socio-economically disadvantaged groups)? Utilizing a sense-making framework, and gathering information using methods including semi-structured interviews, teacher questionnaires, and reflective journaling, this study uncovers emergent themes and trends in how individual teachers within a diverse Massachusetts school district make sense of the process by which they developed their culturally responsive teaching capacities and practice. If educational leaders form a better understanding of how teachers effectively develop their cultural competencies, then principals and district leaders will be able to use this information to more effectively design professional development programs that sustain teachers’ cultural proficiency and better equip them to successfully serve the increasingly diverse student population. / Thesis (EdD) — Boston College, 2020. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

No description available.

Objectives To provide contemporary, national population-based estimates of complete tooth loss of older adults by English language proficiency. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the 2017 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey among participants ≥50 years of age (n=10,452, weighted=111,895,290). Results The prevalence of complete tooth loss was higher among those with limited English proficiency (Spanish speaking: 13.7%; Other languages: 16.9%) than those proficient in English (Spanish speaking: 5.0%; Other languages: 6.0%). After adjusting for education, complete tooth loss was less common among participants for whom Spanish was their primary, with limited English proficiency relative to English only (adjusted odds ratio: 0.56; 95% confidence interval: 0.42-0.76). Among those without complete tooth loss, dental visit in the past year were less common among participants with primary languages other than English as compared to those who only speak English. Discussion Research is needed to examine the relationship of aging, oral health, and access to care.

In the South African context, it is currently assumed by most role players in education that teacher graduates are proficient in the medium of instruction they will use once they start their careers. This may be a reason why currently there is no mandatory testing of teachers‟ language proficiency. Due to social, economic and historical factors, English has become the medium of instruction at most educational institutions in South Africa, yet less than 10% of the population speak English as a home language. Consequently, an overwhelming number of learners are being taught in a language other than their home language and often by teachers not adequately prepared to teach through the medium of English. In the absence of mandatory testing and with the complex language situation in South African classrooms, this case study aimed to determine the perceptions held by pre-service teachers and their mentors regarding their English proficiency at entry to the teaching profession. This was done by answering the following research question: What is the perceived Classroom English proficiency of final year pre-service teachers prior to graduating? The conceptual framework was grounded in Uys‟s (2006) model of Classroom English proficiency and the methodology employed was quantitative in nature. Instruments used to collect data included an observation schedule completed by mentor teachers observing pre-service teachers presenting the fifth lesson of their first internship period, and a questionnaire completed by the pre-service teacher directly after the observed lesson. Both instruments were adapted from Elder‟s Classroom Language Assessment Schedule (1993, 2001), and each included 42 items related to various language proficiency variables rated on a four-point Likert scale. Data were analysed using various statistical measures comparing groups and subgroups within the sample. Key findings included a significant statistical difference between how English Home Language (EHL) pre-service teachers perceived their language proficiency and those who are English Additional Language (EAL) preservice teachers. EHL pre-service teachers perceived their Classroom English proficiency better than EAL pre-service teachers. The same trend was evident among the perceptions of mentor teachers. Pedagogical language and voice skills emerged as areas in which additional support was required by EAL pre-service teachers. Further research avenues to explore relate to the feasibility of administering refined instruments among teachers to determine not only what the perceptions would be on a national level but also to assess their Classroom English proficiency, followed by possible interventions. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / lk2014 / Social Studies Education / MEd / Unrestricted